Irma F. Cortez

Irma Flores Cortez was born on March 2,1938 & she passed away March 14, 2019 at 81 years old. She was born in a small town in Mexico called Comales. She was the beloved only sister to four brothers and had an especially close bond with her mom, Evangelina. The family moved to the border town of Rio Bravo where she attended school and was one of the best folkloric dancers. The jarabe tapatio being her favorite.

She began working at an early age at a small grocery store. She loved school and loved going to dances at the local social hall – with a chaperone of course! She met her future husband, Jose Cortez at 15. Little did she know that after marrying him she and their two daughters would move to Chicago, Illinois. Talk about courage, leaving her mom and brothers to go to a foreign country, not knowing the language or customs….and it was so cold. They soon had three more daughters and a son.

Irma was a wonderful homemaker. She was an excellent cook – her tortillas de harina were legendary! No matter what time of the day or night you visited her home, rest assured you would enjoy her delicious food. Whether it was a simple dish of arroz and frijoles or her caldo, fideo, mole or entomatadas her dishes were made with love and just the right amount of seasoning. She had a servant heart, not just for her family but for anyone that was lucky enough to know her. She put others first and had a talent for making you feel special and cared for. She was a mom to her six children and a surrogate mom to countless others. Everyone loved to hang out at Sra. Cortez’s home – no one more than her grandchildren. She adored her grandchildren and they cherished her.

She also had a beautiful voice and loved to serenade her family with the Mexican birthday song, Las Mananitas. What a gift! Her love of dancing continued into adulthood. Irma and Jose and a close knit group of friends (comadres and compadres) rarely missed an opportunity to dance all night to tropical big band orchestras like Sonora Santanera or Micky Laurie. Close your eyes and picture a beautiful woman in a black sleeveless velvet dress, long gloves, perfect up do and Revlon red lipstick – that was Irma.

She enjoyed attending concerts – her favorites being Juan Gabriel and Pepe Aguilar. She also loved Pitbull and the old Mexican love songs. She instilled in her family the love of music and celebration. She could be silly and playful and also was your rock in difficult times. Her family and friends sought her guidance and prayers. That warm smile and twinkling eyes made you feel like everything was going to be alright.

We need that so much right now as we say goodbye knowing she is up there cooking up a storm and singing and dancing in God’s kitchen. She was a Phenomenal Woman – strong, kind, loving, compassionate and generous. Forever in our hearts.