Juana Sandoval

Juana Sandoval age 77 went to be with the Lord on, Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana surrounded by her loving family. Beloved wife of Antonio Sandoval; loving mother to twelve children: Alice, Herlinda, Angela, Antonio, Arnulfo, Ray, Homero, Arturo, Pedro, Abel, Alberto and Alex; and loving grandmother to thirty-four grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Funeral Visitation, Friday, June 25, 2010 at Zefran Funeral Home, 1941 West Cermak Road, Chicago, Illinois 60608 from 2:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Funeral Services, Saturday, June 26, 2010 at Zefran Funeral Home, Chapel Service, St. Procopius Clergy for Prayers at 10:00 a.m. Interment Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside, Illinois.

“Give me a problem and I’ll hand you a solution.” Those who knew Juana Sandoval would agree that motto accurately described her. Juana was a woman of great drive and a very original, independent thinker. For Juana, no challenge was impossible, and just about any desired result was within her grasp. Juana placed great trust in her intuition. Since that intuition generally led her in the right direction, who was she to doubt it.

Her childhood found her in San Andres, Tamaulipas, Mexico where she matured into the independent person she eventually became.

Juana grew up with two siblings. Juana could be seen as being stubborn by her siblings. It was important to her that she was perceived as “right” when it came to her part in those typical family spats. However, this quality did not over power her caring for her family. This ability to balance her family, with her need to be seen as right, helped her to develop into a young adult while enjoying many good times with her family.

Antonio's sensitivity to Juana's needs proved to be a wonderful influence on this woman, who preferred to trust her instincts. Antonio's influence brought Juana to a new emotional level, one that eventually enhanced all of her other gifts and abilities. Antonio was able to help Juana appreciate the fact that others made contributions and Juana became better at interacting with those around her. Because of this, Juana grew as a person.

Juana often neglected her own feelings in order to give to others. This was very true when it came to how she dealt with her children. She was able to hand on to each child a number of strong values. She taught them to appreciate their abilities, gave them a desire to persevere despite obstacles and set within them a drive to succeed. She had twelve children, Three daughters, Alice, Herlinda, and Angela, and nine sons, Antonio, Ray, Homero, Arturo, Pedro, Abel, Alberto and Alex. They were always aware of how much Juana loved them. Her primary job was being a homemaker, which included being a dedicated mother and loving wife.

For Juana, her hobbies became another exercise in learning and mastering areas that interested her. She greatly enjoyed unraveling the "hows" and "whys" that lay behind her hobbies. Juana was always pushing herself to learn more and to stretch her knowledge base even further. She firmly believed that the more things that she knew the more control she would have over things. Her favorite pursuits were knitting, cooking, reading, taking care of her plants.

She did manage to enjoy some time away from home. Favorite vacations included visiting family in Mexico.

Juana was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. Juana's favorites were Wolf, a German Shepherd and Husky-Mixed and Max, a Pekingese. They were best friends for 8 years and 5 years. She also loved birds.

Juana Sandoval passed away on June 23, 2010 at Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Juana fought many brave battles against multiple health issues. She is survived by her husband Antonio, brother Francisco and sister Lola, her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Services were held at Zefran Funeral Home. Juana was laid to rest in Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois.

Juana Sandoval was always drawn to what was practical. She was a very competent person who expected only the best from others. She could be headstrong and certain about the way things were suppose to be. She was determined in every aspect of her life and certain that she was usually right about things. She trusted her intuition over all else, even if others did not agree, and she had faith in her inner vision and speculations. She wanted to be acknowledged by others as having made a contribution to whatever she was working on. Her family and friends will miss her fierce determination, relentless innovations and analytic mind. She leaves with all those who knew her many wonderful memories.

Arrangements under the direction of Zefran Funeral Home, Chicago, Illinois. Concepción Rodriguez, Funeral Director.