Felicitas "Fela" R. Rodriguez

Felicitas Ramirez Rodriguez, the incredible daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother ended her earthly journey on October 13, 2021. She was surrounded by those she treasured and loved, her family. Felicitas, sometimes known as Fela, was born to Candalario Ramirez and Georgina Torres Ramirez on a rural ranch in deep South Texas. She was the oldest child of a large tight-knit family, as family meant everything to her. As a young girl, Fela traveled with her family across the United States as a migrant farmworker picking cotton and other crops in some of the worst workplace conditions. She often reminisced about those experiences as tough, long days in the heat, but also cherished their time together. She shared stories of relentless farmers trying to minimize her self-worth, but true to her spirit, she instead chose to define herself as worthy, capable, and beautiful.

Fela always set high standards for herself, including a daunting and lengthy list of specific characteristics she wanted in a husband. In the summer of 1961, she met the man who checked off all her boxes, Cleofas Rodriguez, Sr. They married on December 31, 1961, during a simple wedding ceremony in the home of her parents. She began her life as a wife and two and a half years later she earned the right to be called Mom, her most treasured title, other than Grandma. Fela was a fierce and devoted mother to her sons Arnold and Cleofas Jr. She was their protector and their strongest ally, rock, and advocate. Her love for them was boundless and she would do anything to make sure her sons were well educated and had the opportunity to become successful. Their success today is her life achievement.

In her youth, she learned to sew from her mother. This became a lifetime passion that not only provided a modest income, but was one of her languages of love. Fela loved to sew for herself, her children, and her grandchildren. There were few limits to her amazing talents: poodle skirts for herself in the 50’s, Christmas stockings, cowboy shirts, and denim leisure suits of the 1970’s for her sons, beautiful frilly holiday dresses for her granddaughter, and amazing Halloween costumes for all the grandchildren. The answer was never no, but simply- “of course I can do that.”

Her other language of love was cooking and baking. She always made sure her family had a special treat for special occasions and holidays: lemon meringue pie, apple pie, pan de pulvo, caldo, fried chicken and the list goes on. The smell of something cooking or baking will forever linger in Fela’s kitchen and on the lips of those she loved.

Left behind to treasure these memories are her loving family, her husband, two sons, and their extended family and friends including Hilda, Brandon, and Corina, Felicity Hazel Raquel, Peter Nathanial; great grandchildren Ariana, Adrian Brandon, and Anthony Jason. As she would expect, those she loved most will peacefully carry her to her final resting place as Pallbearers: Arnold, Cleofas Jr., Robert Crumley, Brandon, Felicity, and Peter Nathanial. Our family will miss her dearly for the rest of our lives. We will miss her silent smile, her soft laugh, her beautiful touch and her constant motherly blessings. Asta pronto, mom!

Funeral Services will be held on Monday, November 1, 2021 at Kelsey Memorial Methodist Church and are as follows: Public Visitation at 9:15 am, Funeral Service at 10:00 am, and Interment at 11:00 am at Memory Gardens Cemetery.