Dolores Gaitan Montalvo

“Seeing is believing.” For many, those words simply represent a motto. But for Dolores Gaitan Montalvo, it summarized in every way who she was. She was modest, quiet and observant, taking in everything around her and always thinking before acting. She was a realist, someone who was efficient and practical in everything she did. She was a friendly person who truly cared about those around her.

Dolores was born on September 16, 1910 in Marathon, Texas. She was the daughter of Juan Gaitan and Viviana Ortega. Raised in Del Rio, Texas, she was brought up to be tolerant and trustworthy. As a child, she learned to be conscientious, responsible and punctual. These were all traits that she would carry with her throughout her life.

As a young girl, Dolores was always aware of how others around her felt and this quality served her well. With a deep capacity to tolerate the feelings of others, Dolores was generally able to avoid conflicts. It seemed as if Dolores was the family member who was always working to keep stress at bay. Preferring a quiet environment where she could concentrate, Dolores also had the ability to relate well with her family and friends. Dolores was raised with ten siblings. Dolores was constantly involved in activities with her family. Dolores and her siblings had the typical rivalries while growing up but they deeply cared for each other and shared many life experiences over the years.

Dolores was a good mother to her children. She had “old fashioned” parental values and could handle typical family conflicts in a fair and calm manner. Because she trusted emotions, Dolores was reluctant to force issues and used gentle persuasion to resolve situations. In this way she seemed to radiate an aura of warmth and caring to those around her, always thinking before acting. In addition, Dolores was a master planner. No matter how hectic life around her might be, she seemed to know and track everyone’s schedule. Dolores was blessed with six children, five sons, Margarito, Pedro, John II, Valdemar and Robert and one daughter, Grace.

If you gave Dolores a deadline, she would meet it. At work, Dolores was always on task. Without hesitation, Dolores could adhere to any assignment and see it through to its completion. Her primary occupation was housewife and ranching. During that time, Dolores excelled in working with small groups in order to complete assignments. She was able to quickly grasp concrete ideas and could organize and plan the best way to accomplish things with remarkable consistency. Dolores was good at staying on track and was considerate in listening to what others had to say. In this way, Dolores had a true gift for being able to come up with practical resolutions to difficult problems. She was often the team member who managed to put forth a win/win solution for all parties.

Dolores liked to experience things first hand, in addition to simply learning about them. This quality influenced Dolores's choice of leisure time activities. A methodical and patient worker, Dolores preferred to set aside uninterrupted time to work on her hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were sewing and crocheting. Dolores was content to sit quietly alone, enjoying her hobbies all by herself and could often be found just reading about her favorite pastimes.

While thorough and measured in her approach to things, Dolores often liked to physically do things rather than just think about them. She was like that with sports. She also enjoyed the statistical data and the facts behind the sports. In this way, she was something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite teams whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were baseball and horse racing.

Dolores was active in the community. She was practical and grounded and based her decisions on first hand experience. She was responsible and liked working to achieve results rather than just chattering about possibilities. Politically, Dolores was a member of the Republican Party.

An individual who respected and maintained traditional values, her faith was important to Dolores. Her compassion, consideration and sympathy toward others was evident in her personal beliefs. She was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church. During that time, she was an intercessor.

Dolores passed away on November 27, 2010 at her son Robert's home. She is survived by her loving family. Services were held at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Dolores was laid to rest in Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Rowland Heights, California.

It is said that some people can’t see the forest for the trees. Dolores was able to focus on each individual tree, tending to its needs, thus making the forest stronger as a whole. Dolores was a trustworthy, pragmatic and sympathetic person, the kind of woman to whom everyone was drawn. She was thorough and practical. Dolores Montalvo was very literal with her words. You always knew where you stood with Dolores. She will be missed.