Hortencia Olivas

Hortencia was born in 1942 in Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico. She moved to Juarez, Chihuahua, as a young girl and later met and married her husband, Javier Olivas, in El Paso, TX. They were together over 65 years and were just shy of celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary.

Our mother was an incredibly generous and compassionate person. She never hesitated to help both strangers and family members in need. She fed, clothed and donated money and other items to countless immigrants that knocked on our door on their way to the nearest bus stop. Our mother could not tolerate seeing someone in need without doing something about it. If you told her you liked something she owned, she would not hesitate to give it to you.

Our mother was also a self-made, successful business woman. Over the years she sold everything from Avon to jewelry to floral arrangements. She used the money to support her family in Mexico and to create a beautifully decorated home for her husband and children.

Hortencia loved her children, her husband, and the local casinos. She enjoyed listening to the music of Juan Gabriel, Rocio Durcal and others and also grew beautiful roses admired by everyone. She passed on her green thumb to one of her daughters, her business sense to another, her mean sense of humor to another and her beautiful legs to her son. She passed on her love of music to all her children and her husband. She will be dearly missed.

Hortencia is survived by her husband, Javier Olivas, her son Hector Olivas (Tammy), daughter Lily Dale (Jeff), Laura Olivas, Ruby Doty, and her brother Florentino Valdez. She was a grandmother to Robert Dale (Miranda), Sam Dale, Gabriela Dale, Hector Olivas III, Marcos Olivas, Paulina Natividad, and Natalia Natividad.

She was preceded in death by her grandson Christian Olivas, her mother Guadalupe Tagle, her step-father Reynaldo Escareño, brother Jose Luis Tagle, her sisters Rosario Valdez and Luz Quintero, and her daughter-in-law Laura Doty.

Memorial Services will be held at Hillcrest Funeral Home on 1060 N. Carolina, El Paso, Tx., on Thursday, December 21, from 4-8 pm, with a prayer service at 6 pm. Burial procession will leave Hillcrest Funeral Home on December 22 at 8:30 am for Mt. Carmel Cemetery on Zaragoza, her final resting place.