Jessie Meraz Cruz

fourteen children. In her younger days, Jessie worked as a waitress. It was while working

as a waitress in a friend's restaurant that she met Justodio Sana Cruz, a sailor. She and

Justodio were married on July 16, 1945 in Fresno, California, and during their 56 years

together, they were blessed with 3 children, 7 grandchildren, and 3 great-granddaughters.

After marriage, Jessie worked in the fields picking strawberries, then in canneries in San

Jose for about five years. She attended the Center for Employment Training (CET) in San

Jose, where she completed training as an electronics assembler, after which she got a job

with Chabin Electronics in Santa Clara. When Chabin moved its plant to Arizona, Jessie

retired.

Jessie loved puzzles, playing games and coloring with her great-grandchildren. She also

loved to sew, crochet, bake, and make tortillas by hand. Jessie loved to watch Lawrence

Welk on Saturday nights, and Spanish-speaking novellas on TV. She was a quiet person,

but she enjoyed listening to music on the Spanish stations, and having family, friends, and

neighbors visit with her. She "adopted" anyone who was younger than her, calling them

her other daughters or granddaughters.

Jessie’s loving family of three children, their spouses, seven grandchildren and spouses,

three great-grandchildren, her sister, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, cousins, other family

members and friends will forever hold Mom in their hearts.

In lieu of sending flowers, and in memory of Jessie, Please feel free to donate to the

American Diabetes Society at www.diabetes.org. Thank you from our family.