Our beautiful mother and grandmother, Hope Velasquez, passed from this earthly life while at her home in Aberdeen, Idaho surrounded by loving family members, and into the arms of her loving Heavenly Father in the quiet morning hours of November 26, 2022.
Hope was born in LaPryor, Texas on April 14, 1937, the first child to Zaragoza Najera and Gabriela Flores. She was christened Esperanza Guadalupe Najera in the Catholic Church. She was joined by a younger sister, Chelo, and brother, Manuel, who have both predeceased her. Hope was raised in LaPryor and there met Maurilio Campos Velasquez (Willie) who she married when she was just 16 years old. They resided in Sabinal, Texas where she became a mother at the age of 18. A quick six years later they moved north for employment purposes with their six small children. Hope then had three more children while residing in Idaho and Montana, finally settling in Aberdeen, Idaho.
As a mother of nine, she was an amazing “over-achiever” as her kids were always clean, well dressed, well fed and well behaved! She gave much love and taught by example how to work hard. She supported and encouraged them to be successful in their life’s endeavors. Her example and loving encouragement continued throughout her life to her posterity of 129, to include 9 kids, 33 grandchildren, 64 great-grandchildren, and 21 great-great-grandchildren. When asked recently how she did it all, she simply answered, “don’t stress”!
Hope knew how to work both in and out of her home. She experienced working in the agricultural fields throughout the western United States in her younger years. She was a line worker for Simplot in Aberdeen, as well as other area processing plants for over 29 years. After her retirement she became an entrepreneur and opened a shaved ice stand for a time, became an “always available grandma”, and for her most recent employment into her 80’s, she loved working at the Aberdeen Senior Citizen Center’s thrift store. Though she lived for shorter periods of time elsewhere, she considered Aberdeen her home, had many choice friends and loved her associations there.
Hope is survived by her children: Victor (Kay), Twin Falls; Efrain (Teresa), Pocatello; Jesse, Pocatello; Udelia Luna, Phoenix, AZ; Fidel (Jodi), Elko, NV; Elia Anderson, Belgrade, MT; Joe (Heidi), Pocatello; George (Jennifer), Elko, NV; and Velia Velasquez, American Falls; along with her beautiful and expansive posterity of grandchildren, greats, and great-greats. She was the glue that held us all together and will be greatly missed. Each of us in this family will carry on in the hopes of making her proudly smile down upon us from heaven.
We give heartfelt thanks to all who helped during the final stages of Hope’s life. Hope was cremated following a family viewing, under the direction of Cornelison Funeral Home in Pocatello. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, December 3, 2022 at the Aberdeen Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.cornelisonfh.com
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