RITCHEA-GONZALES FUNERAL HOME

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Olefia Fira Elliott passed away, Saturday August 4th. She and her twin sister Celia were born May 19, 1952 in Sinton, Tx to Oralia (Lala) Vasquez. Ofie grew up in Sinton, graduated, and joined the United States Air Force to become part of the first all-female flight crew in the history of the USAF. She chased space shuttles, documented missile testing logistics in flight, and visited multiple countries and continents all over the world. It was a visit to Okinawa, Japan that she met her late husband, Gary Elliott. They went on to marry and have 2 children. After Gary passed, Ofie retired from a full and honorable 20 year military career with her children in Alvin, Tx. She is survived by her children, Jason Victor Elliott (Samantha) and Bethanie Belen Elliott, her grandson Jason Lee Elliott, 5 siblings, Celia, Mary Alice, Henry, Salvador, and Crissy, and many nieces and nephews. There are also a multitude of friends and honorary family members who will carry her spirit and remember her contagious smile and unfailing generosity.

 

Frances E. Enis, 85, died June 24, 2017 surrounded by her loving family. Frances was born August 8,1931 in Buford, Georgia until moving to Corpus Christi, Texas where she worked and met the love of her life Joe and within months married and raised five beautiful children. Frances's joys were loving her family and grandchildren,playing bingo,working in her yard and cooking to please the family. Mom knew no strangers. Frances and Joe were married 59 years. They lived, loved and will spend the rest of eternity together. She is preceded in death by her husband of 59 years Joe Enis, her mother, Cora Idell Colbert, brothers, Arcile Reddish, Waverly Reddish, Alton Reddish, sister, Melrose Hill, grandsons, Joseph Gibson, Gerald Bray and daughter-in-law, Cathy Gibson. She is survived by her children, Diane Hardy McDowell, Joe Enis and Cynthia Enis Bray all of Sinton, Brenda Prince of Norman, Oklahoma and Walter Gibson of Calallen,Texas, her brother, Aaron Reddish,12 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren and 5 great great grandchildren. Special thanks to Lee Johnson and Betty Lloyd and the Christus Spohn Hospice Medical Team for all the love and care that was given during this time of need. ''She loved you all". Visitation was held on Wednesday, June 28, 2017 from 10:00AM to 9:00PM at Ritchea-Gonzales Funeral Home Chapel. Funeral services were held at 10:00AM Thursday, June 29, 2017 at Ritchea-Gonzales Funeral Home Chapel with Chaplin Israel Blanco officiating. Graveside services followed at 11:00AM at the Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery in Corpus Christi. Interment followed. 

 

Joe H. Ennis, 91, of Sinton,Texas went home to our loving Savior on Saturday, April 15,2017 at home surrounded by his loving family. He was born March 16,1926 in Saltillo, Mississippi. He joined the Army/Air Corps in August of 1945 and he was a World War II Veteran. After leaving the military he moved to Corpus Christi where he met the love of his life, Frances Reddish Enis and devoted his love and life for 59 years. He made his home here in Sinton, working and raising his children for 59 years. He worked for San Patricio Electric Coop for 30 years retiring April 28,1988 as a maintenance supervisor. He was a member of the Sinton Masonic Lodge #1012 serving as a Master Mason. He loved fishing but most importantly his family and spending time with friends at Freddie's Steakhouse. Joe is survived by his loving wife Frances, children, Diane McDowell Hardy of Sinton, Texas, Walter Gibson of Calallen, Texas, Brenda Prince of Norman, Oklahoma, Joe A.Enis of Sinton, Texas and Cynthia Enis Bray of Sinton, Texas, 12 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren and 5 great great grandchildren and his beloved dog Pepper. Joe is preceded in death by his mother, Modina Hinton of Shannon, MS, his brother,Turner White of Tupelo, MS, his grandsons, Joseph Lee Gibson, Gerald E.Bray and daughter-in-law, Cathy Gibson. Special thanks to Lee Johnson and Betty Loyd and Christus Spohn Hospice for taking such loving care of him. Visitation was held on Tuesday, April 18, 2017 at Ritchea-Gonzales Funeral Home Chapel from 1:00PM to 9:00PM. Graveside services were held at 11:00AM Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery, IH37 Access Rd, Corpus Christi, Texas with full military honors. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Sinton Masonic Lodge #1012, Sinton, Texas 78387.

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Jesus “Tite”, “Jesse” Rodriguez Esparza, age 82, of Sinton, passed away peacefully after an extended illness, surrounded by family at 3:00 a.m. on Friday, September 18, 2020. He is survived by his loving family; his wife of 57 years, Maria Olga (Rodriguez) Esparza; his three daughters, Elizabeth Esparza Fuentes (Robert), Sandra Esparza and Jessica Esparza Gonzalez (Mario Hernandez); son, Alfonso Paredes (Crystal); seven grandchildren, Sara Gill (Ben), Desiree Gonzalez, Rachal Diaz (Ben), Victoria Gonzalez, Teresa Fuentes, Angela Fuentes and Rori Gonzalez; three great-grandchildren, Evan Gill, Eliana Gill and Elijah Diaz; six sisters, Ernestina Serna, Aurelia Buendia, Celia Rodriguez, Rosalinda Espinoza (Tony), Virginia Gonzales (Ruben) and Herlinda Esparza; four brothers, Juan (Diana), David, Raymond (Estela) and Ricardo (Gracie); and numerous extended relatives and close friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Reymundo and Rosa (Rodriguez) Esparza and six brothers, Reymundo II, Pedro, Patricio, Gilberto, Raul and Victor Esparza. Mr. Esparza, like his siblings, was born and raised in Sinton. As a youth, Mr. Esparza left school to help his parents by working in the cotton fields and then learned to drive a semi truck when he was 16 years old. In 1963, he began driving trucks for an ice plant in Raymondville where he met his future wife, Olga. After working for several years at Gulf King Shrimp company in Aransas Pass, he moved his family to North Texas to work for Capital Wire & Cable in Plano, where he worked as an interstate truck driver and drove an 18 wheeler for many years. The family moved from Plano to Garland in 1975. While living in Garland, he worked as a long-distance truck driver with Encore, a company based in McKinney until his retirement in 2018. Mr. Esparza had a passion for taking care of his family, working on cars and helping others in their time of need. His CB handle when he was a trucker was “Macaroni”, a nickname his fellow truckers gave him because that was his way of saying “Wow”. He loved baseball, going to Texas Rangers games with his family, watching football on television and spending time with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was quick to befriend people and enjoyed putting a smile on their face or making them laugh. “Our world has lost a great person with a huge heart. His family and friends will miss him very much. We are comforted in knowing that God has guided him home to Heaven, that he is in our Lord’s glorious presence, and that one day, we will see him again.” Visitation was held on Monday, September 21, from 1 p.m. - 9 p.m. at Ritchea-Gonzales Funeral Home in Sinton. A funeral mass was celebrated at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Sinton on Tuesday, September 22 at 11:00 a.m. followed by interment at Eternal Rest Cemetery in Sinton.

 

Victor Rodriguez Esparza, 79, passed away on Friday, January 22, 2016. Victor was born on July 28, 1936 to Reymundo and Rosa Esparza. He was raised in Sinton and had been a longtime resident of Garland, Texas. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and brother and will be remembered for his love of laughter and devotion to his family. He is preceded in death by his parents, Reymundo and Rosa Esparza, brothers, Pedro, Patricio, Gilbert, Raul and Raymond, Jr. Victor is survived by his wife, Guadalupe Esparza of Garland, his daughters, Mary Lou Cardoso and Julie Alvizo of Garland, his sisters, Ernestina Serna and Aurelia Buendia of Sinton. Celia Rodriguez of Odem,Virginia Gonzales of Katy, Rosie Espinoza of Pasadena and Herlinda Esparza of Amarillo, his brothers, Juan and Rick of Houston, David of Pasadena, Raymond of Sinton and Jessie of Garland, five grandchildren, Renee Esparza, Denise Gomez, Stacy Alvizo, Anna Thrasher and Victoria Esparza Cardoso all of Garland and 8 great grandchildren. Visitation was held Thursday, January 28, 2016 from 1:00PM to 9:00PM with a rosary being recited at 7:00PM at Ritchea-Gonzales Funeral Home. Funeral mass was celebrated at 10:00AM Friday, January 29, 2016 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church. Interment followed at Eternal Rest Cemetery.

 

Barbara "Nonnie" Iris Evans, age 89, went home to her Lord January 7, 2019, after living a full life, a life of laughter, adventure and lots of love. Barbara was born Sunday, May 5, 1929, in Tucson, AZ to Keenus Hutchison and Julia Adkins. She was the oldest of four siblings: Bill Hutchison, Sharon Brewster, Jerry Hutchison and Dick Hutchison. Though the past few years she lived in Corpus Christi, she considered Sinton, TX her life-long home. She truly believed in the marriage institution and was preceded in death by her three husbands, Robert C. Van Meter, William "Bill" Evans and Edward Bingham. She loved shopping for clothes, baking at Christmas, traveling across Texas to golf tournaments with Papa Bill, dancing in purple dresses, and serving her home church, First Baptist Church of Sinton and her granddaughter's church, Jackson Woods Presbyterian Church. In addition to her husbands, Barbara is preceded in death by two brothers, Dick and Jerry Hutchison, her son, Robert Van Meter, step-daughter, Kay Wilson, grandson, Morgan "Bubba" King and grandson-in-law Larry Baker. She is survived by two siblings, Bill and Sharon, her daughter, Judy Cassady, step-children, Martha Krause, Bill Evans and Judy Hicks, grandchildren, Stephanie Cozart, Kimberly Wilson, and Wendy Keach, 10 Great Grandchildren and 3 Great Great Grandchildren. Visitation was held Friday, January 11, 2019 from 5 PM to 7 PM at Ritchea-Gonzales Funeral Home. Funeral services were held at 10 AM Saturday, January 12, 2019 at First Baptist Church with Rev. Randy Samuels officiating. Interment followed at Sinton Cemetery.

 

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Adan H. Flores, 71, loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend passed away Thursday, December 30, 2021. Adan's life was all about his family, friends, music, hunting, fishing and being a comedian. He also enjoyed working on small engine repairs. Adan was preceded in death by his parents, Uselia Castro and Jose Flores Sr. He is survived by his loving family, his wife, Maria Flores of Odem, his son, Michael Rossett of Corpus Christi, his daughters, Sara (Gilbert) Cruz and Maria Isabel Flores of Odem, his grandchildren, Gilbert (Shelby) Cruz, Gabrianna J. Cruz and Yazmin U. Cruz, his brothers, Clemente Castro, Daniel Castro and Santiago Flores of Odem, Juan Castro and Ernesto Castro of Sinton, Jose Flores, Jr. and Manuel Flores of Taft, his sisters, Linda Guerrero and Benita Martinez of Sinton, numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Visitation will be held on Sunday, January 2, 2022 from 2 PM to 9 PM with a holy rosary being recited at 7 PM at Ritchea-Gonzales Funeral Home. Funeral mass will be celebrated at 10 AM Monday, January 3, 2022 at Sacred Heart Church in Odem. Interment will follow at San Pedro Cemetery in Odem.

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David Flores, 66, of Kingsville, Texas, passed away on Monday, July 20, 2020. David was born April 12, 1954 in Sinton, Texas to Placido and Felipa Flores. He graduated from Sinton High School in 1972 and then from Texas A&I University in 1976. On March 22, 1975, he married Rebecca Escamilla in Sinton, Texas. David is survived by his wife, Rebecca "Becky" Flores, a son, David "D.J." Flores, Jr. and his wife Jackie of Kingsville, Texas, a daughter, Desiree Francine Flores, and her wife, Sabrina Cavazos-Flores, three grandchildren, Liana Isabel Flores, David "Tres'' Flores III, and Eduardo Daniel Flores, two brothers, Julio and Isreal Flores, and two sisters, Paula Arrambide and Gracie Orta, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. David was preceded in death by his parents Placido and Felipa Flores.

 

Luz Garcia Flores, 96, affectionately known as "Ama", passed away peacefully at home on March 28, 2017 with her loving family by her side. She was 96. Luz was born on March 3, 1921 in Donna, Texas to Jose and Petra Garcia.She was a loving mother, grandmother, homemaker and longtime resident of Sinton, Texas. In addition to raising their 8 children, she enjoyed gardening and playing bingo. She is preceded in death by the love of her life, Icidro R. Flores, with whom she was married 67 years, her grandson, Guadalupe Gomez, Jr. and her great great grandson, Lalo Gallegos, brothers, Felix Garcia and David Garcia, sisters, Dora Garcia and Maria Montalvo. Survivors include her sons, Icidro (Felipa) Flores, Jr., Jose G.(Juanita) Flores, Oscar (Rose) Flores, David (Mary B.) Montalvo and Jesus Flores; daughters, Dora (Victor) Olivo, Juanita F.Gomez and Silvia (Rick) Milligan; 23 grandchildren, 44 great grandchildren,14 great great grandchildren. In deep gratitude to all the caregivers that took such good loving care of Ama. Visitation began Thursday, March 30, 2017 at 3:00PM with a rosary being recited at 7:00PM Thursday, March 30, 2017 at Ritchea-Gonzales Funeral Home.

 

Alonzo L. Franco, 93, loving father and grandfather, went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, May 17, 2016. Alonzo was born on October 30,1922 in Kenedy, Texas to Pablo and Estefana Franco and had been a lifelong resident of the Sinton and St.Paul area. He had been employed as a farmer, carpenter and trucker. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Dominga Franco, beloved daughter, Grabiela Martinez and his siblings, Alberto and Apolonio Franco,

Ramona Gutierrez, Tomasita Montemayor, and Lupe Pastrano. He is survived by his loving family, his sons, Alonzo  (Yolanda) Franco, Jr., Pablo E.(Diana) Franco and Domingo Franco of Sinton, his daughters, Estefana (Ernest) Contreras of Refugio, Esmeralda (Esteban) Castillo and Silvia (Michael) Mejias of Sinton, also by his grandson who he raised as his own, Marcos Moreno of Sinton, his brother, Pablo L.Franco, Jr. of Corpus Christi, 13 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren and 2 great great grandchildren. A rosary was recited at 7:00PM Thursday, May 19, 2016 at Ritchea-Gonzales Funeral Home. Funeral mass was celebrated at 9:00AM Friday, May 20, 2016 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church with Father Patrick Serna as celebrant. Interment followed at the Walheim Cemetery in Tynan, TX. Pallbearers will be Marcos Moreno, Markey Moreno, David Franco, Alonzo Franco III, Daniel Franco and Pablo Franco III. 

 

Presiliano E. Franco, 69, loving father, grandfather, brother, and uncle passed away Wednesday, January 6, 2021. He was born on June 15, 1951, in Sinton, Texas to Alberto and Lorenza Elizondo Franco. He had been employed as a contractor and was a member of Sacred Heart St. Paul Mission. He was preceded in death by his parents, Alberto and Lorenza Franco, and his brother Francisco Franco. He had been married to Lupita Canales for 45 years. He is survived by his loving family, his son Presiliano (Carol Day) Franco, Jr. of Austin, his daughter, Melissa (Frank) Franco De Gonzales of Portland, his three grandchildren, Frank Miguel Gonzales II, Sofia Lorenza Gonzales, and Daylen Antonia Franco, his brothers, Reynaldo (Camilia) Franco of Houston, Alfredo (Emma) Franco of St. Paul, Albert (Rosie) Franco of Calallen, Aurelio (Elaine) Franco, and Lorenzo (Vickie) Franco of St. Paul, his sisters Janie (Richard) Munoz of Beeville, and Anna (Walter) Steward of Cleburne, Texas. A rosary will be recited at 9:30 AM Saturday, January 9, 2021, with a funeral mass to be celebrated following the rosary at 10 AM at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Father Yul Ibay as celebrant. Internment will follow at John J. Welder Memorial Cemetery in St. Paul. The family requests for masks to be worn, no hugs or handshakes, and social distancing. 
 

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