Horténcia Lares Gutiérrez

She was born Maximina Horténcia Lares Jimenez on February 18, 1929. Corridos were just becoming popular, this might explain her love of dancing. Radio was beginning to fill the airwaves, which might explain her love of singing.

Raised mostly by her father then her paternal aunt, she blossomed into an independent and beautiful young woman around the time when Los Panchos were singing "Sin Ti". Married in 1955, when superstar Pedro Infante began singing boleros, she began having children in 1956 and by 1967 there were five. She found her fortune not in material wealth, but in the pure pride she unflinchingly maintained in her five children, always and about everything.

She worked hard in textile factories supplementing those earnings by making and selling burritos. It was not easy rising before dawn to toil at the task of making tortillas and frijoles. Her burritos always sold out because food is tastiest when made con amor.

In the 1990s, businesses began moving their factories south of the border. Factory jobs dried up. Many in El Paso could no longer depend on manufacturing as their source of livelihood. Neither could Hortencia. Not to be daunted, she moved on to her next adventure.

Through her passionate involvement in EPISO (El Paso Inter religious Sponsoring Organization) she found her political voice. She traveled throughout the state of Texas holding elected officials accountable. Through this work, she helped bring clean water and sewer infrastructure to overlooked communities. Though ever humble about it, these efforts were, to her, a great source of meaning and fulfillment.

Hortencia had many friends through walking groups, activism, church and her neighborhood. Her superpower was making merriment, always la vida de la fiesta.
Her light will always be in us y brillará any time we dance, sing or laugh. Joy was her gift to anyone who got to know her.

Through it all, her inner strength and ability to persevere came from her deep and unrelenting faith in God.

Que dios te tenga entre los angelitos. Nosotros te tenemos en nuestro corazón.

A lado del Arcángel Gabriél para saludar Hortencia a las Puertas del Cielo were her padres Gregorio y Marina, hermanas Leonor, Carmen y Consuelo, Tía Clotilde, and Crouton (chihuahua) and Lucy (mutt). Y su querida familia cheering her on here on earth include: María Dolores (Kent), Hortencia (Mark), Carlos (Mary), Alma Rosa (Shannon), Letícia (Jesus), eight grandchildren, her first great grandchild cheering from the womb and, of course, her beloved little shih tzu, Hazel.

In memory of Hortencia and in lieu of flowers you may donate to:
Humane Society of El Paso
hselpaso.org/donate
915-532-6971
OR
El Paso Inter religious Sponsoring Organization (EPISO) / Border Interfaith
episo-iaf.org/donate

Services:
Viewing 5-9PM, Thursday, 1/8/2026, Hillcrest Funeral Home, 1060 N Carolina Drive
Rosary 7PM, Thursday, 1/8/2026, Hillcrest Funeral Home, 1060 N Carolina Drive
Mass 10:30AM, Friday, 1/9/26, St Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, 7424 Mimosa Avenue