Rosa Pena Flores
September 4, 1929 - August 31, 2024
Rosa Pena Flores entered eternal peace Saturday, August 31, 2024. Born in San Antonio, Texas September 4, 1929, she was 94 years young .... just six days shy of her 95th birthday. Rosa was preceded in death by infant daughter, Juanita; brother Bruno Pena; husband, Jesse M. Flores; son, Robert "Bobby" Flores; and daughter-in-law, Tina Morgan Flores.
She is survived by daughters, Maria Elena Rodriguez (Arnulfo); Terri Flores Lopez (David); Sandra Ewers (Doug) and her sons, Joe A. Flores (Marilyn); Jesse Flores, Jr.; John C. Flores and many nieces and nephews.
Rosa experienced the joy of being a Grandmother with 28 grandchildren and a Great-grandmother with 41 great grandchildren!
Mom was one of the most "self-LESS" persons you could ever know. How she developed into the "walking heart" she became in life is quite remarkable. Being merely three when the Great Depression enveloped the country, her Father left the family early in her life. Mom was 11 when she lost her Mother Juanita to tuberculosis. She was taken in by her grandmother, Graciela Lozano and her mother's sister, " Tia" Cruz Lozano. When Tia Cruz's husband, Tio "Chicho", Narcisso Lozano, passed in the early 1990's, Mom brought Tia Cruz to her home to live with her family.
Needless to say, being a toddler at the beginning of the Great Depression and merely a child during that period of her life; work, money and basic needs were difficult to get for many throughout the country. The Westside of San Antonio was no different for Mom. Many of her neighbors faced extreme hardship to put food on the table. Throughout the Great Depression years, many families found sending their children to school a "luxury" they simply could not afford. EVERYONE had to work to make ends meet in the home. Mom was working as young as twelve years of age.
BUT, there was one BIG THING that she never lacked while growing up - LOVE. Mom learned all about UNCONDITIONAL LOVE of family! Mom carried this "life lesson" with her ALL of her life....and LIVED it with everyone in her family and nearly everyone she ever met.
Mom was a loving and caring "sister" to her only sibling, her brother Bruno. After he'd moved away from San Antonio to Chicago; Mom and Dad would travel on occasion to visit Uncle Bruno and his family; especially after he was diagnosed with kidney disease and required a kidney transplant. She was a "prima" to her cousin Don "Tio Chon" and his wife Lily Lozano. Their children were very close to Mom, especially Don, Jr., who we knew as “Prieto", throughout our childhood. He'd ride up in his Harley motorcycle often to say "Hi" and visit with Mom. The odd part of his nickname though, was that "Prieto's" physical appearance was the opposite of what that name implies..... he was as fair-skinned, and about the same 5 foot two in height, as Mom. Her other "primos", Danny, David and Diana... Prieto's siblings...were also Mom's "consentidos" of the Lozano family. Amada and Gracie Mena were other "Lozano familia" Mom loved and deeply cared for. She kept them close in her life as well by checking in with them in person or by phone.
Mom's "extended family" included two persons she met while working at Gale's Variety Store when she was only 15 years old. Juanita "Janie" Flores and Esperanza "Hope" Rodriguez. Janie happened to be our Dad's baby sister. One day, Mom went home with Janie to change clothes after work. They were going to a dance. As they walked in, Dad was sitting in the living room reading a book and casually looked up when they walked past. Dad and Mom briefly met as she and Janie left the house for the dance. As soon as they walked out, Dad turned to Mama Nieves, his Mom, and said, " I'm gonna marry that girl". This was in 1947. Dad soon began courting Mom. They married June 27, 1948 and their Flores family legacy began. Her friend Janie became our "Tia Janie" and his Mom became our grandmother "Mama' Nieves".
Esperanza, known as "Hope", and Mom were lifelong friends... nearly 80 years! In fact, Hope and her family lived only one block away on 23rd & Menchaca St. ... we lived on 24th and Menchaca St. Mom was also "Godmother" to her eldest son, Henry, Jr. who Mom always called Henry "Chiquito". I guess that's because that's how Hope called him instead of the more commonly used "Jr." in most families.
After losing their respective spouses in the late 1990's, Mom & Hope remained close. They began a rather adventurous lifestyle jetting off to Las Vegas, South Padre Island and taking a whirlwind trip to Europe visiting Rome and the Vatican. They even went to the iconic casino in Monaco. Can you just see these beautiful ladies from the Westside of San Antonio and Depression-era upbringing, playing blackjack or betting on a roulette table in a casino in Monaco?? What a life and friendship! We would like to acknowledge Dr. Richard " Ricky" Benavides, one of Hope's sons, for making many of these trips possible.
Yes, they truly were more like "sisters" as much as they were friends. After learning of Mom's passing, Hope was so heartbroken she'd lost her "sister and best friend" that, according to her youngest son Roger with whom she now lives, she couldn't bring herself around to express her condolences for nearly a week.
Mom was also a devoted Catholic in her faith and belief in God. We attended Little Flower Church nearly every Sunday with Mom. She always had a prayer for the "need" to be resolved but, as an "old school Catholic", she prayed not only to Jesus and God.... she also prayed to the "Virgin de Guadalupe or to the "right Saint" to help with the problem at hand. After we had all grown and started our own families, Mom attended St. Paul Catholic Church. Mom & Dad renewed their wedding vows on their 50th Wedding Anniversary in June, 1998 at St. Paul’s and Dad's funeral mass was also celebrated there in November 1999, seventeen months later.
Mom returned to work after Dad retired from Kelly AFB. She found a part-time job with a Hancock Fabric store not far from home. Mom was dedicated to her job. With her natural charisma, friendly personality and knowledge of fabrics, customers would often wait for Mom to help them because they trusted her judgement on choice of fabrics that Mom commonly referred to as "matereal". She quickly became a key salesperson on the floor and was promoted to assistant store manager after a short period. Mom never shied away from responsibility but seemed to seek it as her way to give to others.
And if Mom's life wasn't already quite busy raising seven children of her own and occasionally babysitting nieces and nephews, she also looked after her Tia Cruz's sister-in-law; Tio Chicho's sister Luisa who never married. After his passing, Mom became Luisa’s caregiver. Throughout our childhood, Tia Luisa was a part of our family too.
Mom, along with Dad, was very committed to local politics. While they both shared a tremendous responsibility to provide and care for us during those critical child-rearing days in a large family of seven children, they also made a local commitment as poll workers or election judges during local, state and federal elections. Dad probably volunteered because of his politics as a "blue dog progressive democrat who was ahead of his time"....who else would place a "Sissy Farenthold for Texas Governor" sign in his front yard in 1972 on NW 24th ST! Mom probably had a more pragmatic reason, a little extra money for the household; and if truth be told, a little break from watching over her "chamacos".
With an upbringing of love, respect for others, dedication to family, community and a work ethic with no boundaries, HOW COULD SHE NOT become the loving, giving, non-judgmental, hardworking, SELF-LESS person we were all BLESSED to have in our lives.
Rest now Mom. "Diosito" will agree that you've earned it! You lived a full and beautiful life. A life that anyone would love to say they've touched as many hearts and lives as you have.
You will ALWAYS be with us.... in our lives, in our wonderful memories with you and in our hearts. We love you!
FUNERAL SERVICES
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Visitation will be held from 5:00pm-7:00pm
Rosary to be recited at 7:00pm
The Angelus Funeral Home Chapel
1119 N. St. Mary’s St.
San Antonio, TX 78215
Thursday, September 19, 2024
Funeral Mass will be offered at 9:15am
St. Paul's Catholic Church
350 Sutton Dr.
San Antonio, TX 78228
Interment will follow in
Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery
1520 Harry Wurzbach
San Antonio, TX 78209
Serving as Pallbearers are her grandsons: Michael Flores, JD Flores, Zach Sankovich, Doug Ewers, Matthew Flores and Nikolai Sankovich.
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