Alix Arauz

Born Emiliana Alix Bertilia Araúz-Morera to parents Sara (Sarita) Morera and Felipe Araúz on March 17, 1926, in the small town of El Dos de Tilarán, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. She was raised on her grandmother, Juana Cháves' farm. In 1942, she married Salomón Fernández and bore her eldest daughter, Nidia (Josefa Bonifacia) in 1943. After becoming a widow at the young age of 18, she headed to San José to work as a cook for many families then waited tables in different restaurants throughout the city. In 1948, she met and fell in love with Alfredo Paulino Granados-Morales. From the relationship, she mothered Paulina del Carmen in 1949, Alfredo Eduardo de la Trinidad in 1952, Álvaro Gerardo in 1954, Alice de Fatima in 1956 and Sonia de Los Angeles in 1957.
After many hard-working years on her own, she embarked on a solo journey to Paterson, New Jersey, where she reunited with Alfredo and married in 1965. Shortly before giving birth to their youngest, Patricia, in 1967, their older children joined them.
She worked at Julius Schmidt Laboratories (formerly in West Paterson) for 14 years. When the company relocated, she then started caring for many of her grandchildren and neighbor's children out her home for several years. She then worked for 10 years and retired from Computer Crafts (Hawthorne), in 1996.
After retirement, she took a three month vacation in her homeland where she reconnected with family. She then returned to help raise and provide loving care to her beloved granddaughter, Idalix. Over the next several years, she lived in Louisiana with her daughter Sonia and in Puerto Rico with Alice.
Most recently, she was a resident of Preakness Healthcare Center in Wayne, NJ, since 2017, where staff report that she was a wonderful person and will be missed.
She was preceded in death by her daughter Nidia, son Alfredo, granddaughter Darliene and grandsons Ernesto, Jr. (Ernie) Casanova, and José Luis (Lito) Toro. She leaves behind her children Paulina, Álvaro, Alice, Sonia (McIntire), and Patricia, 19 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren, seven great-great grandchildren.