Aurelio De La Cruz

Aurelio "Art" De La Cruz, 82, of Pierceton, Indiana passed away unexpectedly at home with family by his side on Tuesday, December 23, 2025. Born June 15, 1943, in Shepherd, Michigan he was a son of the late Agapito Sr. and Maria (De Los Angeles) De La Cruz. Growing up, his family worked on the fields and traveled from state to state.
On January 5, 1964, he married Margarita Salinas in Eagle Pass, Texas at the young age of 19. Aurelio worked for Whitley Products for 21 years and retired from OEC Medical Systems after 15 years of employment. The family owned Cafe Dela in Pierceton from 2008-2014 in which many of the menu items were his recipes or his creations. He was a dedicated member of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Pierceton and Moose Lodge in Warsaw.
Aurelio never passed up the chance to go fishing, play bingo, scratch lottery tickets, or help his family however he could. His family was his highest priority. His cooking was an expression of his love. He enjoyed handing out his latest fixings of tamales, salsa, and other culinary creations. He didn't know a stranger. He would give his last dollar to whomever needed it more. Humble, loving, honest, and faithful are just a few adjectives to describe the patriarch of his family.
Aurelio is survived by his wife, Margarita; children, Ricardo (Christy) De La Cruz and Lisa (Milton) De La Cruz-Thomas; grandchildren, Christopher, Xavier, Sarah (fiancée Mike), Rae (Stephen), Ethan, Cruz, Austin, LiaAmia (Joshua), Marguerite (Nolan), Victor, Jennifer, and Jessica (Justyn); 15 great-grandchildren; siblings, Agapito Jr. (Trinidad) De La Cruz, Federico (Sulema) De La Cruz, Frances Medina, Irene (Miguel) Rabago; and sister-in-law, Diana De La Cruz. He is also survived by several brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Francisco, Luis Rey, Angel (Mary), Daniel (Rebecca), Juanita, Anita (Pedro), Olga, Lusia (Luis), Patricia, Guadalupe (Ted), Maria (Joe), Janet and Frances. Along with his parents Aurelio was preceded in death by his brother, Guadalupe "Lou" De La Cruz; brother-in-law, Jose "Nova" Medina; father-in-law, Victoriano Salinas, Sr.; mother-in-law, Aurora Velasquez Salinas, brothers-in-law, Victor Jr., San Pedro, Jesus, and Juan; and sisters-in-law, Angelita and Lydia.
Rosary will be recited at 1:30 p.m. and visitation from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Sunday, December 28, 2025, at DeMoney-Grimes Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City. Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 a.m. Monday, December 29, 2025, with visitation one hour prior at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Pierceton, Indiana. Burial will take place at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Cemetery. Memorial donations may be given in memory of Aurelio to St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. Visit www.DeMoneyGrimes.com to send Aurelio's family online condolences or sign the online guest book. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Aurelio, please visit our floral store.