Carmen Fernandez

Our beloved and "querida" mother/"Ma" reached heaven in the early morning hours of Friday, January 9th, 2026, and all of her angels there welcomed her with open arms. She was 87 years young.

Our mother was born September 26th, 1938 in Santa Inés Michoacán, México to humble parents Everardo Fernández Manzo and Soledad Fernández Gutiérrez. She had two older siblings, Esther and Heliodoro Fernández Fernández, and one surviving sister Celina Fernández Fernández. Our mother attended Colegio del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús in Santa Inés, Michoacán for her six elementary school years, and Colegio Juana de Asbaje in Zamora, Michoacán for her three junior high school years.

She loved her little dog Danubio who walked her to her elementary school, and then he would walk home on his own. Our mother loved playing volleyball and the piano along with singing. Carmen was an "A" student. She was intently involved in her Catholicism at her church named Iglesia del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, and was a Catholic catechist during these years, helping younger children in preparation for their first communion.

The family had a small grocery store for 5-10 years in the 1950s in México City, México, and our mother as a young teenager would work happily in the store and spend time both in México City and in Santa Inés, her hometown. She was dedicated to the family store, her family, and God. The family closed the store in México City and opened a small grocery store in Guadalajara, Jalisco, México for five years in the 1960s. Our Ma enjoyed going to the cinema in her limited free time, but much of her free time included chores at home and attending to her wheelchair-bound mother's care.

Our mother Carmen married Crescencio Fernández Fernández on December 12th, 1971 in Santa Inés, Michoacán, México in her childhood church. In 1972, our parents settled in their first home on Donner Street in Sonoma, Ca. In 1975, our mother lost both parents to death within a week of each other, which was always such a difficult time and memory for her. Then in 1978, the young growing family moved across town to Mariano Drive in Sonoma, Ca. This is the home in which she lived the rest of her life.

Our mother had four children: Guadalupe (Lupita) Fernández, Luz Fernández, Jesús (Chuy) Fernández, and Elizabeth (Liz) Fernández McKeever. She adored her children, as well her grandchildren: Elyssa, Cian, and Nora. Our mother loved Patrick (Pat) McKeever, Liz's husband, and Jeffrey (Jeff) Richards, Lupita's partner as her own. Our mother also cared for dozens of other children from Sonoma in the Mariano Drive home over the years, feeding them home-cooked rice, tortillas, and beans to their delight.

All four of Carmen's children attended St. Francis Solano School. Then, the sisters attended Ursuline High School and our brother attended Sonoma Valley High School. She was deeply involved in watching all the sports games, pageants, and church activities as she could, while keeping a clean home and rich homemade Mexican food prepared in the kitchen. Carmen was a lifelong parishioner of St. Francis, attending the 11am Mass on Sundays up until this past year. For fun, our mother spent many years playing bingo at St. Francis and Ursuline High School, and around the valley for decades.

She was an exemplary mother, and continued her devotion for her Lord until her last day. Her legacy she told us is her children and dedication to raising us and having a family, and in turn, enjoying her golden years with us. She enjoyed traveling anywhere with us as adult children, as long as she was with us. We would take her to casinos, Las Vegas, Reno, Lake Tahoe and Santa Cruz. We celebrated many birthdays and anniversaries in area restaurants and venues. Her love of food was passed down to us, and all of us enjoy cooking and eating like she did. Carmen was so proud of her children, and it would light up her life when we were around her.

Our mother Carmen had many friends, including many relatives living here in the U.S. and in México, with whom she spoke regularly to on the phone often. Our immediate and large extended family, church community and friends will miss her smile and laughs, dancing expressive eyes, and her many funny Spanish sayings. We, the children and grandchildren, cannot imagine the rest of our lives without her immense warmth, kindness, and love. There is not another mother like her. We will honor her memory, and will never forget her. May she forever rest in peace. We love you Ma with our whole entire hearts.

We invite family and friends to a Funeral Mass on Friday, January 23rd, 2026 at 11a at St. Francis Solano Church. There will be a recitation of the Rosary preceding the mass at 1030a at St. Francis. A small reception will follow the Mass in Father Roberts Hall adjacent to the church until 2p. Private internment will occur at a later date.