Jessie Gonzales

Jessie Torres Gonzales passed away peacefully at the age of 97 surrounded by family and loved ones on August 21, 2025. Jessie was born in Richland, Texas on February 12, 1928, to Jose and Maria (Torres) Gonzales. She was preceded in death by her parents, her loving husband, Emmett Gonzales, Sr., her son Mark Edward Gonzales as well as her brothers, John, Joe, D.T. and Tony Gonzales.
She is survived by her son Emmett "Sonny" Gonzales, Jr. and his wife Leticia, and her daughter, Annette and her husband Myles Taylor. She is also lovingly survived by her grandchildren, Mariano (Lisa), Carlos (Carina) and Erica Gonzales as well as Jessica Taylor and Curtis (Taylor) Gonzales along with seven great-grandchildren.
Jessie was a strong woman of faith who loved her family and her community.
That strength was evident when her three older brothers were called to serve during World War II, and she made the difficult decision to drop out of high school to help support her widowed mother and young brother. She went to work at Adam Hat factory where she helped produce hats for the military. After the war, she married her husband Emmett, a returning veteran, and became a mother.
Jessie was determined to continue to learn and attended Navarro Junior College's Adult Education Program where she received her GED and later took computer courses.
Jessie loved her job as receptionist at the Corsicana Government Center where she served for nearly 30 years and enjoyed greeting and assisting all who visited. She truly was a goodwill ambassador for the city she loved. She often said she could never move from Corsicana because it was the best place to live.
One of the reasons for that was her love for her church and faith community. She was a faithful member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church where she was active until she became infirm and continued to enjoy visits from church ministers until her death.
Jessie was a regular church volunteer, greatly enjoyed serving as a Pink Lady at Navarro Regional Hospital and served on several committees with city and county agencies.
Jessie was a sweet, gracious, force of nature who loved to sing and inspired those around her. She will be greatly missed by her loved ones who are happy to know she is reunited with her loving husband, son, parents, brothers and other loved ones who were waiting to greet her. The loved ones she leaves behind are grateful knowing she has seen the face of Jesus and is at rest.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held for Jessie at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church on Tuesday, August 26, 2025 at 10 a.m. She will be interred next to her husband at Calvary Cemetery immediately following the Funeral Mass.
A rosary and visitation will be held Monday evening, August 25th from 6:00 - 8p.m, at Corley Funeral Home in Corsicana, Texas. The family also wishes to thank her devoted caregivers and Bristol Hospice.
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