Raquel Cortez Gonzales

Raquel Cortez Gonzalez, 84 years old, passed away on May 12, 2020, at home surrounded by her loved ones.

Raquel was born in Mission, Texas, on Sept. 27, 1935 as the second child to Emiterio Cortez and Francisca Reyna. Raquel's childhood began in the depression-era. The stories she told depicted the hard times the family endured but survived. Her greatest loss, at the early age of nine, was the death of her mother, whom she and her brother had nursed till her last breath. At that moment, Raquel's childhood ended. Her days of running wild through the neighborhood, skipping and laughing were over. She committed herself to attend the needs of her siblings. Schooling was no longer a priority, only the well-being of the family. Many of her stories included the migrant work they undertook traveling from city to city and crop to crop. The family managed with the bare necessities in life and never took anything for granted.

She blossomed into a tall and graceful debutante catching the eye of many onlookers. Raquel married Max Carthel Cavanas at 19 years of age. Together they raised six children in Riverside County, although they had seven. Her fourth child, Donald, was adopted by her elder brother, Richard, because he and his wife could not have children. She loved her family and was always there through thick and thin. However, the marriage ended after 15 years which brought her and her children to the Salinas Valley. Following the divorce, she endured so many struggles with raising her children and did her best to keep the household afloat. Many of the jobs she performed included field work, gas station attendant, nursing home assistant, bartending, asparagus packing sheds, clerical worker for the National Park Service and head housekeeper/receptionist at Keefer's Inn in King City, Calif.

A few years later, Raquel met and married John Gonzalez. This marriage proved to be quintessential. Her children from her first marriage were grown and leading lives of their own. She embraced her new life with John and soon did what she'd always done; birthed a child at the age of 47. Charles came to them in 1982 and was the apple of their eye. Together, they were a happy family involved with church and community.

Over the years, Raquel enjoyed keeping herself busy. She loved cooking (and boy could she cook), embroidery, reading, ironing the old fashion way with hand dampened clothing ready for starch, Hallmark movies, watching live entertainment, country and western music, dancing, and spending time with family and friends. She was chatty and always had a story to tell about her life and family.

There were many days and late nights she spent with her sister, Ida Ybarra, sharing childhood memories with loads of laughter. They also held a strong resemblance of each other although one was short and the other tall. In her later years, she spent a lot of time with her youngest sister, Rebecca Morga, in Harrison, Ark. She would spend months at a time living in Harrison. She appreciated country living, driving back roads through the Ozarks, attending live shows in Branson, Mo., but more than anything, she cherished the friends she made while working as a volunteer at the Narmc Auxiliary Thrift store in Harrison. She was contented and joyful with life in retirement.

Raquel is survived by her husband, John Gonzalez; sisters: Ida Ybarra and Rebecca Morga; children, Ronald Cavanas, Sharon Pullar, Cindy Urquidez, James Cavanas, and Charles Gonzalez; grandchildren: Stefanie Lee Cavanas, Nicole Lee Cavanas, Ronald Lee Cavanas Jr., Bianca Lee Cavanas, James Pullar, Alexandra Pullar, Donna Cortez, Laura Davi Bull, Robert Urquidez, Melody Carrasco, Timothy Urquidez; great grandchildren: Cesar, Christina, Christopher, Adrian, Alana, Sean, Korina, Angela, RJ, Alyssa, Vanessa, Stevie, Nick, Maleiyah; great great grandchildren: Isabella, Catalina, Luna, Georgie, Frankie, Matthew, Tyler, Chole, Andrew; and numerous nieces and nephews whom she loved all dearly.

Raquel was preceded in death by her parents, Emiterio and Francisca; siblings, Richard, Linda, and Rene; and children, Max Cavanas Jr., Donald Cavanas, and Craig Cavanas.

A celebration of Life will be held at Liberty Chapel in Soledad. Date and time to be announced.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice in remembrance of Raquel.

Published in King City Rustler · May 27, 2020