Maria Saldaña
Obituary
??Maria Saldaña aka "Mama Chita", beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great great-grandmother passed away in the company of her daughters on January 19, 2024, three weeks shy of her 100th birthday.
Maria was born in San Francisco del Rincon, Guanajuato, Mexico to Jacinta Espinoza and Jose Miguel. In 1968, with the help of her daughter Lidia, she emigrated to the US and settled in Watsonville. She worked at Watsonville Canning for 20 years and in order to support her family as a single parent, sometimes she worked the night shift at the cannery and the fields during the day. She faced poverty and adversity, but it was her unquestionable love for her family that made that tolerable and by always being employed, stretching her money, and having a strong faith in God. She was tenacious and a champion of life and her approach was always positive. Her story is one of love and persistence and her memory will live on for generations to come.
She is survived by Juana (Jesus), Hermelinda (Braulio), Lidia (Miguel), Eva, and Yolanda (John), and 24 grandchildren, 42 great-grandchildren, and 11 great great-grandchildren. Special recognition to Lidia for her many years of loving care to Mama Chita. She was preceded in death by her husband Manuel Saldaña, but most notably her beloved and cherished son Manuel Antonio Saldaña.
Viewing will be held on Thursday, February 8, 2024 at Mehl's Colonial Chapel from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm, with rosary at 7:00 pm. Funeral mass will be celebrated on Friday, February 9, 2024 at 10:00 am at Our Lady Help of Christians (Maria Auxiliadora) with burial to follow at Valley Public Cemetery.
Published in The Pajaronian · January 31, 2024