Melchora Salinas

A new class of angel was created when Melchora Salinas, 89, ascended to Heaven on November 11, 2013. With her sister, brother-in-law, children, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren present to send her off, she left this world surrounded by what defined her best: love. While always eager to have a cup of coffee and watch Selena concerts on television, she was never too busy to be a mother. Whether it was driving to Michigan with her husband and children to work as migrants picking cherries, walking 6 miles to and from her job as a seamstress to support her children, being a reminder of home for a son stationed half a world away during the Vietnam War, teaching her grandchildren how to sew, or handcrafting flour tortillas that would make Taco Palenque jealous, her life was a journey graced with compassion. She is tenderly missed and will live again each time the smell of fresh coffee fills her house, a Selena concert is on television, and will find new vitality when her children and grandchildren perform the same acts of unconditional love she did for them countless times over. Greeting her at the pearly gates were her father Alonso Martinez, mother Bonifacia Martinez, brothers Mileton Martinez, Andres Martinez, Alonzo Martinez, sister Elizabel Lopez, and husband Juan Salinas. Bound together by their love for her here on Earth are her sister Paula Pea, brother-in-law Alfredo Pea, her children Juan Salinas, Jose Salinas, Graciela Trevio, Christina Molina, daughter-in-law Irma Salinas, son-in-law Eduardo Trevio, grandchildren Jose Roel Salinas, Sandra Salinas, Dahlia Salinas, Priscilla Chapa, Joanna Salinas, Eduardo Trevio Jr., Erika Reyna, Crystal Gonzalez, Joe Molina, Amy Molina, along with fifteen grandchildren, and one great-great granddaughter. Visitation will be held Friday, November 15, 2013 from 5 to 9 in the evening at Joe Jackson Springfield Funeral Chapels, 1900 Springfield. A Rosary will be celebrated at 7 p.m. Funeral services will be Saturday morning, November 16, 2013, departing at 10:30 a.m. from Joe Jackson Springfield Funeral Chapels to Christ the King Catholic Church for a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. Interment will follow at the Laredo City Cemetery.