Guadalupe Herrera Chapa

On a clear, gentle spring morning on March 11th, after days of rain and storms, their mother passed from this world at the age of 91, surrounded by her family.

She taught her four children—three daughters and a son—how to stand strong no matter what life brought. Through her example she showed them how to be resourceful and responsible, to take action rather than wait for life to happen, and above all, to know the Creator who made all things. Her faith and zeal for Jehovah were never mere words; they were the very air she breathed, lived out in every lesson, every prayer, and every moment of guidance she gave.

She found joy in the simple and beautiful things of this world: a good home-cooked meal, tending her garden and fruit trees where she coaxed life from the soil, caring for her chickens, and sharing the word of God with anyone willing to listen—and even with those who were not. These were the places where her heart felt most at home.

Though their hearts are heavy, her children know she left this world just as she lived it—on her own terms, surrounded by family and love, wrapped in faith, and held by the Creator she trusted with her whole being. Her strength, her teachings, and their love for her will remain with them always.

She is survived by her children, Diana Stoeltje, Joe Chapa (Elsa), Tency Garcia (Marc), and Angie M. Payne (Vic); twelve grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; her brothers Manuel Jr. and David Herrera; and her sister Sarah Paez. She was preceded in death by her husband, José S. Chapa; her parents, Manuel and Guadalupe Herrera; her brothers Johnny, Ray, and Jesse Herrera; and her beloved granddaughter, Sabrina Danielle Garcia.