Maria Chaparro

“La Tía” Maria F. Chaparro, of Yakima, WA On Friday, March 18, 2016 la tía Maria was peacefully ushered into the hands of her dear Lord and Savior, Jesus, by her only child and son, Rev. David J Salinas, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Yakima, Wa. Maria was born on August 23, 1928 in the small rural village of San Diego in the Mexican state of Querétaro. Maria had a difficult childhood. She and her family were quite poor, and at the age of nine she lost her mother to influenza. In 1957 she emigrated to the US through Elis Island, NY, where she lived and worked as a nanny and housekeeper on Long Island. In the early 70s she briefly returned to Mexico. When she returned to the US, she followed her cousin to Southern California (the weather was better!). There she took care of her son and worked as a housekeeper until she retired. In March of 2013 Maria moved toYakima to be with her son and his family, and help support his mission as a Hispanic outreach pastor. Maria was the matriarch and pilar of the family in Mexico. Throughout her life she embodied the virtues of hard work and dedication to her Lord, family, and friends. She was also a model of thoughtfulness, compassion, loving service, and Christian charity. Hardly a day went by that she didn’t ask how so and so was doing; and though she did not possess much, she always had a plate of food, piece of clothing, or gift for friends, relatives, and anyone in need. Maria possessed a natural intelligence and savvy. Despite receiving only a third grade education in Mexico, she taught herself to speak, read, and write English. As her family will tell you, she knew how to stretch a buck with an ever frugal eye on a good sale. However, the best summation of Maria Chaparro are the words of the poem, “Blessed is the mother who follows the Lord...blessed is the mother who shares so much love.” On April 5, 1972 she was blessed with her only child, a son. For the remainder of her life, she all but dedicated herself exclusively to him, making countless sacrifices for his good and his dreams. She showered her motherly love on her family, three granddaughters, and on many others. She was a faithful servant and member of every Christian congregation to which she belonged. This love and faithfulness flowed from her God-given faith in Christ, her Savior. Besides her great loves of Jesus, her son, family, and friends, Maria loved her adopted country, the United States, of which she became a naturalized citizen. She also loved Abraham Lincoln, Walter Cronkite, birds, reading, educational programming, Radio Cadena, and going shopping for the family. Maria made friends easily and developed deep relationships everywhere the Lord took her. This beloved and loving mom, nana, aunt, friend, and servant of God will be deeply missed, but her departure only leads her loved ones to rejoice in and praise Jesus Christ our Savior for the gift of eternal life! They can’t wait to see this dear woman again! Maria is survived by her son, daughter-in-law, three granddaughters, and many nieces and nephews. Funeral services for Maria will be held at Grace Lutheran Church 1207 S. 7th Ave. Monday, March 28 at 1:00 pm. with a viewing prior to the funeral starting at 11:00 am. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Maria Chaparro, please visit our flower store.