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Raymond
Vera Serratos of Boise, formerly of Nampa,
died Saturday, Dec. 28, 1996, at a
Nampa
hospital. A vigil will
be held at 7 p.m., Thursday, at Persons-Flahiff Funeral
Chapel, Nampa. Funeral
mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m., Friday, at
St. Paul's Catholic Church, Nampa.
Burial will follow at Mount Calvary
Cemetery.
Ray was born to
Jesus and Elena Serratos on April 28, 1916 in
Arandas Jalisco,
Mexico.
He entered the United States with his parents and brother in Nuevo Laredo,
Texas.
They walked across the river and left their home to
escape the revolution. The
family lived in Texas for a
short while and then worked their way to
Michigan.
As soon as Dad and his
brother were strong enough to help, their goal was to help the
family sustain itself as it grew.
Dad loved recalling
the birthplaces of eleven brothers and sisters and how each of
those births were special even if it meant more work.
How important to him
was the milk he received at school to share with family. Dad
attended Catholic school in
Michigan
and terminated his formal education in the fourth grade.
The family then moved
on to Illinois,
Minnesota, Montana,
California and then to Idaho where permanent residency could finally
transpire in 1940.
He was especially grateful to Elmer Tiegs who gave him
and his two other brothers work on his farm.
He married Connie
Acevez in July of 1944 and was married for 45 years.
In 1946 one of the
most meaningful experiences in Dad's life occurred and that
was to be hired by the PFE, which meant stability for him and
his family. It was
with the PFE that Dad learned how to be a welder, a carmen,
and a refrigeration specialist.
He gave a lot of
praise to the railroad and loved to wear his railroad hat or
jacket. In the 1950s
he was a volunteer policeman for the city of Nampa and especially enjoyed this role during
the Stampede period. He
also was a member of the Knights of Columbus.
One of the proudest
events to ever occur for him was when he became a United States
citizen in 1970. He
loved his country and what it stood for.
Voting was truly his
privilege. Even though
Dad's formal education terminated at an early age, his
learning continued every day.
He read anything and everything he could about
mechanics or repairs. I
don't believe he ever called a repairman or took his car in
for repairs. He just
knew he could fix it, maybe with a few consultations from his
brothers. His learning
surpassed book knowledge as his life taught him about
commitment to family for survival.
He learned about
caring for his fellow brother.
He learned how to work and work hard.
He learned to share fully, and in the end he learned of
God's grace. Family
was everything to Dad. One
of the many things Dad may be remembered for was his innate
ability to bring a camera to every family function.
Dad knew no stranger.
He was a capable
conversant and loved to tell a good joke.
He gave everyone
nicknames that the families still continue to use.
He is survived by
his daughters, Connie Maus and husband Errol, Teresa Serratos;
grandchildren, Jackie Rodriguez, JoEllen Villanueva, Robert
Munster, Stacy Sattler, Jason McMurtrey, and Martha Maus;
great-grandchildren, Joshua, Anthony, Crystal, Brookie,
Austin, Brian, Lacinda, Zach, Tosha
and Ray; his brothers, Ralph, Eli, Lupe, Art, and Ted;
his sisters, Jessie Gibson of Sacramento, Mary Duran of
Lincoln, Calif., Carmen Bond of Emmett, Frances Foreman of
Denver, and Helen Johnston of Nampa.
He was preceded in
death by his parents, wife, and sister Clara.
Friends may call at
Persons-Flahiff Funeral Chapel from 8:30 a.m. until 9 p.m.
Memorials may be
made to the Indigent Program at
Mercy Medical Center. |
