Maria Ramirez

Maria Antonia Ramirez, age 87, changed her essence to pure energy on January 17, 2020, to continue the next step of her journey to join God our Father.

She was an incredibly strong human being, Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, and Great-Great Grandmother.  She was born on October 23, 1932, in Nazareno, Durango, Mexico, the daughter of the late Rafael Lopez and Juanita Gutierrez.

Maria lost her mother at the age of 11 and this loss greatly affected her life forever more.  She always said “if you don’t have your mother, you have nothing.”  She grew up in poverty during the depression years and because she did not have her mother, she did not have much family love or understanding.  Poverty made her strong and smart and hard.  She set goals and made decisions for herself and her immediate family that would lead her and them as far away from that poverty as possible. She pushed her children to work and study hard.  For that we are all grateful and so proud of the woman who changed the lives of so many and will continue to do so for as long as there are descendants.  We are everything we are because she loved us.

There was nothing she could not do if she set her mind to it.  Her passion was gardening and she worked at St. Joseph’s Catholic church as custodian and gardener for many years. She LOVED her gardens at home and her home on Highway 73 was an explosion of wild, bright flowers all summer. Her words of encouragement, wisdom, and comfort were expressed by her actions and the example that she set for us, and that is how we know that she loved us and was extremely proud of us, we were her everything.

She is fiercely loved by her family and will be remembered with joy; she is survived by her children (6): grandchildren (10): great-grandchildren: (7) and great-great grandchildren (2) and one on the way.  And by her incredible caregiver and friend, Claudia Boyle.

She moves on to join her husband Jesus Ramirez, parents, her brother and sister and many other relatives and friends.

We are grateful to the staff of Agrace Hospice for the loving care they gave her during her last days.  In lieu of flowers, please give generously to Agrace Hospice “in her memory”. https://www.agrace.org/donate/donate-today/

Funeral services will be held at St Joseph Catholic Church, Wautoma WI, January 25, 2020; family viewing: 9:30 a.m.; friends and family viewing: 10:00 to 11:00; Mass of Christian Burial: 11:00; Burial following at Calvary Cemetery, Wautoma WI.

Please send any cards and other items to her last residence: 5108 Schofield Street, Monona WI 53716.  No flowers please. If desired, the family respectfully requests plants only.