Finally I have a few minutes to write about the funeral. My mom Luz Idalia Sotomayor was born on November 8, 1934 and died on April 7, 2011. The funeral service was very nice. She was very sick with leukemia and everyone that I talked to said how brave she was and how hard she fought this desease. She never complained, she kept going eventhough it was very uncomfortable and painful for her. The Sunday I was there before she past away she went to church with me, she made a big effort to go. Sitting was very uncomfortable for her so during Sacrament my brother brought a more comfortable chair for her to sit next to our bench. She only lasted through Sacrament and we went home. It would be her last time going to church. The Sunday after her funeral it was fast and testimony, my brother and I bore our testimony and thanked the Ward for all they had done for us during this difficult time. Pretty much all of the testimonies were about my mom, it was a beautiful meeting. When we joined the church in 1974 the church had only been in Ponce for about 3 years, it was fairly new. We were one of the first families to join, my parents were considered "old timers" in the Ward. The sister who spoke at the funeral service had been one of my mom's counselors in the Stake Relief Society. My mom was the first Ponce District Relief Society President and then the first Ponce Stake Relief Society President. I always remember how hard she worked in her calling. She had a full time job, two kids, and a demanding calling. During that time there wasn't a whole lot of books translated into Spanish so my parents had to translate a lot of what they taught in the church. I remember her making posterboards for her meetings, and at that time they did not have access to computer websites that gave you ideas and pretty much everything is done for you. My mom had to do it all!! I used to go with her to her Stake meetings. I would accompany my parents in their assignments around the Stake, my dad as a High Counselor and my mom as RS president. I was very proud of them. They taught me how to work hard in the church. My mom would always say "It takes a lot of sacrifice to be a member of the church". When I got to the funeral home my mom had already been dressed in her temple clothes but I got to put her veil on before leaving for the cemetary, while all of the past and present Relief Society Presidents stood guard in front of the casket, that was neat!!
Sign in front of the Funeral home.
Sister Gonzalez, She is in my mom's Ward and helped dress my mom.
At the cemetary.
My Aunt Ana, my mom's sister, she did not feel good during the funeral and we had to take her to her car. She is 96 years old. She was 20 when my mom was born. My mom always took me to see her whenever I came to Ponce to visit. They were very close. She kept crying and saying that she will never see her again. She is not a member of the church and so it was sad to hear her say that.
With three of my mom's siblings. My uncles Vicente (Tio Tito) and Guillermo (Tio Willie) and aunt Ana (Titi Ana).
With my nephew Gerald, and cousins Enid, Iris, Rigo and aunt and uncles.
With my moms cousin, Rosita, her brother (I don't remember his name), my uncle Willie, his wife, my aunt Aida, their sons, my cousins, Willito and Luisito, Conner, Parker and me.
My cousins Enid, Iris and Rigo.
