Eufemia Valenzuela Nava

March 20, 1929 — March 30, 2024

Laveen

LA GRAN MATRIARCA EUFEMIA VALENZUELA NAVA

Eufemia Valenzuela was born on March 20, 1929 in Salem, New Mexico, State of the Hatch Green Chiles. Eufemia was the daughter of Cruz Silva Valenzuela and Jose Valenzuela, she was the youngest of their children. One of Eufemia’s fondest memories was when she was a little girl, she would dance and sing for her father and his compadres. In Texas she met Jose Luis Nava and were married in Las Cruces, New Mexico on November 1, 1949, where they went on to have 16 children, then settled in Phoenix, Az and raised their children and helped raise and or babysat all the grandchildren.

She is known as the Matriarch of the Family. She especially loved green chiles, the hotter the better. Everyone knows her as Senora Nava because all the kids in the neighborhood would always stop by in the morning to get a burro of papas and beans before going to school. Eufemia also enjoyed knitting, embroidery, word search puzzles, traveling and of course mariachis. We would take her to Hatch, New Mexico for the Chile Festival and visit the church in Hatch where she was baptized. As we (the children) were growing, she would make at least 10 dozen tortillas every other day along with a big pot of beans and of course rice and beans. At Christmas, annual tradition was making red and green chili tamales and banuelos. Anyone who visited her house, never left hungry. That’s what everyone will always remember, her burros de frijoles y papas.

Eufemia was a giving, loving and generous person, yes she was hard on her children, but nevertheless she was always there to help everyone with their kids and grandkids with unconditional love. Eufemia loved being at the Senior Center, which she attended 3 times a week. She met a lot of new people, did arts and crafts, played bingo and won prizes, she enjoyed the dances that were given for all the occasions. But all in all, she always had her sips of Tequila morning, noon and night. She Especially enjoyed having PONCHI in the morning which consisted of eggs, coffee, tequila, sugar and cinnamon, put that in the blender and serve it up in a cup like coffee, personally I think she just liked the tequila in it, (teehee). But she never said “no” to her tequila.
She will be extremely missed.

Rest in Peace Eufemia Valenzuela Nava - 03-20-1929 to 03-30-2024

She lived a long and rewarding life and we are forever grateful that she was our Mother.

Visitation at St. Agnes Catholic Church, 1954 N. 24th Street, Phoenix, on Monday, April 8, 2024, from 5:00 to 7:30 pm., with a rosary at 6:30 pm. Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at 10:00 am at St. Agnes Catholic Church, followed by interment at St. Francis Cemetery, 2033 N. 48th Street, Phoenix. Reception: St. Agnes from 2:00 to 5:00 pm

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Service Schedule

Past Services

Visitation

Monday, April 8, 2024

5:00 - 7:30 pm (Mountain (no DST) time)

St. Agnes Catholic Church

1954 N 24th St, Phoenix, AZ 85008

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Rosary

Monday, April 8, 2024

6:30 - 7:00 pm (Mountain (no DST) time)

St. Agnes Catholic Church

1954 N 24th St, Phoenix, AZ 85008

Get Directions Plant Trees

Mass

Tuesday, April 9, 2024

10:00 - 11:00 am (Mountain (no DST) time)

St. Agnes Catholic Church

1954 N 24th St, Phoenix, AZ 85008

Get Directions Plant Trees

Burial

Tuesday, April 9, 2024

11:30am - 12:00 pm (Mountain (no DST) time)

Saint Francis Catholic Cemetery

2033 N 48th St, Phoenix, AZ 85008

Get Directions Plant Trees

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