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Obituary: Eleanor Valdez

Eleanor Valdez, 92, of Avon, Colorado, passed away on July 18, 2019, in Salida, Colorado. She was born on February 27, 1927, in El Rito, New Mexico, to Jose Maria and Genoveva (Griego) Vigil. She married Ben Valdez in New Mexico in March 1953.

Eleanor and Ben moved from New Mexico to Minturn in 1964. They then moved to Gilman and after the mine closed, they moved to Avon in 1978. During the Gilman years, Eleanor would babysit many of the neighborhood kids for $3 a day. She really loved being a homemaker and cooking and would spend her days making food for her family which included baking pies, canned fruit and chili, wild game, making tortillas and baking bread that you could smell from the mine shaft. 

All the kids would come and get some bread with butter when they got off the school bus. In Avon, Eleanor worked at the Hyatt Regency and retired in 1998 when she burned her hand and couldn’t work anymore. She enjoyed balancing her checkbook, writing letters, sending birthday and Easter cards, doing word searches and crosswords, watching “The Price Is Right,” “Let’s Make A Deal” and “Jeopardy,” doing house chores, sewing, fishing, being outdoors, talking with others, raising her family, having Oscar and Kazi at her house and coloring with Kazi. She loved her family beyond words and her and her husband wanted to be remembered by the community for their love of doing wedding marchas.

Eleanor is survived by nine children including Harold Valdez of Eagle, Colorado, Virginia (Frank) Madrid of Vail, Arizona, Sammy (Nellie) Valdez of Ojo Caliente, New Mexico, Clara Valdez of Vail, Arizona, Marylou (Jimmy) Valdez of Avon, Anthony (Cathy) Valdez of Thornton, Colorado, Leonard Valdez of Gypsum, Colorado, and Flora (Phil) LaCrue of Pueblo, Colorado, Grandchildren Jennifer (Marcial) Madrid of Tucson, Arizona, Veronica Madrid of Tucson, Michael Madrid of Vail, Arizona, Danielle (Carlos) Garcia of Ojo Caliente, Fabian Medina of Thornton, Amanda (Che) Bustos of Thorton, Colorado, Andria (Oscar) Martinez of Leadville, Colorado, Christian Valdez of San Diego, California, Desiree Madrid of Tucson, Robert LaCrue of Trinidad, Colorado, Gina LaCrue of Pueblo, and Anthony Padilla of Thornton; great grandchildren Jason Madrid, Esperanza Garcia, Oscar Martinez, Manuela Garcia, Kazmirae “Kazi” Martinez, Jose Garcia and Leila Medina; sister Frances (Horacio) Jaramillo of Albuquerque, New Mexico and many nieces, nephews and other family.  She is preceded in death by her parents, husband, daughter Antonette Valdez, sister Toni Vigil and brothers Presiliano Lopez, Emilio Vigil and Juan Vigil.

A visitation will be held on Friday, July 26, 2019, from 5-6p.m. at St. Patrick’s Church in Minturn with a rosary service to begin at 6 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 27, 2019 at St. Patrick’s Church in Minturn with burial to follow at Riverview Cemetery in Minturn. A reception will follow at St. Patrick’s Spirit Center in Minturn.  Please visit http://www.kentfuneralhomes.com to leave a message or condolence for Mrs. Valdez’s family.


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