Jessie Chavez

Eulogy for Jessie Rose Chavez

Jessie Rose Chavez was a great loving mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She was born on August 13th, 1942. She was the oldest of her siblings: Clara, Christine, Charlie, and Rosemary. She lived with her grandmother, her parents, and siblings up until she was five years old, in her grandmother’s house. When her mom and dad got a place of their own, Jessie was so emotionally attached to her grandmother, whom she called Nana, that she did not want to live elsewhere. Her parents even tried to bribe her with a new tricycle if she would move with them to the new place, but she became so depressed that she was not eating. Her father then persuaded her mother to let Jessie live with her grandmother for the sake of Jessie’s well-being.

As she grew, Jessie Rose enjoyed living with her Nana and enjoyed school. Clara and Rosemary say they remember often taking turns to go sleep over at their Nana’s house so that they can spend time with their sister. Living with her grandmother allowed her to be in closer proximity to some of her cousins, whom she was able to spend lots of time with. She said she felt as close to these cousins as if they were her siblings too.

Jessie Rose always told her kids the story about how her Nana once was very sick and they took her to see a doctor. The doctor stated her Nana was very ill and he did not give her very long to live. That day, Jessie Rose knelt down and prayed for God to heal her Nana and to give her one more year to live. Later that day God answered her prayer. She said her Nana was in the kitchen, sitting up in a chair and very alert. She lived many more years than the one year she prayed for.

When she was about 15 years old, her father taught her to drive his pick-up, which had a standard transmission. She spoke of one time how she was driving too fast to take the turn and got the old truck up on two wheels! She continued to live with her Nana until she married her first husband, Harry Chavez on July 4, 1964.

Jessie Rose was very intelligent and a good student. She graduated from Rio Grande High school in 1961 and soon afterward, worked in a retail clothing store where she met her first husband, Harry. She had four children with him: Charlene, Rosanna, David, and Michelle. While raising children of her own, she decided to work in child care, teaching head start at San Ignacio, and also attended University of Albuquerque where she studied how to teach and nurture three and four year-olds in Head Start. She continued to teach for 13 years. As a dedicated mother and grandmother, she nurtured her children and began to take care of her first grandchildren that came along. While Rosanna was pregnant with Jessie’s first grandchild, she remembers her mom telling her, “I'm going to quit my job to take care of the baby.” She went on to take care of over half of her grand-babies.

One fond memory her children have is how she would often make homemade tortillas. To make her kids laugh, she would say how her tortillas were as crispy as crackers when she was first married to their dad. Later, she would learn to make delicious tortillas that everyone enjoyed. David remembers their grandmother would say, “She makes the most perfect round tortillas.” What a good testament to the phrase, “practice makes perfect.”

Her children also remember how she would help their grandmother, her mother-in-law. by driving her to the store for groceries and helping her with her son when she was in dire need.

Jessie Rose enjoyed being a mother and providing for her children. Charlene has a fond memory of her mom when they used to go to Bluewater Lake. Jessie Rose would be happy making breakfast in the morning for everyone. “I can still smell the bacon,” Charlene states, “and all of us having a nice time playing outside and swinging on the tree branch swing”. She remembers how later in life, her mom helped her with her newborn babies, getting up in the middle of the night when they would cry. Charlene also fondly remembers when she was a young child and would get sick, Jessie Rose would always get up periodically with Charlene or her siblings to check on them and pray.

Her children remember Jessie Rose always reminiscing about how the first time she was introduced to the Bible. They would take yearly summer trips to Alamosa on the 4th of July to visit their Uncle Llano and Auntie Josie, who was their dad’s aunt. Here, she would be told about the end of days in the Bible from Auntie Josie. She told Jessie about how the sun is going to turn as black as sackcloth and the moon to blood when the Lord brings His judgment on the earth. She had never heard that before, and that is when Jessie Rose decided to “search the Scriptures,” as she said, and read it for herself in the Bible to see what else the Lord said. She then would learn about God’s unconditional love and how He wants to keep us all from avoiding that dark day.

On September 4, 1993, Jessie Rose married Anthony Chavez. They would often go for drives to visit extended family and friends. Jessie Rose always loved the countryside and spending time outdoors. She always found it very relaxing. Later, she took care of the elderly and also cared for her mother with the help of her husband, Anthony. Years later, she returned to teaching children as a teacher's aid at Los Lunas elementary school. She loved teaching and having time with children. She said, "Being around children always helps you to forget all your worries and makes you feel young."

Jessie Rose was a strong and generous woman. She was devoted to serving others by offering groceries, clothing, prayers, and speaking the word of God. She definitely had the gift of healing. She often met people in public, either at an office waiting to see the doctor or at a restaurant. She would say, "God brought us together today so that I can pray for you." She would tell us about how she prayed for people and the Lord healed them. They would tell her, "Thank you for healing me," and she would say, "I didn't heal you, the Lord did."

Jessie’s granddaughter Monique remembers her cooking tortillas for the family when Monique was just a little girl and Jessie’s lovely empanadas for Christmas. She will hold dear all the motherly advice Jessie gave whenever Jessie’s great grandchild was sick and she will forever keep in her heart and memory, Jessie’s loyalty to Christ and her kindness to everyone.

Jessie’s granddaughter Clarissa remembers Jessie with these words: “We were so blessed to be surrounded by the faith Grandma had. I knew I could always count on her in difficult times. One time my beloved dog, Levi, got attacked by a pit-bull and almost died, but thanks to God and Grandma praying, he survived. When he was getting older and got really sick a few times, I thought he was going to pass away, but I would call Grandma and she would pray for him and he would always get better! After Grandma praying for him, he lived a few years longer. It was always a miracle!”

This past Christmas while celebrating with family, grandma prayed for me (Matthew Hinojos) when I was under doctor’s care for my heart. Grandma's last prayer over me was on Christmas, to heal my heart and to remove all the illness from it. On January 19, 2024, I am happy to say a miracle happened that day. I went to the doctor and my heart is 100% healed. They took me off all meds and I'm going to live a long life, God willing.

Michelle recalls how her mother’s prayers and encouragement would mean so much to her for her daughter, Hannah. She remembers her mother saying, “put your faith to work, Michelle.” After many years of prayer, at 15 years of age, the doctor’s finally agreed to wean Hannah off her seizure medicine. Hannah was healed of seizures when the doctors said she would have them all her life. Michelle has wonderful memories of how she and her mom would pray together for people over the phone and how her mom would say, “I like when we talk on the phone because it feels like we are visiting.” I know so many of us are going to miss those visits on the phone.

Now with her example, we hope to continue Jessie Rose's legacy of her faithfulness to the Lord.

Obituary for Jessie Rose Chavez

Jessie Rose Chavez, age 81, passed away peacefully with her husband and family by her side on Tuesday, January 16, 2024. Jessie Rose was born on August 13, 1942 to Petronilo and Virginia Eaton Sanchez. She is survived by her husband, Anthony Chavez; daughters, Charlene Chavez, Rosanna Jaramillo and her husband, Vincent; son, David A. Chavez and fiancée, Helen McCole; daughter, Michelle Eubanks and her husband, L. Lee; grandchildren, Matthew Hinojos and fiancée, Chandra Harrell, Clarissa Chavez, Monique Mowry and her husband, Dennis, Celeste Chavez, and Hannah and Alex Eubanks; great-grandchildren, Aubrey Fortuin, Jack Mowry, and Eva and Clarissa Fielding; her sisters, Clara Torres and Rosemary Sanchez Stovall and husband, Patrick Stovall. She was preceded in death by her sister, Christine Ramirez; brother, Charlie Sanchez; and grandson, Aaron Hinojos. Services will be held on Thursday, February 8th, 2024, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m., at New Beginnings Church, 4770 Montgomery Blvd. NE, ABQ. NM 87109. Burial service will be Friday, February 9th, 2024, 10:00 a.m., at Los Padillas Cemetery.