Mary Cortez Gaige

Though I walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil, the Lord is with me!

Mary Cortez Gaige passed away to be with the Lord on Sept. 5, 2011, at the Christopher House, Hospice of Austin, after a short stay at Seton Medical Center, Austin, Texas.

Funeral services were held Sept. 9, 2011. Viewing was held at DeLeon Funeral Home at 9 a.m., and the memoria

l service was held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. She was buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery.

She was born to Pabla Peres Cortez and Victor Cortez on Dec. 29, 1920, in Lockhart, Texas. She married Tom Gaige and was a devoted wife until his death.

She worked at Golden Age Nursing Home for 20 years until her retirement, and then she also worked in home health care and then became a homemaker. She loved tending to her farm animals, kittens and dogs, cooking and gardening.

She was a devout member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

She was dearly loved and will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Pabla Peres Cortez and Victor Cortez; her husband, Tom Gaige; her sister, Patrocina Valdez; her brothers, Victor Cortez, Enrique Cortez, Juan Cortez, Pedro Cortez, Leonardo Cortez and Pablo Cortez.

She is survived by a brother, Adolfo Cortez, of Port Arthur, Texas; and a sister, Rosa Peres Cortez, of Hewitt, Texas.

She is also survived by beloved nieces and nephews and their children:

Martha Rangel Warwick, of Bartlett, Tenn., and children: James Warwick, Michael Warwick, Mary Warwick Sanders, and Marina Warwick; Ofelia Hernandez, of Waco, Texas, and children: Robert Bravo and Gloria Hernandez Kirk; Rosie Rosales Ortega and husband, Jessie Ortega, of Houston, Texas and children: Jessie Dean Ortega, Donald Ortega, Norma Ortega Johnson and Rosalind Ortega Griffin; Candelaria “Connie” Cortez Lopez, of Hewitt, Texas and children: Lisa Lopez Martinez, Isabella Lopez Sabido, David Lopez, and Alexander Lopez; John Henry Cortez, of Waco, Texas; Juanita Cortez Ramirez and husband, Ruben Ramirez, of La Porte, Texas, and children: Ruben Ramirez, II, Sylvia Ramirez Stewart, Olivia Ramirez, Rodolfo Ramirez, Roland Ramirez, Linda Ramirez Rodriguez; Paula Cortez Herrera and husband, Luis Herrera, of Pasadena, Texas, and children: Diana Ramirez Rivera, Armando Rivera, Alma Rivera and Arnulfo Ramirez; Isreal Cortez, of Pasadena, Texas; Raul Cortez of Louisville, Ky.; Ernesto Cortez and spouse, Angie, of Pasadena, Texas, and children: Ernesto Cortez II, Danny Cortez and Lisa Cortez Hernandez; Juan Cortez, Jr., and Francis Cortez, of Austin, Texas; Connie Cortez Lara and husband, Raul Lara, of San Marcos, Texas; Peter Cortez, II, and spouse, Adelita Cortez, of Kyle, Texas and children: Peter Cortez, III, Rene Cortez and Christina Cortez Ledesma; Richard Cortez, of Lockhart, Texas; Mercy Cortez, of Lockhart, Texas; Ricky Cortez, of Lockhart, Texas; Tony Cortez and spouse, Lydia Cortez, of Lockhart, Texas, and children: Lettie Cortez Acosta and Toni Marie Cortez Gutierrez; Gloria Cortez Adams and husband, Rudy Adams, of Nederland, Texas, and son, Rudy Adams; Cecilia Cortez Castaneda and husband, Jamie, of Cibolo, Texas, and children: Jimmy Castaneda, Alicia Castaneda Cruz, Katie Castaneda Woodward and Antonia Castaneda; Mary Alice Cortez Tomes, of Galivants, S.C., and children: Helen Staton, Valerie Adams and Bobbie Tomes; Adolfo Cortez, Jr., and spouse, Dia, of Groves, Texas, and children: Alexandria Cortez, Elizabeth Cortez and Victoria Cortez; Miguel Cortez, of Houston, Texas; and Benard Cortez, of Port Arthur, Texas.

She is also survived by her friend and caretaker, Bessie Petrosky and her beloved Chihuahua, Trixie.

Honored to serve as pallbearers were: Rudy Adams, Johnny Petrosky, Michael Warwick, Richard Cortez, Adolfo Cortez, Jr., and Michael Cortez