Eva Marie Mendez, 
74, of Crookston, MN, passed away unexpectedly on February 22, 2019 at St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, CA after a short illness. Eva had been visiting her sister, Raquel Hartley, and other family members for the past several weeks.
Eva was born on August 31, 1944 at Crookston, MN, to Jesus “Jesse” and Ramona (Dominguez) Mendez. She lived mostly in Texas until 1958 when the family settled in Crookston permanently. Eva graduated from Crookston Central High School in 1963. She moved to Ft. Worth, TX for a short while to work, and was able to see President John F. Kennedy at the Hotel Texas on November 22, 1963, shortly before leaving in his motorcade to pass through Dallas. Eva would soon return to Crookston to enroll in the LPN program of the Bethesda Hospital School of Nursing. After putting herself through school and earning her Degree as an LPN she worked at a hospital in Houston, TX. Eva later worked at Bethesda Nursing Home in Crookston, St. Luke’s Hospital in Fargo, ND, and a hospital in Grand Forks, ND. She finished her long and very fulfilling career as a nurse at the RiverView Nursing Home and Care Center, while also spending some time on staff with the Glenmore Recovery Center.
Eva was very proud of her Hispanic heritage and the increasing number of minorities she saw enter and achieve success in the medical field. She was selfless and compassionate, always putting others first. Though Eva never had a family of her own, she always looked upon her younger sisters and brothers, and nieces and nephews, as her children. She enjoyed doing needlework and gifted many of her pieces to her family members. Eva and her mother, Ramona, were avid sports fans and loved watching every sport televised, from boxing to figure skating. If anyone wanted to know the latest score of an ongoing game they only had to call Eva. She will be truly missed and very lovingly remembered by her family and many, many friends.
Loving family members include her siblings: Raquel Hartley of Oxnard, CA, Alice Brown of Jefferson City, MO, Ruben (Gail) Mendez of Cannon Falls, MN, Vincent Mendez and Raymond Mendez of Maui, HI, Ken Mendez of Crookston, MN, and Paul Mendez of Mankato, MN; many aunts and uncles; several nieces and nephews, including 2 special nieces who were raised by Ramona, Ramona Renee Friday of Virginia, MN and Tamera Steer of Crookston; a number of great-nieces and great-nephews; and extended family. Eva was preceded in death by her parents, Jesse and Ramona Mendez; a brother, Angel Mendez; and a sister, Diane Hilterbrand. May God bless Eva’s memory.
A Memorial Mass for Eva Marie Mendez will be held at 11:00 am, Saturday, March 9, 2019, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Crookston with The Most Rev. Victor Balke and The Very Rev. Vincent Miller, Concelebrating. Visitation with the family will be for one hour prior to the service. Inurnment will take place in the Calvary Cemetery, Crookston, in the spring. The Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements. In lieu of flowers memorials may be given in Eva’s name to the Ramona Mendez Endowed Scholarship c/o University of Minnesota-Crookston, 2900 University Avenue, Crookston, MN 56716.
Tags:
