Felicita Puente Garza, 89, of Sundown, Texas, entered eternal rest on

October 7, 2024. A Rosary and gathering will be held at Head Duarte

Funeral Home on Monday and Tuesday, October 14 and 15, 2024, followed

by a Mass of Christian Burial at Saint Michael’s Catholic Church on

Wednesday, October 16, 2024. Interment will take place at the City of

Sundown Cemetery

Known lovingly by many names—Fela, Phyllis, Mom, Grandma, Lika, Tía

Fela, and Madrina—Felicita was born on May 2, 1935, in Holeman, Texas,

near the small local store. She was welcomed into the world by her

parents, Genoveva Molina Puente and Anacleto Puente, along with her

sister Lena Puente (Cardona). Felicita was named after her maternal

grandmother, Felicita Garcia Molina, and was baptized at St. Michael

the Archangel Catholic Church in Weimar, Texas.

She spent her childhood moving frequently due to her father's work as

a sharecropper, living in places like Weimar, Alamo, Pharr, and East

Bernard. Despite these moves, Felicita found joy in the simple

pleasures of life—playing outside with her cousins, reading, and

cherishing her favorite doll, a Christmas gift she remembered fondly

even at 89. School days sparked a love for math and home economics,

where she crafted her first dress, igniting a lifelong passion for

sewing. One of her fondest memories was visiting the bakery with her

father to collect bread for the cows at a ranch where he worked. Her

role model was one of her Tías, who raised her children with deep love

and grew an immaculate garden. Felicita often said with a smile, “I

think I ended up like my Tía—my life reminds me of her.”

At the young age of 19, Felicita met the love of her life, Adan O.

Garza, through family connections. Adan’s stepbrother, Porfirio

Cardona, was married to Felicita’s sister, Lena. The two were

inseparable and married on January 26, 1957, at Our Lady of Peace in

Kenedy, Texas, embarking on a journey together that spanned 67 years.

Felicita and Adan built a loving home and welcomed six children:

Linda, Adam Jr., MaryAnn, Robert, Raynaldo, and Rebecca.

Felicita’s life was full of love, laughter, and devotion. She loved to

dance and could often be found twirling the night away with Adan. Her

evenings were filled with her favorite novelas—or storias as she

affectionately called them—and she never missed an episode of Caso

Cerrado, or La Jueza as she liked to say. Her passion for sewing

flourished in adulthood, where she created everything from matching

outfits to blankets and dresses. A talented crafter, she adorned her

home with handmade decorations, especially during Christmas, where her

life-sized lollipops lined the walkway to her front door that entered

a winter wonderland. She had a love for frogs, collecting many frog

figurines and statues. During summertime, she would cook meals and

send her grandchildren to fetch fresh vegetables from the garden. She

loved to share her tricks in the kitchen with anyone who wanted to

learn. From the waft of fresh tortillas every morning to the comfort

of capirotada during Lent, you always left her kitchen satisfied.

A woman of deep faith, Felicita was a devout Catholic, passing on her

beliefs to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She

was an active member of San Isidro Catholic Church in Sundown until it

closed, after which she and Adan attended Saint Michael’s. Even when

her health declined, Felicita’s faith never wavered—she continued

praying the Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and watching daily Mass.

She is survived by her beloved husband of 67 years, Adan O. Garza, her

children: Linda Garcia, Adam Garza Jr., MaryAnn (Guadalupe) Corrales,

Ray Garza, and Becky (Marvin) Durham; 26 grandchildren, numerous

great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.

Felicita now joins her parents, sister, and her son Bobby in eternal

life. She was raised in a home filled with love, and this shaped the

way she raised her own family. To step into her home was to feel the

warmth of her love, and though she will be deeply missed, her legacy

of faith, love, and family will live on for generations to come.