Ildifonsa Orozco

Donna - Ildifonsa Orozco, 94, passed away on Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at McAllen Medical Center in McAllen, TX.  Funeral arrangements are under the care of Hawkins Funeral Home in Donna.

Ildifonsa Castillo Orozco took her last breath of life surrounded by her loving family on June 28, 2023. Our beautiful mother, grandmother or “Ponchita”, as she was dearly known by her friends and family, lived a long beautiful life of 94 years.

She was born in Villa de Guadalupe, San Luis Potosi, Mexico on January 23, 1929 to Leonardo Castillo and Apolinaria Leos. She grew up in the small town of Morelos, Villa de Guadalupe, San Luis Potosi where she met the love of her life, Guadalupe Orozco. A brief courtship of letters and visits led to an engagement, and they were married on December 17, 1946, in Villa de Guadalupe. They briefly lived in Morelos, VDG, San Luis until they decided that they wanted a better life for their family. Guadalupe made the hard decision to migrate to the United States to ensure that his family would be able to have a better future than if they stayed behind. As a wife and mother, and with her faith in God, Ildifonsa supported her husband and legally they made Donna, Texas their new home.

During her time in Donna, she worked at the Knapp and Taormina factories where she made many friends. She would often hear of a sick friend and would make a pot of her “life curing chicken soup” for them. She would then walk to their home, carrying the pot of soup to ensure that they had a good meal to help in their recovery.

Everyone in the family knew that taking Ponchita to the local supermarket (HEB) was not a simple task. A simple trip to pick up groceries would always turn into a party or reunion because around every corner, she would find or make a friend! A quick trip would always turn into hours by the time she was done.

During the summers she would migrate with her husband Guadalupe to Michigan, Idaho, and Minnesota to work in the fields with their children. Despite the sacrifice of working long hours, she always made sure that everyone was fed. She would make handmade tortillas and all kinds of your traditional food and pack lunch so no one would go hungry during those long hours of labor. She always had the radio on and listen to her favorite music while preparing meals. When she wasn’t working and tending to her children, you would find her in her garden, whistling, planting, and watering her endless rose bushes. Her love for nature and her garden was never-ending, but nothing compared to the love she had for her family, her children, and grandchildren.

Our mother/grandmother was sweet and God fearing. You would often see her walking on Monday nights to St Joseph’s Catholic Church for healing mass. Her faith in God was so big that she instilled that in her children. She understood that our purpose and God’s purpose were not the same, but trusting in Him was the only thing we could do; because His plan was always perfect.

Ildifonsa is proceeded in death by her husband Guadalupe Orozco of 75 years, her parents Leonardo and Apolinaria Leos, her son Nicholas Orozco, son in law George Escobedo, and grandson Eleazar “Charlie” Bernal.

Left to celebrate her life are her children: Antonia (Feliciano) Ibarra, San Juan “Morena” (Charlie) Bernal, Ramiro (Alicia) Orozco, Adela (Luis) Sifuentes, Maria Escobedo, Ana (Steve) Yeung, Nicandra Orozco, Lupita (Nelson) Armenteros and Damian (Lorraine) Orozco and her 27 grandchildren and 31 great grandchildren.

Pallbearers for the service will be her loving grandchildren: Lupe Ibarra, Roel Orozco, Danny Escobedo, Michael Gallegos, Nicholas Orozco, Jose Ibarra, Ramiro Jr. Orozco, and son Damian Orozco.

A special thank you to Antonia Martinez, caretaker and to her loving daughter Morena Bernal for the many years of care that they served our loving mother and grandmother. Thank you to the nurses, doctors, and staff from McAllen Medical Center who went above and beyond to ensure that she was taken care of and that our family had the time and space to say our final goodbyes.

We are truly blessed and grateful to God for the time we had with her, no es Adios Abuela/ Mama pero hasta pronto!!

Jesus told her “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never die.” John 11:25-26

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