Anna "Annie" R. (Ma) Merenda Gonzales

Anna “Annie” R. (Ma) Merenda Gonzales, 86, of Gold Hill, Oregon passed away on December 27, 2011. She was born in Cranston, Rhode Island and a long time resident of Modesto & Ceres.

Ma had qualities of caring, never complaining and always willing to work hard that sustained all of us through good times and bad for many decades.

Ma graduated from Modesto Junior College with a (LVN) Licensed Vocational Nursing Degree while working nights as an OB nurse at Stanislaus County Hospital for many years. Ma enjoyed cooking, gardening, sewing, and her greatest love was being with family & friends. Through all her struggles, she became the best mother and friend, and would literally give the shirt off her back to help her family. She was a member of St. Stanislaus & St. Jude Catholic Churches and the Ceres Garden Club.

Ma is survived by her daughters, Anne Marie (Terry) Hulse , Shirley (Michael) Sullivan and Patricia(Fred) Merenda , sons Raymond (Dianne) Merenda Jerry A.G. Galeazzi, Vinci (Charles) Gonzales-Debow and stepchildren Joan Sanford, Jack, Dick, Chuck Merenda, 9 grandchildren & 5 great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her first and second husbands, Charles J. Merenda and Vincent R. Gonzales, sister Mary Skola, brothers Peter and Fred Rossi.

Some people pass through their lives having no more impact on others than footsteps in the sand. But not Ma, she will be imbedded in our hearts until the time that we too pass.

In honor of her 87th birthday, a memorial mass and blessing of the grave is scheduled Friday, February 24, 2012, 11:00am, St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, 709 J Street, Modesto with Father Sam West officiating. The family extends an invitation to all for a lunch reception at the The Fruit Yard.

In lieu of flowers and in recognition of the outstanding work provided to Ma during her last days, please send gift to Providence Hospice “in memory of Anna R Gonzales”, 2033 Commerce Drive, Medford, Oregon 97504, 541-732-6500

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