Manuela O. Villescas

Manuela Olivares Villescas, age 93, of San Juan, Texas entered eternal life on June 11, 2025 at the McAllen Transitional Care Center. Since 2020, she struggled hard with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Born April 7, 1932, in McAllen,TX, Manuela was the daughter of the late Tiburcio López Olivarez and Barbara Treviño Olivarez. Before her marriage on July 6, 1952 to Jesús Soto Villescas, she was a resident of Pharr, Texas and did various jobs such as harvesting crops in Texas and Mississippi, working at a cannery, and cleaning houses. Even though she only had about 2 years of formal education, she was an avid learner in English and Spanish and instilled in her children a love of learning from literature to plumbing, carpentry, sewing, gardening,etc. She was a risk taker, had staunch religious beliefs and values, and a clever sense of humour.

Manuela was a dedicated mother and wife supporting her family and the community in whichever way she could, such as making uniforms for children attending St. John’s Catholic School, making flags for the Farmworkers March led by César Chávez, helping her eldest daughter clean up the classroom, cleaning the parish church, or the long-term care of her grandmother, mother, and husband. After her husband died of cancer, she dedicated herself full time as a volunteer to serving her Catholic faith community as a catechist, Eucharistic minister at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan. As a seamstress, she often donated her services to teaching a community class and to making clothes for funerals.She was a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Legion of Mary, and the Associates of the Misioneras de Jesús. Prior to the debilitating effects of COPD, she was an active member of Valley Interfaith and involved with the Pro-Life Movement. She also led bible studies at her home.

Manuela was preceded in death by her grandparents Pablo and Placida López, José Alejo and Margarita Treviño, her parents, her husband, her daughter Bernardina, her sisters Aurora, Jovita, Margarita O. García, her brothers, Enrique, Geronimo, Tiburcio, Jr. and Francisco Olivares. She is survived by several half sisters, her sisters María Angelica Luna, Guadalupe Mendiola, Placida Salazar (Pablo), her children, (Sister) Juana O. Villescas, SSCJ, Juan Francisco Villescas, María Isabel V. Montañez (José María), Tomasa V. Keith (Alvin Jones), Jesús Villescas, Jr. (Aleida), José Alejo Villescas (Dalia), Bernardino Villescas (Deborah), María Gerarda Salmonson, and Cristóbal Villescas. She is also survived by 17 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren and numerous nephews and nieces.

Thank you to all our family and friends who have sent their prayers, calls, food, and visits during this time. A depth of gratitude goes to Dr. Yuri O. Bermudez and Dr. Rodrigo Lema for their compassionate care.

Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. rosary on Thursday, June 19, 2025 at Memorial Funeral Home, 311 E. Interstate 2, San Juan, Texas.

The Mass of the Resurrection, presided by Rev. Jorge Gómez, will be celebrated Friday, June 20, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in San Juan, Texas. Interment will follow at San Juan Cemetery.