Maria Ortiz Manzanedo died peacefully on May 9, 2022, in Sahuarita, Ariz., at the golden age of 92. Maria was born on Jan. 15, 1930, in the small town of Tubutama, Sonora, Mexico. She was the eldest of seven children, raised by Jose and Matilde Ortiz. She is survived by her sister Guadalupe and brother Jose Maria and predeceased by siblings Luz Alicia, Eugenio, Hector and Amalia.

Before marrying, Maria was a part of the Circulo Guadalupana of the San Pedro y San Pablo Parrish in Tubutama. Maria's love and never-ending faith in God inspired her to teach catechism. Maria devoted countless days to teaching, shaping, and influencing the youths of her generation, helping them understand their religion.

She married Leonardo Manzanedo on Aug. 4, 1962, and they enjoyed a blissful 45 years together until Leonardo's passing in 2007. They were the proud parents of five children and Maria enjoyed having her home filled with the laughter of her children and extended family members. All roads seem to have passed through Maria's doors at one time or another as relatives and friends often visited to have coffee or a quick meal. Her welcoming and energetic personality was well known, and she touched many lives with her sincere generosity and passion for life.

Wela, as she was lovingly referred to by her family, had many happy places, such as the beach, crocheting, making tortillas outside on her comal and tending to her garden where she grew her own fruits and veggies.  Every season she would preserve some of her fruit and she loved gifting those, as well as her homemade tortillas, empanadas, and fresh baked pan. As soon as she learned someone in the family was expecting, she would get busy crocheting little outfits – everything from the beanies to the booties. These were her treasures. If you were on the receiving end, you received gold.

Maria loved her family tremendously. She lived for what her kids referred to as "Wela Sundays."  This was when we all gathered to recap the week while enjoying her delicious meals. Let there be no doubt, even if you were not hungry, you were going to eat – even have seconds! That was the Wela rule, no one leaves hungry…especially her son, Arturo! (Family joke)

At 4'6" Wela was tiny, but her presence was huge. Maria lived fearlessly in every respect even if it meant chasing off rattle snakes in the middle of the night!  She was so incredibly resourceful, repurposing and recycling everything from emptied sacks of La Pina flour which she would convert to dish cloths, to old jars converted into glassware. If anything needed repairing, her "go-tos" were wire and duct tape and she was a master with needle and thread.

In her later years, Maria worked to cross some items off her bucket list, such as becoming a U.S. citizen, owning her own home, traveling across the country, visiting her dream destination -- the Basilica de Guadalupe in Mexico City -- and living long enough to witness her grandchildren grow up.

Maria was predeceased by her twin children Cristobal and Beatriz. She is survived by her five other children, Jesus (Lucinda), Armando (Maria Esther), Margarita Valle (Valentin), Arturo (Roxanna), and Irene Coppola (Manuel), stepdaughter Ernestina Montoya, 19 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren.

Family and friends are invited to attend her wake on Wednesday, May 18 at Green Valley Mortuary, Green Valley, Ariz., (4-8 p.m.). Mass will be held on Thursday, May 19, at the San Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Sahuarita, Ariz. (10 a.m.). Interment will immediately follow at Green Valley Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to:

Candlelighters Cancer Organization of Southern Arizona ( candlelightersaz.org ). Please include "In memory of Maria O. Manzanedo", within the name block.