Frances Hernandez
Age - 73
June 5, 2023
On June 06, 2023, Frances Hernandez, 73, of La Quinta, CA passed away surrounded by loved ones at her side. That night, God sent his Angels to be by her side, before being escorted by them to her heavenly home. Juan and Frances met in 1958 and in 1965 they wed; since that year, they rarely left each other's side. Together with Children Arnold, Ana, and Judee they resided in Los Angeles County for 8 years. In the summer of 1983 they moved to the Coachella Valley, which they have called home for 40 years and they have enjoyed amazing views of the Santa Rosa Mountains. Several times Frances and Juan traveled outside of the Coachella Valley to visit with family, some visits were to see the birth of their 3 grandchildren, Sean Patrick Sullivan, David Hernandez, and Alexandria Hernandez. Various other trips were taken to celebrate weddings, to celebrate family milestones, and to spend time being with family at the famous Celso Hernandez Christmas parties in the city of Zacoalco de Torres. Not all trips were for such joyous occasions, such as the trips for the passing of her parents and siblings. Frances, as busy and hard working as she was, always found time for others. The messages, phone calls, letters, cards, and visits Frances received during the final weeks of her life were a tremendous reflection of the type of person Frances was. Frances, the eldest of 15 children, was born on March 09, 1950, to Trinidad and Faustina Ortega. Frances started working on her father's agricultural farm from the tender age of 5. Her first American job of 8 years was as a seamstress for a company based out of Los Angeles, CA where she consistently broke records, exceeding her quota, and even found herself helping her coworkers with meeting their quota to save/preserve their employment. In 1983, she ran her own cleaning company which allowed her to be an amazing wife and mother. In 1984, she added another job as a co-farm owner with husband Juan L Hernandez. They grew various vegetables with an emphasis on okra then later had 20 acres of date palms. She held two jobs and still managed to keep a balanced checkbook, a tidy home, a home cooked meal, and clean/pressed clothing for the entire family. Frances was never afraid of work; she worked manual labor harder and longer than most. Later, while having 2 jobs, she attended College of the Desert, to take up an English course where she received high honors as the number one student of all ESL classes offered that year. The Lord, Jesus Christ was her first love. Frances made sure that her children had a relationship with Jesus by example and by baptizing them in the catholic church. She taught them catechism all by herself, at home, so that they may also receive the Eucharist and Confirmation for an eventual Catholic Marriage. Frances prayed endlessly, she loved her rosaries, and was often seen walking quietly surrounded by nature as she meditated on God's word. She prayed daily for those who have passed/lost souls and always preached we should all do the same. She loved Jesus so much that she saved enough money and mustered up the courage to visit the Holy land with her catholic group of friends; her first and only trip without her husband. Frances loved nature, plants, and flowers (her favorites were gladiolas). She had quite the green thumb and was often caught singing to her plants and trees as she watered them. Her favorite color was white. She insisted on having everything white because of the cleanliness and purity that it represented and because white could not hide anything. Frances was very creative as she loved making clothes of her own design; with talents such as sewing, crocheting, and knitting, she was able to dress her kids in desperate times. She was a firm but fair person with an open mind and a huge heart. She was full of advice and never shied away from speaking about God. Frances was a sweet and doting mother, but also very strict. She was a lioness with her cubs. She was a passionate person who went all in with whatever she did. When she loved, she loved hard, when she gave, she gave big, when she helped, she stayed to see it through. She kept her promises, and her love of Jesus guided her life and words. She loved to laugh and play, and despite her extremely difficult upbringing, she always had a way to lift people up around her, even with just her permanent and contagious smile. No one was a better listener than Frances. She was an empath and tried to help those in pain. The chain of love never ended with her. She loved her husband with everything she had. She loved her children unconditionally. She loved her pets. Her canine companions were very dear to her. She will be missed by many and remembered with fondness by all who knew her. Family Who Went BeforeFrances was predeceased by father: Trinidad Ortega, mother: Faustina Ortega, younger sisters: Alicia Caro Ortega and Reyes Guevara Ortega, and younger brothers: Moises Ortega Estrada and Eziquio Ortega Estrada. A special thanks to those who tried for months, with all of their brilliant minds and beautiful hearts to save an amazing human; the ICU team at JFK and Desert Hospital. Memorial Services will be held on June 06, 2023 at 10amSt Francis of Assisi Catholic Church47225 Washington StreetLa Quinta, CA 92253Followed by Burial Ceremony at 11:30 amCoachella Valley Public Cemetery District82295 52nd AveCoachella, CA 92236Show more
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