Elida P. Alfaro

Elida Perez Alfaro, beloved mother, grandmother, sister, Aunt and friend, died peacefully of natural causes on 18 April 2025 in the comfort of her home in Brownsville, Texas.

Elida, 85 years old, was born on May 30, 1939, in Matamoros Tamaulipas, Mexico.

The eldest daughter of Antonio Perez Blanco and María Elena González Sanchez

Elida moved to Brownsville,Texas at the age of 15. Elida married and later divorced Avelino Alfaro, but they remained forever friends. They had three daughters, Carey Jo, Perla Veronica, and Leticia Yolanda (Carey, Betty and Yoli). In 1963, the family moved, and lived in Harquahala, Arizona, for 7 years but returned to Brownsville, where Elida settled and lived for the rest of her life. She accepted and committed her life to Christ and held to her faith in Christ until her passing.

She was born into a difficult and challenging life that molded her into a strong woman. A perfectionist in everything she did, Elida also left a strong presence wherever she went.

She loved cooking for her grandchildren and was an excellent cook! She will always be remembered for her strong will poise, dignity, perseverance and determination and words of wisdom.

She is preceded in death by both her parents, her second daughter Perla Veronica Higginbotham, her grandson Christopher Jonathan Higginbotham and her siblings Hermenegildo, Blanca and Juanita Cruz.

Her maternal siblings include,

Blanca Alicia Cruz Gonzalez, (Manuel), San Juanita Cruz Gonzalez (Jorge),

-Leonor (Noni) Cruz Gonzalez and

José Vicente Cruz Gonzalez (Flor).

Her paternal siblings include Juanita Cruz (Jorge ), Everardo Perez (Aurora), Hermenegildo Pérez (Dolores), Oralia Pérez and Daniel Pérez (Rosalinda).

She is survived by her eldest and youngest daughters, Carey Jo Alfaro-Luna (Miguel) and Leticia Yolanda Colunga-Salinas.

She had eight grandchildren to include Vanessa N. Alfaro-Darling, M. Seth Sweatt, recently deceased Christopher Jonathan Higginbotham (Melody Tijerina), Edward A. Salinas, Joshua I. Salinas (Brittany), VJ Colunga (Sabreena Jo), Ashley L. Colunga and Ashton L. Colunga (Alana).

Also survivors are her eight great grandchildren, Perla, Ruby, Maya, Stevan, Jude, Julia, Peyton and Christopher Jonathan Jr..

A very special thanks to Luis and Narciso Alfaro for always reaching out to her. To the neighbor families, who always checked up on her, Manuel (Memito) Longoria, Sebastian Garcia and the Garcia family and to Victor Colunga.

Mostly to her faithful providers, Hortencia Vasquez and Veronica Camey Flores and her granddaughter Ashley Columga who loved and cared for her as her own.

Elida's examples, guidance and strength will always be engrained in the lives of her children, family and friends. She will be forever remembered and deeply missed.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, April 23, 202, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at Salinas Funeral Home - Chapel of the Angels. A funeral chapel service is scheduled for 1:00 pm Wednesday, April 23, 2025 with interment to follow at Buena Vista Burial Park at 3:00 pm.

Funeral services have been entrusted to Salinas Funeral Home in Brownsville.