Our beloved Emma Duran Garza was born October 5, 1927 and passed away March 23, 2021 in San Antonio, Texas. She was preceded in death by her parents Emilio Duran and Julia Escamilla; brothers Alexander and Andres Flores, Gilbert Duran; sister Carolina Duran Garza; husband Ramon L. Garza; Duran/Garza in-laws; grandchildren Jacqueline and Jordan Villejo; and numerous household pet angels.

She is survived by her children Richard D. Garza and wife Virginia and Linda G. Villejo and husband Buddy. Grand daughters Regina Garza, Renissa Garza Montalvo and husband John; Julie and Jillian Villejo and Jasmine Welzien. Great grandchildren Jonathan Montalvo, Evelyn Welzien and Cecily Cigarroa; numerous Duran/Garza nieces and nephews; caring neighbors and loving acquaintances; dear friends Jesse and Mary Castillo.

Emma was the matriarch of our family and loved taking care of everyone. She enjoyed celebrating holidays and birthdays and lovingly prepared delicious meals and cakes for us all. She was a multi-cultural cook and we knew to give our 'compliments to the chef.' Mom kept everyone laughing with her jokes and loved to dance to music from her youth in the 1940's. She was fond of going to live concerts and dancing in the aisles to the music of Cher, Frankie Valli, Celine Dion, Boy George, Glenn Miller, Tom Jones, Diana Ross and of course Mariachi music.

Emma knew the value of education. She reminded all of us to learn something new every day and work for success in the classroom and in our careers.

Grandma began her mornings reading the newspaper so she could educate the family on current events. We will cherish her large collection of books and magazines; Emma had a wealth of knowledge ranging from the Royal family, the Golden Age of Hollywood, military history, politics and cooking. Our mother clearly enjoyed the written and spoken word. She wrote poems to allow us to understand her unique perspective of life.

Watching her roses and irises bloom was one of her favorite Springtime activities. She tended to her flowers in the Winter to ensure they would continue to bloom each year.

Our family vacations gave her the opportunity to see the world she read about in her books. We enjoyed watching her play the slots in Las Vegas, climb the pyramids in Mexico City, cross the Golden Gate Bridge, cruise to the Bahamas, and sit on the beach at South Padre Island.

Mom had many stories about her childhood growing up in a convent. Her strong faith was passed to each of us; she taught our family to pray for strength in hard times and give thanks for our blessings. We miss her very much and keep her love with us in our hearts. We know she is reunited with her family and in the Lord's care. We have an angel watching over us until we meet again.

Our family would like to extend our gratitude and thanks to the Castillo Family for their friendship over the years and their caring support in arranging Mom's services.