Eloy Nieto Muraida was born March 7, 1922, in San Antonio, Texas, to Pablo and Rosa Nieto Muraida. He proudly served his country in the US Army during World War II. He lived in San Antonio until 1965, when he moved his family to the Los Angeles area. He was a steel worker until an injury slowed him down. He was a member of St. Pius X Catholic Church in Santa Fe Springs, CA. He is survived by his children, Christine Muraida, Paul Muraida, Mary Ann Muraida, Margaret Muraida, Evangelina and her husband Alfonso Yescas,Edward, Eloise and Rose Sharon; 24 Grandchildren, Merrick, Kameron, Sheridan, Rebecca, Destiny, Reina, Adriana, Joanna, Jesus, Sergio, Jessica, Alex, Brandi, Jonathon, Jessica, Eduvelsa, Anna Marie, Bryce, Monica, Michelle, Jose, Refugio, Steven and Tatania; Great Grandchldren, Justin, Jonathan, Laura Lee, Daniel, Elisa, Alexandria, Michael, Sydney, Casey, Erica, Anna Marie, Amber, Bryanna and Christopher.
Visitation and Vigil will be held on Tuesday, March 13 from 6 to 9 PM and Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, March 14, at 9:30 AM all at St. Pius X Catholic Church. Following the Mass, he will be taken home to San Antonio, Texas, and laid to rest in the San Fernando #2 Cemetery, San Antonio, Texas.
"May the angels lead you into Paradise, may the Martyrs receive you at your coming, and take you to Jerusalem, the Holy City. May the choirs of angels receive you, and may you, with the once poor Lazarus, have rest everlasting.
May the Souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace."
Amen.
Merrick and Kameron Muraida, grandchildren of Eloy's have added,
"i remember when......when i went to visit him on holloween, easter and his birthday. i remember when he told us about WW2 and stuff. he made funny faces. i will miss you grandpa. love merrick.
I remember when I was with grandpa while I was doing fireworks and how funny grandpa was when he made funny faces and when he "crowed" and I remember when I was at his birthday. I'm sorry that you were sick. I'll miss you. Love, Kameron.
"Remembering You"
As I was growing up, I remember all the fun times we had together, right from the start to the end. Remember the times you were showing how to do your bird calls to the grandkids and making them laugh, and also showing your funny faces. As time goes on, we will always know in our thoughts and in our minds that you will be watching over us and guiding us. We will all remember you in our hearts. Now you could "Rest in Peace."
Love Mary Ann Muraida and family.
Alfonso Yescas, Eloy's son in law says:
THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT I, OR ANYONE ELSE CAN SAY ABOUT POPS. BUT THERE IS ONLY ONE THING, THAT I CAN SAY TO HIM AND ABOUT HIM, THAT IS "THAT I AM VERY GRATEFUL TO BE HIS FIRST SON-IN-LAW". TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MARRY HIS DAUGHTER LINA, ALSO TO HAVE POPS WALK HER DOWN THE ALTER TO ME, ON THAT VERY SPECIAL DAY OF OUR'S.
POPS, YOU'LL ALWAYS BE IN MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS, LOVE AL.....
Christine Muraida,
E-Mail: Snertychic@aol.com adds,
Dad,
I know this took me awhile to get done, but it wasn't because I didn't want to do it, it was because as beautiful as the memories are, they are also painful. I started and stopped this letter many times.
It's hard to say when I first remember you, but one of my first memories is of me dancing with you. I am standing on top of your feet while you've got one arm around me and the other is holding my hand. I don't know what music was playing, or even if there was any music. All I remember is feeling special and happy to be dancing with my Dad. I remember how one day you sat me up on the kitchen table and pierced my ears, followed by MaryAnn, Margaret, then Lina. Afterwards you sent us all out to the park to play. I remember how every Friday on pay day you'd always come home with BBQ chicken, macaroni salad, soda (you always called it soda water), and a loaf of bread from Price's Market...not to mention candy for us all. OH, how I loved those Fridays! I couldn't wait for you to get home. Even now, after all these years and though Price's Market is no longer there, I too, bring home those exact same things for my family. I want my children to remember these times with fon!
!
d memories just like I remember them when I was a child with you.
I remember how you always had money is your pocket. Every time you'd reach in, I'd hear all that change jingling around in there. I remember how you taught us how to pitch pennies up against the curb and how being a kid, I didn't care too much about the bills in your pocket...all I wanted was the change so that I could play.
I know now that times were tough, especially with all of us kids, but back then, we didn't know it. While all the other neighborhood kids had bikes, I remember how you built us all a few wooden scooters and put skate wheels on the bottom. I remember watching you build them and using sandpaper to smooth them down so we wouldn't get splinters, then you put some clear stuff on them that made them shiny (later I found out it was shellac). I remember being so proud that my Dad could make something so great. We were the envy of the neighborhood!
I remember how in the summer you'd hold races for all the neighborhood kids at the little park. Just to be fair, you'd give all the little ones a head start. The winner always got a shiny quarter or two. Also, you'd go to Van's Dairy and come home with a box of those 50/50 pops and pass those out to us kids...whether we were yours or not, we all got ice cream. Even when the ice cream man came down our street, whatever kid was lucky enough to be around would also get an ice cream. I remember one summer, I don't know how old I was, but we were all out in the backyard eating fruit from our trees, when Paul started acting weird. We didn't know what the heck was wrong with him until we realized that he was choking. You got up, went over to him and hit him on the back a couple of times. When that didn't work, you put your finger in his mouth and out came the apricot pit he had been choking on. That moment seemed to last forever, yet it all happened very quickly. You saved !
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Paul's life that day, yet you went on like nothing had happened. After that day, nothing was ever said about it again. I don't know if Paul even remember's it, but I do...I never forgot what a hero you were...
especially that day.
I remember when I was in 5th grade I got into those Nancy Drew books and wanted you to share in how great I thought they were. You didn't tell me you weren't interested or that they were "girl" books. Instead we both went and sat on the couch in the living room and there we'd read our books night after night. It was a great to look up every now and then from my book and see you reading yours and I'd ask you what page you were on. Whether you enjoyed it or not I don't have a clue, but back then, I thought you did.
In the winter, I remember how you were always checking on the heater and the pilot light. If the heater went out, you always relit the pilot light and turned the heater on, so that when we'd get up for school, the house would be nice and warm for us.
I remember the summer I was 13 when you and Mom got separated and how Paul and I wanted to live with you. Even though it was hard on you with all us kids, it was even harder still once it was just the 3 of us. You were living in a motel at the time, but the next day you found an apartment for the 3 of us to live in. You worked long and hard at the bar to support us and keep clothes, food and a roof over our heads. Then, when school started again and I wanted to continue at my old school, not once did you complain about the 1/2 hour drive it took to take me to and from school. I remember how one Father's Day, I gave you a card that said, "Any man can be a Dad, but it takes a real man to be a Father." When you read my card you started to cry. I had never seen you cry before and I thought something was wrong. It was then that I realized that you weren't crying because something was wrong, you were crying because those few little words meant so much to you.
The years went on and I grew up and started a family of my own. I remember how you used to call Merrick "bright eyes" when she was a baby and how once while you were babysitting and had to change her, you put the diaper on backwards with the tabs in the back!!! I then had Kameron and I remember how you'd always make both of them laugh with your funny faces and bird calls. Even though Sheridan is only 3, I know she loves you, Dad. When you were sick and in the nursing home or hospital, Sheridan could never leave you without giving her Grandpa a hug and a kiss goodbye. She'd cry if she didn't get to give you both.
When I was in grade school, I remember how you would always tell everybody how I'd be the one to get a scholarship and go to college. You'd put your arm around me and hug me close. I was always embarrassed whenever you did that, but I know that you were proud of me and wanted everybody to know that too. Well, things didn't change because when I got my nurse's license, there you were telling anybody and everybody who'd listen, that I was your daughter and that I was a nurse and had just got my license. I was still a little embarrassed, but deep down inside I loved it.
I love your sense of humor as well. You were always joking around or doing something silly or goofy. I have a few pictures of you making your silly cross-eyed faces. I'd tell you to be serious so that I could take another picture cause I thought you messed the first one up, but now I treasure those ones of you being silly. Even when you were sick Dad, you never lost your sense of humor. You'd joke around with the nurses a lot and whenever they asked you your name to see if you were alert and oriented, you'd tell them your name was Pancho Villa. Now, knowing you as I do, and seeing the twinkle in your eyes, I knew you were kidding. They, on the other hand, did not know it until you smiled, then they knew you were kidding or they looked at me and I had to tell them you were kidding and then tell you, "Dad, they're going to think you're looney tooney"! Then you'd tell them your real name. OH, Dad, how you loved to mess with them!!! Sometimes I'd have to tell them again !
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that you were kidding cause they still weren't too sure!
I miss you Dad. I miss seeing you every day and spending those hours with you. It's selfish on my part, I know, to wish you were here. I know that you're not in pain any more and that you can finally walk again...
without your limp. If I know you Dad, and I think I do, you're probably jumping up and giving your heels a good click or two!!! I know you are finally with your Mom and Dad like you wanted to be. And you're with your brother Paul and sisters Lulu and Rose once again. You are young, happy and healthy once again. Even though it hurts to be here without you, I know that one day I'll be with you once again. I'll make the trip out to see you on Father's Day, Dad. I'll still be there for you, Dad, just like I was always here for you. I won't fail you or forget you. I love you, Dad. Rest in peace.
Love, your daughter, Christine Rose Muraida
Rebecca Stabler, E-Mail: snertychic@aol.com, adds
Grandpa I didn't know you that much
but , I bet you were a loveing and careing man
love
youer grandaugher REBECCA
