LifeStory

Elidia Gonella Martos

By Maggie Martos

Can someone or all of the five adult children please copy and paste their contributions here from all that has already been written since Mom left us?

Elidia Gonella Martos
Memorial
  • born

    May 24, 1925

  • died

    Nov 14, 2016

Eduardo Maros
Eduardo

MOM

Mom passed yesterday. She was 91 years old.
My parents made a great team. My dad was the "nuts and bolts" of the operation... My mother was the spiritual leader... Do not think of her in the mold of Mother Teresa .... No , My mother was Italian in every sense of the word... think of her as you would of Raymond's mother in the hit TV show Everybody Loves Raymond...with a very strong faith in God.
If my father was a self educated Engineer... (Not exaggerating too much here) then my mom had a PHD in Home Economics!
The woman was a Chef...A miracle on itself since she did not have an oven until I was 6 years old! Up until that time she cooked all her meals on a kerosene stove my father made for her while in the Navy.... She cooked everything from scratch... Sauces, deserts ,Etc.... our "empanadas" back then were fried, and she used a pressure cooker for roasts, chicken, etc.!
Mom expressed her love for her family by spending countless hours in the kitchen.... That room was her space...and every meal was a gift. For our birthday her gift to us was always our favorite meal.

Mom was also a world class seamstress. She could sew a wedding dress ( My sisters), mend socks, could knit sweaters ( Many of them... Later in life she made them for her grand kids), could crochet a tablecloth or intricate garments! Mom never wasted any cloth... she could use a piece she liked to make curtains or reupholster her favorite chair or sofa... Patterns you ask? She made her own!

The woman knew how to budget! I do not recall a check ever bouncing (Until her later years when she forgot to sign them and I took over finances) She paid all the household bills, purchased all the household food and supplies and always put her family's needs ahead of her own...And, although I am sure there were some appliances and/or furniture she wanted to upgrade, She never made a major purchase without consulting my father... There were MANY times that he said no and she accepted it without an argument... and there were many times when my dad would give in... Once he knew what she wanted he made sure that she got it!

My mother was also an artist! .... she was not great at it but I remember a time when I was in second grade and my parents did not have the funds to buy me the class reading book... My mom found a used one that was missing many pages and she borrowed one from a fellow student and took the time to draw the missing pages and place them in the book... I remember sitting with her and coloring them.

Mom loved music. Argentine folklore was her favorite... and it took CCR's "Looking Out My Back Door" to win her over to "my" music... Classic Rock. She also had a BEAUTIFUL voice that you could hear take over the room, or the church choir.

When our family moved to this country, my dad came with two brothers ( Tio Coco, Tio Carlos) to live with s third brother (Antonio) who had moved here ten years prior. On the other hand,
my mother left all of her extended family behind.
This must have been a very hard transition yet I do not remember her crying or in any way being upset about the move. What she felt she kept to herself as I am sure she did not want to make the adjustment harder on her children. Her "extended" family became my dad's family... his brothers and her sisters in laws (Diani, Beatriz (Gringa), and Herminia). Also included in our "family" were the Mauro's (Juan Mauro, my dad's friend and partner and his wife Raquel) as well as the Piro family (Carlos Piro and his wife Nidia) The women in this group filled the void left behind by my mom's sisters ,Carmen and Marcela, as well as my dad's sister Luisa... all left behind in Córdoba, Argentina. My mother was the oldest if the group, by about 10 years, and she became the "defacto" matriarch. All Holidays were celebrated together, the families traveled and camped together, and all their children became close friends. When my dad chose to move to California ( We originally moved to Philadelphia, then New Jersey) all the families moved together except for my uncle Antonio's who would arrive 5 years later after taking a detour through Puerto Rico.

My mom was also a prayer warrior. She always turned her pains and disappointments over to God and she was always willing to pray for anyone who asked her to pray for them. She trusted in the will of god and taught me to pray from an early age. When I asked too many questions she would get flustered with me and tell me " Go talk to God... he will give you an answer that will be better than mine!"

My parents retired about thirty years ago. My dad was 60, My mom was 61.
From that day forward they where inseparable. They went shopping together, traveled together, and began to enjoy their 11 grand children. They lived in Big Bear for about 12 years and then moved to San Clemente. At age 74 my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's..His disease progressed slowly and my mother took care of him for the first six (6) years.. As the illness got worse and mom's knees gave out, we had to hire care givers for them...This was perhaps her biggest adjustment in her life. Her home was her castle and having to turn over the reigns proved very difficult... to further complicate the adjustment, at age 80 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. My mom did not have to think twice about treatments... she knew my dad needed her more than ever and she was determined not to let him down. She underwent radiation and fought the cancer off. When my dad passed nine years later she was at his side as they kissed one last time.

Mom suffered a lot the last 2 years of her life. She became wheelchair bound and required 24 hour medical assistance. At age 91 she had congestive heart failure and required constant oxygen supply... Dementia had begun to set in.. yet she was always happy to see her family, Her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren always gave her a sense of pride and Joy.

About ten (10) days before her death mom came to from one of her non responsive periods and startled my sister Nora by saying " El papi me vino ha visitar!" ( Your dad came to visit)... She never said much more after that.

Her last few days were surrounded by family. She died peacefully November 14, 2016 at 5:15 in the morning. I am sure dad is glad to have her home!


Sent from my iPhone



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Maggie Martosphoto submitted to me by Ed12 hours agoReplyAdd your replyAddMoreReplyMaggie MartosThese were taken and sent to me this morning by Rebecca Cockrum, my sister, at a party at Our house.212 hours agoReplyAdd your replyAddMoreReplyroxi_spinellimi último recuerdo con ella fue en casa de mi abuela Luisa ( la Nona para nosotros). allí estaban conversando ambas respecto de la comida que iban a preparar el fin de semana para la familia... El gran legado que tengo de esa parte de mis raíces es el amor a la familia, transmitido en entrega y dedicación en cada uno de los actos que resultaban en bellos momentos compartidos... Show Moreque quedarán en nuestros corazones.15 hours ago(1)ReplyAdd your replyAddMoreReplyMaggie MartosLife. Qs tab is above, not below, sorry! Top of page after Life Story.Dec 1, 2016ReplyAdd your replyAddMoreReplyMaggie MartosJust getting started on this memorial page. Please see the life Qs section below and help make this page a beautiful memorial for all to share.Dec 1, 2016ReplyAdd your replyAddMoreReply
fernandomartos1028
Lidia was born in Cordoba Argentina the second in a family of three sisters and two brothers born to parents whose families had emigrated from Northern Italy. As a young adult, Lidia worked in commerce and sang for the church choir. When Lidia was 20, she met the love of her life, Placido, whom she married five years later. They were blessed with five children. But life in Argentina was not easy; the economic situation was very difficult and there was not much opportunity to provide a good future for their family. In 1965, with their five children, two suitcases, and an abundance of courage, Lidia and Placido set off for the U.S. They settled in Philadelphia, joining Placido’s Brother Antonio who was already living there. From Philadelphia, they moved to New Jersey, then La Mirada, Big Bear, and finally San Clemente.

Lidia and Placido lived different stages of their lives with their doors always open. Family and friends surrounded them all of their lives. Lidia’s life was devoted to her home and to her family. Family camping trips, weekend gatherings, celebrations of birthdays, holidays, weddings, and many graduations were the center of a life well lived. Lidia was an amazing cook who expressed her love for her family and friends by spending countless hours in the kitchen. She loved to play: she enjoyed playing cards and dice with our family; bingo and bowling were also favorites. She sure loved to win! Almost as much as she enjoyed cooking, Lidia enjoyed sewing, knitting, and crocheting; many of us still have some of these treasures. We all know that Lidia loved nature. Mountains, woods, and rivers delighted her: they filled her heart and lifted her spirit. The years that she and Placido lived in Big Bear among the mountains and the pines were some of the happiest in her life. She delighted in flowers and good music and always, always, kept a beautiful garden.

In her later years, Lidia became a favorite at the assisted living where she lived. She laughed often and took pleasure in the little things: her favorite movies, her window garden, her visits to the beauty parlor once a week, and phone calls and visits from friends and family. She will be widely remembered for her smile. Lidia was strong, courageous, loyal, and very determined, qualities that were matched by a strong faith in God and a luminous spirit. She will be greatly missed by her five children, eleven grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, and extended family and friends spanning two continents.
Elidia Gonella Martos
Memorial
  • born

    May 24, 1925

  • died

    Nov 14, 2016