George - Age 86 - Velarde Montoya

GEORGE MONTOYA, SR., 86, a resident of Velarde, went to the Lord peacefully on Wednesday, April 18, 2012. He was preceded in death by his son, George D. Montoya, Jr.; parents, Eleazar and Manuelita Montoya; brothers and sisters, Adelina Romero and husband Adonias, Amadeo Montoya and wife Urselia, Joaquin Montoya, Johnny Montoya, Alice Lucero, Ernina Romero and husband Pat; father and mother-in-law, Damian and Senaida Lujan; brothers and sisters-in-law, Ermalinda and Adolfo Gasca, Bernie and Jose Antonio Sanchez, Isabel and Nick Cordova, Damian Lujan and Lee Martinez. George always remembered working very hard when he was young on his parent’s farm planting chili and corn. Later on, he started working in construction; as a laborer and later learned the art of cement finishing. He retired from the Los Alamos National Laboratory, as a materials handler. George met the love of his life and married her on June 18, 1949. The beautiful lady was Clara Lujan, out of their love they had six children, Deacon Manny Montoya and wife Maxine, Michael S. Montoya and wife Connie, Eli R. Montoya and wife Debbie, George Montoya, Jr. and wife Eileen, Sadie Martinez, and Cathy Mares and husband Sam; only sister, Rosely Valdez and husband Joe; brother-in-law, Arnold Lucero; sisters-in-law, Lupe Martinez, Mary Lujan, Carmen Martsh and husband John, Ramona Salazar and Corrine Salazar and husband Joe; grandchildren, Michele, Carlos and wife Meredith, Marlena and husband John, David, Melissa, Mario and fiancé, Michelle, Danny, Monica and husband David, Donnie, Andrea, Phillip, Bobby, Bryan, Rachel, and David; great-grandchildren, Joshua, Santiago, Camille, Liliana and one on the way. Public visitation will begin on Sunday, April 22, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. at the Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Catholic Church in Velarde with a rosary to be recited at 7:00 p.m. Mass of Christian burial to be celebrated on Monday, April 23, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. also at the Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Catholic Church in Velarde. Burial to follow at Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Catholic Cemetery in Velarde with the following grandchildren serving as pallbearers, Carlos Montoya, Melissa Montoya, Mario Montoya, Phillip Martinez, David Montoya, Andrea Mares, Bryan Martinez and Joshua Trujillo; great-grandchildren, Santiago, Camille, and Liliana. Honorary pallbearers will be his God-children, Juan Lucero, Agnes Vigil, Phillip Valdez, Joey and Sara Salazar; a nephew who would always visit him, Fito Gasca; a close friend who helped him when he was sick, Willie Sandoval; little neighbors who called him grandpa, Lorenzo and Marcos Gasca, and all the members of the Velarde Fire Department. The family of George Montoya, Sr. has entrusted their loved one to DeVargas Funeral Home & Crematory of the Española Valley.

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