Esperanza (Ornelas) Lopez April 21, 1939 ~ August 26, 2020 (age 81)

Obituary

The Mass of the Resurrection for Esperanza Lopez, 81, of Portales will be celebrated at 10:00 AM, Monday, August 31,2020 at St. Helen Catholic Church with Deacon Daniel Chavez officiating.  Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with Joel Gomez, Israel Gomez, Justina Gomez, Cornelio Gomez, Fernando Gomez and Miguel Gomez, Jr. serving as pallbearers.  All of her grandchildren, great grand-children and great-great-grandchildren will serve as honorary pallbearers.

Esparanza Lopez was born April 21, 1939 in San Antonio Del Bravo Chihuahua, Mexico to the home of Crispina (Martinez) and Gonzalo Ornelas, and died August 26, 2020 in Portales.  She grew up in Mexico and married Antonio Lopez on January 6, 1955, in San Antonio Del Bravo Mexico, he passed away on March 9, 2008. They moved to Colorado in1970, and then to Portales in 1972.

Mrs. Lopez made tamales and became known as “The Tamale Lady”.  She did seasonal work in the fields and was an active member of St. Helen Catholic Church.

She is survived by three sons, Nicolas Lopez of Mexico, Antonio Lopez and wife Rosa of Portales and Eddy Lopez of Mexico; six daughters, Viviana Gomez and husband Miguel of Portales, Maria Lopez of Portales, Virginia Rodriguez and husband Manuel of Portales, Dora Sweat and husband Mike of Portales, Aurora Lopez and husband Juan of Hugoton, KS and Carol Calderon and husband Robert of Portales; 40 grandchildren, numerous great-grandchildren and numerous great-great-grandchildren; four brothers, Tito Ornelas of Midland, TX, Jesus Ornelas of Portales, Gonzalo Ornelas of Midland, TX and Domingo Ornelas of Midland, TX, and three sisters, Lucia Carrasco of Portales, Elena Martinez of Thornton, CO and Juana Sanchez of Ft. Worth, TX.

She was preceded in death by her husband Antonio, her parents, three brothers, Felipe, Ramon and Mariano; four sisters, Socorro Ramirez, Josefa Sanchez, Remedios Herrera and Herminia Pallarez; and two infant sons.