The Rosary for Manuel González, 63, of Portales will be recited at 9:00 AM, Tues., Feb. 5, 2019 at St. Helen Catholic Church, followed by the Mass of the Resurrection at 10:00 AM with Fr. John Brasher as Celebrant. Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with Manuel Ornelas, Jr, Leroy Ornelas, John Pérez, Jr., Fernando Pérez, Juan González, Casey González, Timothy Gonzáles and Mike Montoya serving as pallbearers. Mateo López and Eziah González, Evonne Ferguson, his grandchildren, the Portales Public Schools Custodians and the Staff of L. L. Brown Elementary School will serve as honorary pallbearers.
Manuel Muñiz González was born April 2, 1955 in La Regina Julimes, Mexico to the home of Luz (Muñiz Hernández) and Casimiro González Hernández and died at his home in Portales, NM on the afternoon of Feb. 2, 2019. Manuel came to Clovis in 1970. For several years he worked as a farm and ranch hand. Later he went to work at Worley Mills in Clovis. In 1979, Manuel took a job at Excel Meat Packing Plant in Friona, TX. In 1992, he began working at Roosevelt General Hospital as a custodian, and then in 1999, he became the school custodian at L. L. Brown Elementary School. He had been retired since 2017 due to his health.
On Nov. 28, 1976 in Farwell, TX, he was married to Hilda Ornelas. Manuel always enjoyed being outdoors, and especially liked working with horses. He had even done some riding as a jockey. Manuel enjoyed traveling with his family, as well as gardening and planting trees. Family camping and fishing trips in the mountains were special for him, and in later years, he loved spending time with his grandchildren. He always enjoyed star gazing and bird watching. He was a member of St. Helen Catholic Church.
He is survived by Hilda, his wife of more than 42 years; a son, Manuel “Chachi” González, Jr. of Portales; two daughters and sons-in-law, Laura and Eziah González of Las Vegas, NV and Bianca and Mateo López of Artesia, NM; four grandchildren, Nicole and Eziah González, Jr and AnaSofia and Alekzander López; a brother, Casimiro (Lydia) González, Jr. of Clovis, NM; and two sisters, Antonia (John) Pérez of Clovis, NM and Elia González of Portales, NM. He was preceded in death by his parents as well as by a brother, Lauro González.
