Muristek
Maria “Esther” Franquiz was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, to Eugenio Cruz and Alfonsa Rosa, in 1926, the youngest of 7 siblings. She grew up during the years of the Great Depression, and carried the ethic of “waste not” throughout her life. With financial assistance from her older siblings, she was the only one in her family afforded the opportunity to graduate from Bayamon High School, an achievement for which she remained ever grateful, and proud. In 1945 she married a young U.S. Army soldier, Herminio Franquiz Sr, who had courted her for two years. Over the next 8 years she gave birth to 4 children, all the while accommodating to the demands of a military wife. Throughout her life Esther held a fervent religious faith, embedded in Roman Catholicism, rarely missing Sunday Mass, or a Saint Anthony’s Ladies Auxiliary meeting. These three relationships guided her life – family, church, military – in that order.Esther often put her own needs aside to meet the broader needs of the family, or of a specific family member. She was committed to her children’s education, was very caring and attentive to their needs and interests, was unwavering in her support of her husband, was an excellent cook, maintained an impeccably clean home, enjoyed gardening, loved reading novels and traveling. Esther was the heart and soul of our nuclear family. Her extended family also knew her as kind and generous, as did her neighbors, since she was always stepping up to help someone in need.With the church, Esther was generous, both with her time and money, and this resulted in enduring friendships. Her sisterhood of church friends provided many social opportunities, and support, particularly during her years as a widow. Whenever possible, Esther enrolled her children in Catholic schools prizing their basic foundational values. When she was not in agreement with church doctrine, she would shift focus and emphasize those doctrines with which she agreed. Her underlying faith was firm and resolute.Esther fully embraced the responsibilities of a military spouse. She found travel expansive and exciting. She grew to admire military order, which provided her a feeling of security. She was proud of helping her husband succeed and advance through the ranks in the Army. She adjusted well to the various displacements caused by each new assignment over a 30-year span. In choosing a site to retire, proximity to a military base was essential, and so they chose Lompoc and Vandenberg Air Force Base in 1974. She would always smile, and feel comfortable, as she passed the gate to enter the post.In Lompoc, this final stop in an otherwise peripatetic life, Esther again found enduring friendships, a strong sense of community, the La Purisima Catholic church, a nearby military base, and chose to remain here for the last 48 years. She died in her home on July 21, 2022. As she departs from this life, the memories of that life will continue to nourish those of us who loved her.Esther is predeceased by her husband Herminio Franquiz Sr, her daughter Nereida Franquiz-Talley, her grandson Tyler Rex Pedersen, and her six siblings.Esther is survived by her daughters Maria E. Franquiz, and Lily Pedersen-Franquiz; by her son Herminio Franquiz Jr; by her sister-in-law Maria “Melly” Franquiz; by her grandchildren Ben Ryken, Joey Ryken, Luke Pedersen, Elisha Talley, Jason Harris-Talley, Carlos Franquiz, Miguel Franquiz, Antonio Franquiz; and by her great-grandchildren Atreyue Ryken, Dakota Ryken, Max Ryken, Zuvuya Franquiz, Luda Tallen, Nancy Ryken, Noah Lakehal, Cora Harris-Talley and Malcolm Harris-Talley.Funeral management is by Starbuck-Lind Mortuary. The visitation will be from 5-7pm at the funeral home chapel on Sunday July 31. The mass of Christian burial will be at La Purisima Catholic Church on Monday, August 1, at 10am followed by burial in the Lompoc Cemetery. Flowers may be directed to the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the La Purisima Catholic church or school.
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