[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 163 (Thursday, November 29, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2178]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   IN REMEMBRANCE OF CARMELITA ZAMORA

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JOE BACA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 29, 2001

  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in the memory of my beloved Aunt, 
Carmelita Zamora and in commemoration of the close of an important 
history.
  Hers was a quiet life, and yet she played the central role in the 
life of her family. Her story began in Punt de Agua, New Mexico, on 
June 23, 1916. Carmelita Zamora left a legacy of nine children, 24 
grandchildren and 34 great-grandchildren when she died on November 26, 
2001. A loving and joyful memory survives her.
  They say a person is measured by the lives she touches. Through the 
grace of God, Carmelita touched the hearts and lives of many. She 
touched the lives of her loving children Jake, Abram, Philip, Eugene, 
Lawrence, Wilferd, Edwina, Alice and Maryanne Peggy. She touched the 
lives of 24 grandchildren Diana, Mary, Mario, Laura, Donna, Carol, JD, 
JJ, Mark, Sophia, Dominic, Adonis, Valerie, Ricky, Jennifer, Anthony, 
Christopher, Jessica, Candace, Angel, Eloisa, Penny, Ermogenes, Lisa 
Marie and of 34 great-grandchildren.
  Carmelita touched their lives in her very special way. Born the 
oldest of five siblings, Carmelita had two brothers and two sisters. 
When she was not yet a teenager, Carmelita developed the instincts of 
protector, caregiver and mother. Her own mother became ill, so 
Carmelita was forced to discontinue her elementary school education to 
care for her young siblings.
  Carmelita began a new chapter in her life on March 11, 1935, at 20 
years old, when she met and married Ernesto Zamora. In 1951, Carmelita 
and Ernesto would move the family to Wyoming before moving back to the 
Southwest. In July of 1957, Carmelita and her family arrived in 
Barstow, California where she would live for the remainder of her life. 
Those remaining years would be spent filling the pages with memories.
  Carmelita was talented and creative. Her children proudly remember 
her ability to sew clothes and never use patterns. They swear that had 
she been born at another time and under easier conditions she would 
have been a famous fashion designer. Many memories stem from this 
talent of hers. Carmelita's son Abram fondly remembers a pair of new 
overalls she made him for school. They were so fine that when Abram 
arrived at school, all the other children begged for a pair of their 
own. Her granddaughter Penny treasures memories of spending time with 
her grandmother, talking while they washed clothes or while Carmelita 
sewed blankets. Carmelita even spoke of life lessons in terms of 
clothing. ``It doesn't make any difference if you are poor,'' they 
remember her saying. ``It doesn't matter if your clothes have patches 
as long as your shoes were shined and your clothes clean. That's all 
that matters.''
  Her son Gene fondly recalls receiving such advice from his mother 
every Monday night during their weekly conversation. Those calls got 
him through his week. Whether they discussed her love for the sport of 
wrestling or she was providing advice for his day-to-day trials. She 
was the source of his strength all his life.
  All Carmelita's legacies remember her as a very strong woman. Her 
daughter Edwina said, ``She was there for me when my husband passed 
away at a very young age leaving me here with four young children. I 
couldn't have made it through without her love and strength.''
  She was there for all of her children in times of need. Forever a 
mother, she was responsible for getting many of them through very 
difficult times. She was a mentor and an unyielding resource. She never 
asked for anything but always wanted to give. She generously offered 
her advice and left it up to her children whether or not to take it.
  Her grandchildren remember her not only as a source of strength but 
also a source of nourishment. Nourishment of the heart as well as the 
body. Granddaughter Lisa cherishes the time she spent with Carmelita 
watching soap operas or wrestling while eating cookies and drinking 
sodas. Eloisa similarly remembers her grandmother always wanting to 
feed them even if they were not hungry. ``She liked to feed everyone.''
  This was because, as granddaughter Angel remembers, Grandma was the 
backbone of the family, she guided everything. She was a firm believer 
in God and always prayed to God to help the family in times of need. 
She also prayed to God for his blessings and in thanks for times of 
happiness.
  Aunt Carmelita is irreplaceable and we will not live one day without 
remembering this kind and gentle woman. This tribute to her life, to 
her legacy and to her story will allow her memory to survive all of us.
  And so Mr. Speaker, I submit this loving memorial to be included in 
the archives of the history of this great nation. For women like 
Carmelita are what make this nation great. Women like Carmelita leave a 
legacy of lives filled with love to all who knew her. She is the fabric 
from which our nation was created.

                          ____________________