[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 47 (Friday, March 15, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E253]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                     HONORING MARY ESTHER RODRIGUEZ

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOAQUIN CASTRO

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 15, 2024

  Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize the 
life and legacy of Mary Esther Rodriguez, who passed away on Sunday, 
March 10, 2024 in the town of Losoya, Texas.
  Mary Esther Rodriguez was born October 4, 1944 in San Antonio, Texas. 
The oldest of ten children, she was a devoted wife, mother and 
community servant who enjoyed volunteering her time to help those in 
need.
  As a young woman right out of high school she began working as a 
nurse's aide at the San Antonio State Hospital and later focused her 
energy as a Home Health Aide for the sick and elderly.
  A woman of deep faith she began teaching religious education at 19 
years of age and eventually became the Director of Religious Education 
at El Carmen Catholic Church in Losoya. She was moved to instill and 
strengthen the role of faith in the lives of children in the same 
manner that faith guided her life.
  An active member of The Ladies of Charity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel 
Church, she lived by their motto ``to serve rather than be served, in 
humility, simplicity and charity.'' As a member she visited 
parishioners in nursing homes and the homebound, offering assistance to 
the poor in the community. She helped run their community service 
programs including the thrift store and wellness center.
  She leaves behind her husband, Ramon Rodriguez, a veteran of the U.S. 
Air Force, whom she shared a life of love, joy and many blessings over 
more than 57 years. She will be remembered by her daughters Rosalinda 
and Elizabeth, her sons-in-law Henry Macias and Estuardo Rodriguez and 
her most treasured grandchildren, Maria Isabella, Valencia Lael, 
Nicolas, Fidel, Abram, and Emilio. She will forever remain the heart of 
the Rodriguez family and serve as an unyielding call to charity and 
service for those she leaves behind.

                          ____________________