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Obituary for Modesta Lopez
Modesta Lopez was born on February 24, 1919 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and at the age of 101 she entered eternal rest in Arvada, Colorado on August 2, 2020.
The story began when Leonardo Martinez and Ramona Martinez (maiden name Estrada) migrated, by foot, from Leon Guanajuato, Mexico to Lawrence, Kansas during the Great Migration in hopes of a better life. Ramona gave birth to Modesta Martinez on her way to Kansas, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on February 24, 1919. Grandma Modesta was raised on a farm in Lawrence, Kansas. Her mother worked in agricultural farms, and her father worked on the rail road.
During her childhood she often went with her mother to pick in the potato fields and if she was not in the fields she was looking after her siblings. Grandma talked about great grandma Ramona gathering bushels of dried corn to grind up to make fresh tortillas for their family. She described her bedroom as one room that everyone shared, and the bathroom was outside the house. When they lived on the farm they had chickens, and at one time they even had a goat, there was no television no phones. She remembered that she would wash their clothes by hand, and auntie Bessie would iron the clothes.
When Modesta was nine years old her father passed away from pneumonia and within that same year her infant sister Conception also died. Grandma Modesta helped her mother and siblings pack as they moved to Colorado. When they first arrived in Colorado she remembered working on the farms picking beets, potatoes, tomatoes, pickles, peas and onions. She said she would work long hours from early to late, because no one would give her brother Dee a job. She said she worked “real cheap”. Great Grandma Ramona was able to find a job in Denver cleaning houses. Great Grandma Ramona sent grandma Modesta and her siblings to Gilpin Elementary. Grandma Modesta was only able to attend school up until the seventh grade. She left school to work with her mother cleaning houses, so she could financially help support her family.
When asked about her youth grandma said there was “no time to play, work work all the time” she would say “I used to work like a man, had to get up early, I went through a lot”. Many years later, she met our Grandfather Maxmilian Lopez. They met in Denver, but Grandpa was originally from Mexico but had moved to Elgin, Illinois. They married on December 17, 1938, at Sacred Heart Church downstairs in the chapel in Denver, Colorado. She said that Jessie Santoya and his wife attended their small wedding. Soon thereafter Grandpa Max took Grandma Modesta to Chicago, Illinois where she gave birth to their first son Augustine Lopez. Later they moved to Kansas where Grandpa Max was employed at (AT&SF) Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe Railway. She once told me that Grandpa Max liked to dance.
As a family they moved to Denver, Colorado and with the help of Great Grandma Ramona, they purchased the lot where Grandpa Max built their home at 3101 Lawrence Street Denver, Colorado. In this home they had five additional children which they raised in the east-side of Denver. Grandpa Max later passed away on November 17, 1974. On September 13, 1987, Great Grandma Ramona passed away.
Her children gave her grandchildren, and her grandchildren gave her great-grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren gave her great-great grandchildren. Her family was her pride and joy and having them surround her when she passed was an amazing tribute to her dedication and love that she shared with everyone.
Modesta is survived by her children: Augustine Sr. (Orlinda ) Dolly, Gloria (Bill Armijo ), Lucy (Burnie ), Mary (Victor Gutierrez), Jerry (Loretta ), Marcus (Julia), and Maria Pina-Lopez (Ismael). Survived by her Grandchildren: Augustine Jr. (Lorraine), Melissa, Max, Jerry (Janet), Victoria (Joseph), William (Tanya), Christina (Dar), Andre , Jessica, Marcus (Anissa), Antonia, and Anabel (Julie). Survived by her Great-Grandchildren: Augustine: Anthony, Augustine III, Michael, Joshua, Katie, Lilly Melissa: Charles (Ashley), Max, Joseph, Debner, Loretta Max: Destiny, Max, Mikayla, Maelina, Aubriella Jerry: Ernestine, Mercedez, Lexis, Jerry, Aaliyah, Heaven, Matthew and Jenesis Victoria: Aurelia, Estrella, Graciella, Ignacio William: William Jr., Jacob, Dominic, Lorenzo, Dazlynn Andre : Anyiek, Victoria , JaDonna, Aasia, Andre Christina: Faith, Joseph Marcus: Marcus, Edward Survived by her Great-Great Grandchildren Charles: Sofia Debner: Leonidas Lexis: Levah
She is preceded in death by her parents Ramona and Leonardo Martinez. Her husband Maxmilian Lopez. Her siblings: Delores, Bessie, Phyllis, Mary and Conception and her grandson Andre Lopez-Baker, great-grand-daughter Victoria, daughter-in-laws: Orlinda and Loretta, and son-in-laws William (Bill) Armijo and Burnie Baker. .
