Eva Mae Garza

Eva Mae Garza returned to Heaven and into the arms of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ last week. She was born in Brownsville, Texas, on November 6, 1932, to Virginio Cantu Trevino and Eva Johnson Cook. She passed away in Brownsville, Texas, on December 10, 2015.
By the late 1700's, her father's family had made their way from Santander, Cantabria, Spain and Cantu, Lombardy, Italy to the newly-founded Viceroyalty of New Spain which is modern day South Texas and Tamaulipas. Meanwhile, her mother's family, hailing from Bristol, Somerset and Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England, arrived in the newly-organized American colonies of Virginia and Carolina. Having been born of a whirlwind confluence of two different worlds and cultures into the one place where they both came together, which was Texas, Eva Mae was proud of her ancestry.
Eva Mae was the youngest of seven children born to Virginio and Eva. Preceding her into God's glory were her husband of 49 years, Fidencio; her parents; sister Crisanta Torres; brother Virginio "Vick" Trevino Jr.; sister Herlinda "Linda" Montalvo; brother Richard Lee Trevino; brother Arnold Trevino and sister Delia Trevino.
Eva Mae began her education with the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament and at Sacred Heart Church in Brownsville, later continuing on to public junior and high school.
In high school, Eva Mae excelled in English, speech and drama and music. She was a proud member of the Brownsville High School Golden Eagle Band under the direction of JR Murphy. There she excelled in music and won acclaim in All Valley Band in the Rio Grande Valley; regional, district and statewide UIL competitions as well as Tri-State competition winning gold medals in Texas, Oklahoma and Illinois. Eva Mae was also a member of the National Honor Society for four years in high school. She was offered full music scholarships at numerous universities throughout the country.
Eva Mae remained in Brownsville with her mother and began her studies after graduation in 1949, at Texas Southmost College and finished graduating with highest honors from Texas A & I University in Kingsville with a BA in elementary education.
In 1945, Eva Mae met her future husband, Fidencio, at an All Valley band competition in Mercedes. There began their long courtship and they were married on December 26, 1952, in Brownsville.
Eva Mae worked her entire life from the age of 14, beginning as a salesgirl and diamond inventory clerk at Dorfman Jewelers; she modeled for Sally Dress Shoppe, Cynthia's Shoes and The Vogue in Brownsville. She was a successful elementary school teacher in Brownsville at JT Canales Elementary and in Houston at South Houston Elementary School until 1962. It was then she partnered with her husband, Fidencio, and helped him with his private law practice in Falfurrias until 1979, when they moved back to Brownsville. When Fidencio was appointed US Federal Magistrate in 1980, Eva Mae began yet a third career as an associate of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brownsville working directly under the Bishop and Chancellor. She managed the Seminarians who she affectionately referred to as "her boys", and they referred to her as their "mother". She enjoyed her work in all phases of her life and was productive until retirement in 2000. She remained a devout and practicing Christian her entire life.
Eva Mae was a loving wife to Fidencio for 49 years. Surviving her are her children Fidencio G. (Christopher Pierson) Garza III; Eva Cheryll (Victor) Guevara; Judena Marie Garza, and Vickie Gerard Garza; four grandchildren, Aaron Jesse (Mackenzie) Guevara; Attorney John Michael Guevara; Gabrielle Marie Guevara; and Anthony Thomas Guevara; four great-grandchildren, Devin, Cohen, Brayden and Easton Guevara as well as numerous loving nieces and nephews.
Arrangements are being handled by Darling-Mouser Funeral Home of Brownsville, Texas. Visitation will be from 1pm-9pm on Friday, December 18, 2015, at Darling-Mouser Funeral Home, with Recitation of the Holy Rosary at 7pm. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 1pm on Saturday, December 19, 2015, at St. Mary Mother of the Church Catholic Church in Brownsville. Interment will follow at Rose Lawn Memorial Gardens on Old Port Isabel Road.
Pallbearers: Dr. Antonio M. Diaz, Luis C. Ramirez, Craig H. Vittitoe, Victor R. Guevara, Richard O. Montalvo and Samuel Montalvo. Honorary pallbearers grandsons: Aaron Jesse Guevara, John Michael Guevara, Anthony Thomas Guevara, Charles Trevino, Albert Trevino, Joe Torres, David Torres and Christopher Bingham.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: St. Jude Children's
Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Pl. Memphis, TN 38105.

Visitation

DarlingMouser Funeral Home
945 Palm Blvd.
Brownsville, TX  78520
Friday, December 18, 2015
1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Service

Rosary

DarlingMouser Funeral Home
945 Palm Blvd.
Brownsville, TX  78520
Friday, December 18, 2015
7:00 p.m.

Funeral Mass

St. Mary Mother of the Church
1914 Barnard Road
Brownsville, TX  78520
Saturday, December 19, 2015
1:00 p.m.

Cemetery

Rose Lawn Memorial Gardens
4464 Old Port Isabel Rd.
Brownsville, TX  78526

Memorial Contributions

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Pl.
Memphis, TN  38105