Maria Catalina Celaya, 93, of Hereford, Texas passed away on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, in Amarillo. A Mass of Christian Burial will be on Friday, August 4, 2023, at 1:00 P.M. at San Jose Catholic Church with Celebrant Ramon Molina.  Burial will follow at West Park Cemetery under the direction of Mendez and Mullins Family Funeral Home. Viewing will be on Thursday, August 3, 2023, from 12:00 – 8:00 P.M. at the funeral home, with a rosary beginning at 6:30 P.M.

Maria was born on February 13, 1930, in Crown, Texas, to Vicente and Rafaela (Munoz) Rodriguez. She married Jesus Celaya on December 23, 1947, has been a resident of Hereford since 1953, and was a member of San Jose Catholic Church. Maria loved planting flowers, shopping, dancing, cooking and canning food. She was very well known for her cooking, especially her refried beans, enchiladas, tamales, and tortillas. Everyone loved her food. Maria was a very strong woman, who never complained about being in pain or sick.  She was a wonderful wife, mother, and grandmother and the strongest person they knew.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Vicente and Rafaela Rodriguez; son, Jessie Celaya Jr.; daughters, Nickie Garcia and Ida Lee Valdez; great grandchildren, Daniel Marcus Balderaz and Joseph Carlos Celaya; and siblings, Isabel Aguirre, Manuela Reyes, Gregorio Rodriguez, Jesusita "Judy" Ybarra, and Guadalupe Carrasco.

Those left to carry on her legacy are her children, Katie Nunez and husband Jorge, Angie Balderaz and husband Danny, and Minnie Rivera all of Hereford, Texas; twenty-one grandchildren, forty-eight great- grandchildren, and lots of great-great grandchildren; siblings, Rafaela Martinez of Poteet, Texas, Nicolasa Carrasco of Poteet, Texas, Eva Gonzalez of Poteet, Texas and Vicenta "Bessie" Romo of Charlotte, Texas.

You may sign the online guestbook at www.mendezandmullins.com