Obituaries
Obituaries
Published: August 22, 2008
Emerita Real
Emerita Real passed away August 15, 2008 at Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, CA. She was born May 28, 1930 at United Verde Hospital in Jerome, Arizona. It was written up as the most modern and well-equipped hospital in Arizona at the time.
She was born to Juan Lopez, a copper miner who worked the copper mines in Jerome, and his wife Juana. At the death of her mother when she was 5 years old, she, her sister, and four brothers were separated and sent to live with different family members.
She lived with several families for several years, ending up in Piru at age 15 to live with her great aunt and uncle, Marcos and Andres Benavides. There she met Billie Real. They wed December 14, 1947 at San Salvador Catholic Church, “the Rock Church.” They had eight children, 25 grandchildren, and 17 great-grandchildren, with three more on the way.
She worked many years for Fillmore-Piru Citrus as an orange packer, having to retire following a stroke. She was also a member of St. Francis of Assisi Church for many years. She was one of three of Father Norm’s golden girls that included Rosa Morales and Fermina Padilla.
She loved to cook for many family gatherings. She was well known for her fried chicken, salsa, chicken empanadas, bunuelos, and deer meat burritos.
She was preceded in death by her parents, sister, three brothers, husband Billie, son Bill “Nuno”, daughter Lucy “Bug” and granddaughter Karen Real.
She is survived by her daughters Jennie Real, Rosie (Johnny) Hurtado, and Becky Real; sons, George “Humpty” (Barbara) Real, Paul “Kedso” (Rene) Real and Tommy (Josie) Real; several grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren, with three more on the way.
Rosary will be recited at 10 a.m. with Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, August 22 at San Salvador Mission Church, 4045 E. Center St., Piru.
Emerita was entrusted to the care of Garcia Mortuary, Robert Garcia Jr. Funeral Director, 629 S. “A” St., Oxnard. For further information, please call (805) 208-6843.
Yvonne Bottan
Yvonne Bottan passed away on August 14, 2008 in Grass Valley, California, where she moved to be with her daughters in 2004. She was born in Normandy France on April 19, 1919.
Yvonne, her husband Jacques, her son Daniel and her daughter Regine came to America in November 1963 and settled in Santa Paula.
She is survived by her two daughters, Huguette Johnson and Regine McDowell; her two grandchildren, Michelle Castro and Daniel Estes; and seven great-grandchildren and two great great-grandchildren.
Yvonne always considered Santa Paula her home. She will be buried next her beloved husband Jacques at Santa Paula Cemetery. A private graveside ceremony will be held at Santa Paula Cemetery on Thursday August 21.
Josephine W. Curran
Josephine W. Curran, 90, a long time resident of Santa Paula, died suddenly of natural causes on Saturday, August 16, 2008.
Our Mom was born September 22, 1917 in San Francisco and raised in Northern California. She graduated from high school in Trinity County at the age of 16 and followed her parent’s footsteps to UC Berkeley, graduating in 1939 with a major in biochemistry.
While at UC Berkeley, she met her future husband Edward J. Curran Jr. on a blind date. They married May 30,1941, moved to Santa Paula in 1946, and raised seven children. They had been married 60 years when he passed away in 2001.
She was actively involved in the lives of her children and was a role model to them, teaching the importance of volunteer work. She served in a variety of roles, including Cub Scout den mother, 4-H leader, and PTA leader. She taught all seven of her children to cook and all the girls to sew. Many young children have been recipients of her famous “dollies” that she made and donated to Santa Paula Hospital newborns in the 70s and 80s, and to the Rotary Christmas baskets in recent years. At last count, she had made over 4,000 dolls.
Mom was a past president and charter member of YLI (Young Ladies’ Institute), having joined in 1949. She was a member of St. Sebastian Catholic Church, and took an active part in establishing St. Sebastian School in 1952.
In the early 1950s she established a small medical laboratory in a doctor’s office in Santa Paula and worked there as a lab technician. When Santa Paula Memorial Hospital was being planned, she helped design the laboratory and worked there as needed. She also worked part-time as a bacteriologist at Fruit Grower’s Laboratory in Santa Paula for more than 20 years.
She remained active throughout her life and, at her request, celebrated her 89th birthday by going on a hot air balloon ride over the Santa Clara Valley. She was treated to a surprise party for her 90th birthday last year.
She was preceded in death by her husband Edward Jr. in 2001, son and daughter-in-law, Edward III and Karen Curran in 1975, and great granddaughter Katherine Rae Cooper in 2004. She is survived by her sister Elsie Williams of Ventura, CA; brother Frank Williams of Pleasanton, CA; children Margaret (Charlie) Booker of Ventura, Barbara (Gilbert) Lovio of Santa Paula, JoAnne (Robert) Turnbull of Diamond Bar, Bill (Amy) Curran of Long Beach, Cathy (Dr. Robert) Beilin of Ventura, and George (Mary) Curran of Hampton, Virginia; 19 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, one niece and one nephew.
Rosary will be recited at 10 a.m. Saturday August 23, and a funeral mass will follow at 10:30 a.m. at St. Sebastian Church in Santa Paula, with Monsignor Ed Renehan officiating. Msgr. Renehan has been the “family Chaplain” since the mid 1970s. Interment will be at Santa Paula Cemetery.
In her own words, Mom’s philosophy was, “In life, you will succeed if you always go more than halfway - do more than is expected of you, more than you are obliged to do, more than “your share”.
“If you go more than halfway, and the other person doesn’t, then you have scored points. And if you both go more than halfway, the overlap is the frosting on the cake: it’s love, it’s friendship, it’s respect, it’s happiness, it’s peace.”
“If everyone went more than halfway wouldn’t this world be a beautiful place?”
Mom was known as a caring and gracious lady who cared deeply for her family and her Catholic faith. There was no person whom Mom did not like. She always saw the good in everyone.
The family would like to thank Dr. Richard Tushla, who took good care of her medical needs, and the wonderful caregivers who were so helpful in her last years.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Sebastian School at 325 E. Santa Barbara St. in Santa Paula.
And, every time you said goodbye to one of us, you said, “God bless you”. So, God bless you, Mom.
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