Esperanza Flores

Mrs. Esperanza Flores Esperanza Flores, 100, passed away on Wednesday, December 19, 2012 in Laredo, Texas. Esperanza was born in Laredo, Texas in 1912 and raised in Encinal. As a small child, she took the train to Laredo each Sunday to spend the week attending elementary school classes in the city, returning to Encinal on Fridays. Years later, she graduated from Laredo High School, received a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from Texas A&I University in Kingsville, Texas, and pursued a master’s degree in Spanish literature, also at Texas A&I. She began her teaching career as an educational circuit rider, traveling on horseback from ranch to ranch to teach children who were too isolated to attend a school. In 1940, she married Webb County deputy sheriff Porfirio Lauro Flores, with whom she spent her life. They were blessed with four daughters, Rosario, Gloria, Marilu, and Silvia. As their children grew, Mrs. Flores taught in Laredo at Katherine Tarver Elementary School and Heights Elementary School where she became vice-principal. After retiring, she found that she could not keep from teaching, and began to participate in federal bilingual education programs. In addition to her teaching, she became active in the Laredo Civic Music Association, the Girl Scouts of America, the Texas State Teachers Association and other social and civic organizations. Twice, she hosted conventions of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy graduates’ association, of which her husband, who was by then Webb County Sheriff, was president. She helped to organize receptions for Democratic Party candidates - including John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Baines Johnson, John Connally and Dolph Briscoe - when they came to Laredo. She loved the fine arts, and frequently traveled to attend the opera and musicals, as well as vacationing in Brazil and Europe. Mrs. Flores is preceded in death by her husband, Porfirio Lauro Flores; sisters, Adelfa Flores and Josefina Flores Danini; mother, Gertrudis Zardenetta Flores and her father, Jose Maria Flores. She is survived by her daughters, Rosario (Julio+) Garcia, Gloria (William J.) Dickinson, Marilu (William) Gruben, and Silvia (Jeffrey) Jones; grandchildren, Julio (Sonya) Garcia, Leticia Garcia, William J. (Mary) Dickinson Jr., Karen (Chris) Hunter, Jennifer (Patrick) Whitfill, Alexa (Kris) Kuehn, Adrienne (Dave) Goldstein, Anna (Charles) Olivier, Alan Jones, Cecilia (Mark) Proeger; 13 great grandchildren and numerous relatives and friends. A visitation will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, December 22, 2012 in the Hillside Funeral Home Chapel. A funeral service will follow from Hillside Funeral Home to Christ the King Catholic Church. Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at the family plot of the Calvary Catholic Cemetery. Pallbearers will include: Alan Jones, Julio Garcia, William J. Dickinson, Kris Kuehn, Patrick Whitfill, Chris Hunter and Brian Hunter. The family wishes to express its gratitude to Maria and Manuel Rodriguez for serving as caregivers to Mrs. Flores for the past eight years. If you would like to sign the guestbook or send private condolences, you may do so at www.hillsidefuneral.com Arrangements are under the direction of Hillside Funeral Home, 310 Hillside Road.