Celeste Ileana Hernandez Martinez

CELESTE HERNANDEZ-MARTINEZ (1977-2017) RIO GRANDE CITY/LAREDO – Celeste Ileana Hernandez-Martinez, 39, went to be with our Lord on January, 1, 2017, at McAllen Medical Center, succumbing to a hard-fought and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer that she waged with the utmost grace every step of the way. Celeste was the oldest of three children, born to Jose Luis and Judy Olivarez Hernandez on March 13, 1977, in McAllen, TX. She grew up in her parents’ hometown of Rio Grande City, TX, until she was 6 years old, when she moved with her family to Laredo, TX. Celeste graduated from the Laredo United High School Fighting Longhorn Class of 1995, staying active with her classmates through the years in reunion activities. Many of the friends Celeste made while growing up in the United Longhorn community were like brothers and sisters to her until the very end. Shortly after high school, Celeste met her husband, Raul Martinez Jr., with whom she ultimately shared three daughters, Alyssa Danielle Martinez, 16, and twins Allison Estelle Martinez and Victoria Grace Martinez, 9. Celeste returned with Raul and her girls to Rio Grande City in 2007. A selfless and natural-born leader and caretaker who loved deeply and unconditionally, Celeste had the golden heart of a mama lion. She was known for her strength and fortitude. She fiercely protected her younger brother and sister from the time she was a little girl to the point that they regarded her as a second mother. In fact, with all those in her life, she went out of her way to make sure they felt loved. The consummate and most generous hostess, Celeste’s home was always open to family and friends – filled with her robust laughter, sharp sense of humor and scrumptious home-cooked feasts. A dedicated mother, daughter, granddaughter, niece, aunt, and passionate champion for her daughters, Celeste was known to stay up until the wee hours of the night to bake goodies for her girls’ fundraisers, help them with their school projects and prepare care packages and baskets for them on holidays such as Easter and Valentine’s Day. There was rarely a day that she didn’t have three hearty, home-cooked meals on the kitchen table for her girls. She was also Alyssa’s biggest fan in the stands during her dance performances at Rattler football games. Even more, Celeste would make it a point to attend every concert and school assembly she could for her nieces and nephews, and not a day would go by that she did not call her parents to check up on them. A loyal friend, Celeste nurtured countless friendships from childhood, both in Rio Grande City and Laredo. She truly never forgot her roots. She will be remembered as the feisty baby with gorgeous curls who would run around her grandparents’ neighborhood from one house to the next as a little girl, wearing her Tia Diana’s high heels and singing “De Colores” at the top of her lungs. From the start, her grand spirit shined bright. Today, her loved ones take comfort in knowing that grand spirit will continue to shine like a beacon as she lives on as their guardian angel. Celeste was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, Oscar and Estella Salas Olivarez, of Rio Grande City, TX. In addition to her parents, husband and daughters, she is survived by a sister and brother, Marissa Celina Hernandez (Sergio Lara) and her three children, Max, Clarissa and Brandon Lara; and Jose Luis “Joey” Hernandez Jr. (Ingrid Romo) and his soon-to-be-born daughter, Sophia Celeste Hernandez. Also left to cherish Celeste’s memory are paternal grandparents Ventura and Delia Guerra Hernandez of Rio Grande City, TX, who helped raise her as their own from the day she was born and whom Celeste lovingly called “Apa” and “Ama.” The oldest grandchild in both the Hernandez and Olivarez families, Celeste was adored by her paternal uncle and aunt Noel (Dora) Hernandez and Diana Hernandez (Erasmo) Canales, and maternal aunts and uncle Sandra Olivarez, Norma O. (Rudy) Burchardt, Lisa Olivarez and Oscar Daniel Olivarez. Paternal cousins Mario Canales, Erasmo “EJ” Canales Jr., Noel Ventura “Bibi” Hernandez, Daniela Hernandez and Gabriela Hernandez, and maternal cousins Deborah Azeneth Martinez and Jaime (Alexis) Olivarez Burchardt are also left behind to cherish Celeste’s memory. In-laws Raul Sr. and Maru Lagrange Martinez, Melissa (Eduardo) Rangel, Monica (Poncho) Martinez and their children loved Celeste as their own, as well, and will miss her terribly; so, will her “BFF” since childhood, Cindy Espindola (Rambo) Saucedo, and Melissa Montalvo. Public visitation and viewing is scheduled for Wednesday, January, 4, 2017, from 11 am to 9 pm at Hernandez Funeral Home in Rio Grande City, TX, with a rosary service at 7 pm. Another visitation and viewing is planned at the funeral home for Thursday, January 5, 2017, from 8 am to 9:30 am, with funeral procession to Immaculate Conception Church at 10.00 am and Rio Grande City Cemetery at 11.00 am to follow immediately after. Bibi Hernandez, Mario Canales, EJ Canales, Dr. Gerardo Hernandez, Cesar Guerrero and Roel Rolando Salas will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Joey Hernandez, Sergio Lara, Benjamin Wiekel and Jaime Burchardt. Services are under the direction of Hernandez Funeral Home in Rio Grande City, TX.

Celeste Ileana Hernandez Martinez

March 13, 1977 - January 1, 2017