Antonia Garcia, 85, Austin

Published 10:22 am Monday, April 8, 2013

Antonia Mata-Garcia, of Austin, died Thursday, April 4, 2013, at St. Mark’s Lutheran Home. She was born May 10, 1927, in Childress, Texas, to Pedro Mata and Maria Andrade Mata. She grew up in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, and Eagle Pass, Texas. On April 10, 1950, she was united in marriage to Aurelio Martinez Garcia. They were migrant workers, finally settling in Adams. They moved to Austin in 1969 to raise their family.

Antonia Garcia

Antonia loved to cook, bake and was an active member of the St. Augustine Rosary Council. She had many talents such as crocheting, quilting, ceramics, upholstery and making piñatas and her popular paper flowers. She was very active in the Hispanic Catholic Community and started the Spanish Ministry in Southern Minnesota. Antonia was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Aurelio “Joe” Garcia.

She is survived by daughters, Dolores (Greg) Ansley of Covington, Ga., and Heidi Velasquez of Austin; granddaughters, Vanessa Garcia of Austin, Celleny Garcia of Austin and Martina Garcia of Mountain Lake; grandsons, Jason Ansley of Columbus, Ga., Shiloh Garcia of St. Paul; great-grandsons, J.J. Sandoval of Austin, Cruz Garcia of Austin and Avery Garcia of Austin; brother, Guillermo Mata of Houston, Texas; sister, Rumalda Cardenas of Houston and Ramona Jimenez of Douglas, Ariz.; also many nieces and nephews. She will be sadly missed and loved by her family and friends.

A funeral Mass for Antonia Garcia will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Austin with the Rev. Dale Tupper officiating. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. today at Mayer Funeral Home with a rosary at 4 p.m. and a prayer service at 6:30 p.m. There will also be visitation at the church one half hour prior to the Mass.

Condolences may be left for the family at www.mayerfh.com.