Benito Flores Estrada Obituary (1925

Benito Flores Estrada, went to be with our Lord and Savior on March 9, 2013, surrounded by family and knowing how much he was loved by all of us. He was born in San Benito,Texas on September 19, 1925 to Santos and Mariana Estrada. He married Velia Correa in 1950 and together they had eight children. He was a longtime member of Iglesia del Valle in Toppenish,Washington. He worked for the Texas Highway Department and in 1967 he moved his family to the Yakima Valley. He eventually retired from the Washington State Employment Security Department in November, 1991. During that time, he made many friends with farmers, ranchers, and workers throughout the Yakima Valley. After retirement, he lived a simple life, relaxing at home with his wife and family. He enjoyed sitting in his favorite spot and watching the Mariners and John Wayne movies. He always kept up to date on news and local events by reading the newspaper from beginning to end. To say that Dad enjoyed riding his lawn mower and tending to his yard, is an understatement. When he stopped driving his red truck, he shared his joy of riding his lawn mower with his grandkids. Dad spent 22 retired years enjoying every single one of his grandchildren. He took them to swimming lessons at the Toppenish pool, picked them up from school and took them to McDonald's, and enjoyed long walks with them along the canal.When we said "no", grandpa always said "yes" and the grandkids knew it. Thank you for always reminding us that family comes first. He is survived by his wife of 63 years,Velia Correa Estrada, his children Roberto (Elsa) Estrada, Guadalupe (Deborah) Estrada, Maria Teresa (George) Garcia, Raul Estrada (Alicia), Sylvia Garcia (Gary), and Ruben Estrada (RoseMary). Grandchildren include: David, Lily, Daniel, Isaac, Andrea, Jackie, Stephanie, Michael, Ashley, Jesse, Araceli, Jonathan, and Tara. He had 15 great grandchildren, and one great, great grandchild. He was preceded in death by his parents, Santos and Mariana Estrada, his son Bernardo Estrada, and his daughter Minerva Tijerina. A Celebration of Life service will be held at Iglesia del Valle, 308 E.Toppenish Avenue, in Toppenish on March 23, at 11:00 am. SERVICES Funeral service Saturday, March 23, 2013 11:00 AM Iglesia del Valle 308 E. Toppenish Ave. Toppenish, WA