Date of birth 7/16/1931
Date of death 8/8/2022
Juanita Constante died at home surrounded by her loving family on 8/8/2022. She was 91 years old and died of natural causes. Juanita was born in San Luis Potosí Mexico. Juanita worked hard starting at a young age, working in the fields and factories. She migrated with her family to the United States at the age of 10 and settled in Raymondville Texas. While living there, she met and married Candelario Constante at the age of 19 years old. She had 9 children all born in Raymondville Texas. Due to economic hardships, the Constante family moved to Selma California, as migrant farmworkers. Eventually the family settled in Monitor Oregon in 1965 to remain there for the rest of her days. She gave birth to her last child, Petra, in Portland Oregon in 1966.
She worked as a teacher's aide in Monitor Elementary School and then for the Marion County ESD Migrant Home Preschool Program. Inspiring her children to value education, Juanita had only 3 years of elementary school, but later in life earned her GED and associates degree and was working towards her teaching certificate. Although she was unable to complete her teaching certificate due to needing to take care of her dying mother, she taught family, friends and strangers alike of the virtues of love and self-sacrifice.
Juanita was involved in the Catholic Church and dedicated her life to helping those in need especially those in the latino community. Whether through her volunteer work at the Mount Angel St. Mary's Parrish or the work she did for Silverton's St. Paul Catholic Church, the results were the same: spreading the word of the Lord Jesus Christ and inspiring all of us to do better. May Juanita rest in peace with God.
She is survived by her children: Maria del Carmen Espinosa, Consuelo Constante, Candelario Constante Jr, MaryAnn Constante-McGee, Maria Luisa Constante, Maria de Lourdes (Lulu) Gonzalez, Mary Esther Reynoso, Laura Maria Constante-Shaw; 22 grandchildren, 32 great grandchildren and 1 great great grandchild.
She is preceded in death by her husband Candelario Constante, daughters Evangelina Tapio and Petra Vela and grandson Kahlil Constante McGee.
Viewing will be held at Simon Cornwell Colonial Chapel in Woodburn Oregon on Thursday 8/11/22 from 4pm-6pm with a rosary at 5 pm. Funeral Mass will be held at St Luke's Catholic Church in Woodburn Oregon at 10 am on Friday 8/12/22.