Antonia Mata-Garcia, 85

Published 10:46 am Monday, April 8, 2013

Antonia Mata-Garcia of Austin, Minn., died Thursday, April 4, 2013, at St. Mark’s Lutheran Home.

Mata-Garcia

Antonia was born May 10, 1927, in Childress, Texas, to Pedro Mata and Maria Andrade Mata. She grew up in Piedras Negras, Coah., 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, Minn. They moved to Austin in 1969 to raise their family.

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, Georgia and Heidi Velasquez of Austin; granddaughters, Vanessa Garcia of Austin, Celleny Garcia of Austin and Martina Garcia of Mountain Lake, Minn.; grandsons, Jason Ansley of Columbus, Ga., Shiloh Garcia of St. Paul, Minn.; great-grandsons JJ 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 on Wednesday, April 10, 2013, at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Austin at 11 a.m. with Father Dale Tupper officiating. Visitation will be held on Tuesday evening at Mayer Funeral Home from 4 until 7 p.m. 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