Maria Villarreal

Our very beloved Maria Villarreal was born August 19, 1937 in a ranch called "La Cabra" outside the city of Matehuala, San Luis Potosí, México. Her parents were Lucio Medrano and Guadalupe Mata Medrano and Maria was the youngest of 5 children. Her father died when she was only six months old and shortly after, her infant brother Faustino passed away of sudden illness. Her mother was left to care for her, her sister Felipa, and her two brothers Genaro and Melquiades.

With pain in her mother's heart, her mother left for the United States to work to support her family and left her son Genaro and her daughter Maria Luisa with their grandmother in Mexico. Maria grew up poor but happy, helping with the care of her grandmother. It was there that Maria first heard some precious songs of praise from a missionary who went to share the Word of God with the inhabitants of the ranch. There was no church, there were no pews, but the sound of the precious songs praising God came to her ears from underneath a tree marked with a cross. These songs were recorded in her heart.
Maria, at the age of 17 years, was reunited with her mother and siblings in Donna, Texas after her grandmother passed away. On June 26, 1958, she was united in marriage with Ezequiel Villarreal and had 5 children: Ezequiel Jr, Maria Esmeralda, Rosalinda, Jose de Jesus and Anna Maria.

In 1975, she was baptized in the name of Jesus Christ in the Donna Apostolic Church. Her family then moved to Davenport, Iowa, and she became a Sunday School Nursery volunteer at the Apostolic Assembly in Bettendorf, Iowa. After the tragic death of her daughter, Rosalinda, God touched the heart of her husband Ezequiel and there was a big change in their home. Back in Donna Texas, they worked together inviting many to hear the Word of God at bible study groups in their home.

In 2009, Sis Maria was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In March 2010, God made a great miracle in her as she survived a very serious operation and her second battle with cancer 2 years later. In April 2017, another cancerous tumor was found in her liver. She endured the disease and pain with patience. Without renouncing, she accepted that God was calling her to His heavenly home. Still in pain she lifted her arms in honor to God, always giving thanks to God for all His blessings.

Sis. Maria was a courageous, loving and caring woman who loved gardening and cooking. She contributed to the "Flor Azul" missionary project because it was by a missionary that God entered her heart. She was a faithful servant of God in prayer and had great faith and encouraged those that felt there was no solution to their problem to trust in God.

On October 30, 2017 at 7:00 a.m., our beloved Sis. Maria Luisa Villarreal went to rest in the arms of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She will always be remembered in our hearts.
She is survived by her husband, Ezequiel Villarreal, her children and their spouses; Ezequiel Jr and Sonya Villarreal, Maria Esmeralda and Fernando Rodriguez, Jose de Jesus and Margarita Villarreal and Anna Maria and Tarkan Karadayi. Also, 15 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

"For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21

Special gratitude to her nephew Armando Trevino for God's message, Pastor Juan Mata, Texas City church family, friends at Liva Nova, Army Corp of Engineers and Harbor Hospice Program for their never ending support.

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