Clemente Valdez Santillan

Clemente Valdez went to be with our Lord on December 15, 2010 at the age of 75. He was preceded in death by his wife Isabel Valdez Vera. He is survived by his sons, Junior, Oscar, Martin, Mario, Jose; daughters, Marisela, Irma, Maria Isabel, Angelica, Rosa; brothers, Oscar, Chiquis; sisters, Guillermina, Maria Elena, Tere, Delia, Martha; 13 grandchildren; and 7 great grandchildren.
Services:
Visistation will be Sunday, December 19, 2010 from 12:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. with a Holy Rosary at 7:15 P.M. at Puente Sons Funeral Chapels, 3520 S. Flores, San Antonio, Texas 78204.
A procession will depart Puente Sons for a 10:00 A.M. Mass at St, Patrick's Catholic Church. Burial will follow at San Fernando Cemetery II.

Memorials:
Clemente Valdez Santillan was born in Nueva Rosita Coahuila Mexico October 6, 1935 to Manuel Valdez from Cloete Coahuila and Ellena Santillan de Valdez of San Luis Potosi. Nueva Rosita Mexico is 65 miles southwest of Eagle Pass.

Clemente was the oldest of four brothers and five sisters.

Clemente is preceded in death by his wife, Isabel, youngest brother, Padrin and daughter, Sandra. He is survived by his sisters, Maria Ellena, Tere, Guillermina, Delia, Martha and brothers, Oscar, Manuel called Chiquis.

Clemente was married to Isabel Vera on November 28, 1955 in the city of Via De Fuente Coahuila just south of Piedras Negras. Clemente was blessed with 6 daughters; Marisela, Irma, Maria Isabel, Angelica, Rosa; and 5 sons; Jr., Oscar, Martin, Mario Alberto, Jose. Clemente has 13 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.

For over 20 years, Clemente lived a nomadic life going to where the jobs were following his father who was born in the United States. He was 19 years old and knew he had to have an income to support his future family. He travelled to California on July 14, 1954 working at a canning plant; he stayed at the plant for 14 years. He then moved on to caterpillars. He would work 6 months and return home for 6 months. Meanwhile taking seasonal jobs closer to home mainly in the fields. Marisela remembers the family going to the carnival when dad was in town and she still fears the Ferris wheel which at that time felt so high. Irma remembers dad taking her to see small deer when a traveling company would travel through Piedra Negras. She wanted a guitar to join a school group at age 12, a group called La Estudiantina. The family could not afford it but dad bought it for her any way. After traveling back and forth for more than 20 years and making so many holes in his passport which he was continually asked for at the border if he was going to stay in the United Statesor Mexico. He decided to bring his family to the United States and take them to where the jobs were but Isabels family lived in San Antonio in the East side and that is where their family settled.

Clemente finally found work in the same town where the family lived. He started working at Chrome Plate near the airport on February 1, 1977 as a janitor. After only 10 months he was trained as a cylinder grinder and according to his employer a skill he mastered and indicated in the ECI Employee newsletter. He worked for the company for thirty years. Angelicas memories were of dad taken her to Bracke. They would catch turtles and take them to the eldest brother, Jr.; they caught so many that Junior finally said no more turtles please. Clemente would take Martin fishing. Both would enjoy a game of pool along with his other son, Oscar. Clemente enjoyed BBQs the old ways cooking on the ground. He loved baseball, telling stories when saw major league games like the As or The Astros. He enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren. Visiting family members in Mexico, Eagle Pass, and Port Isabel. Jose, the youngest missed Mexico so Clemente would take him back as often as he could to visit family. He had a passion for older cars he really enjoyed fixing and repairing them. He would spend his weekends detailing them. The cars were spotless bumper to bumper. Mario remembers his father teaching everything about cars motivating him to study machine. Maria Isabel remembers every Friday dad would take them to wash the car like clock work and then pick up Churchs Fried Chicken.

He has retired from the Chrome Plate Company twice. The last time was in 2009 after his last operation when he could no longer stand for prolonged periods of time required for the job.

He went to be with The Lord on December 15, 2010