Irene Herrera Rodriguez Mendez

Today we gather at this celebration of life for Irene Herrera Rodriguez Mendez, a beloved Mom, Grandmother - also known to her grandkids and great grandkids as Nana, and a beloved Sister, Aunt, and

Friend. The influence Irene has had on those around her is immeasurable.

To grasp the impact and wisdom Irene possessed, let’s take a walk down memory lane. In 1929 Herbert Hoover was President, a new house cost $6,000, a new car $500, a gallon of gas just .21 cents and a dozen eggs a mere .45 cents. It was a year of big events where the San Francisco Bay bridge opened, the first Academy Awards took place and the stock market crashed from September through November of 1929 starting the Great Depression that lasted 12 years until 1941. 1929 was historic year of births shared with some of the most iconic people in history: Martin Luther King, Jackie Kennedy, Grace Kelly, Barbara Walters and on October 20th 1929 our beloved Irene was born to Sebastian and Francisca Rodriguez in San Antonio, Texas. She grew up in San Antonio with her siblings Celestino, Monica, Janie, and Mary.

Fast forward a few years and Irene is fiercely independent. After her high school graduation she moved to Chicago which was near the base where her brother was stationed at during World War ll. In Chicago, she worked at Mother Cabrini Hospital - where she also went to nursing school and graduated as a Registered Nurse. In later years she became a OBGYN nurse where she helped bring beautiful babies into the

world. Among other jobs she was a school community representative at Mitchell School where she helped

children, adults and families in need. Later in life she worked at Taylor house.

She met her husband and father of her children Juan Mendez as a patient in the hospital. They married in 1955 and in the subsequent years started a family with 4 children: Sebastian, Iris, Irene, and Patsy, who were raised in their family home on Grand Avenue. Irene loved being a grandmother to:

Sebastian's children: Damaris, Tito, Carlos, Edwin, Sebastian and Maria

Iris’s children: Amanda, Emily and Alexandra

Irene’s children: Marisa, Victoria, Francesca and Juliana

Patsy’s daughter: Audrey

She was a beloved and cherished Great-grandmother to: Jacob, Alejandro, Christian, Joshua, Samuel, Ayden, Joseph, Jonah and Jemma

Throughout her life, Irene loved being a nurse and found joy in helping others. She enjoyed meeting new people and socializing with friends, she loved photography, not only taking pictures but also sharing pictures of family, particularly of her grandkids and great grandkids to anyone who would stop and chat. She loved playing tennis, swimming, walking everywhere, knitting crocheting, oil and water painting, cooking from scratch and really enjoyed travel. God blessed her with an extraordinary life that was full of love, generosity, and kindness which she shared without reservation. Gram, thank you for showing us how to follow our dreams, live our life to the fullest and how to say “to hell with them” and “shut up” properly. We will always remember to behave so you don’t smack us down, will forever miss how you would smile when you were told you are beautiful and how you would gently pat our back when you gave us a hug. There will never be a day we don’t miss you. We love you, as much as you loved you too.