Sarah Maestas

Maria Sarafina (Sarah) Salazar Maestas

December 1926 January 12, 2014

Maria Sarafina (Sarah) Salazar Maestas (87) born to Jose Ramon and Francusquita Desales Atencio Salazar in San Juan Pueblo on December, 1926, passed away on Sunday evening, January 12, 2014 at her home in Valley Estates surrounded by her family.

Sarah married Benito Maestas, son of Jose Ignacio and Fedelina Maestas at a very young age. She helped her late husband operate a Mobil gas station and the Lucky Seven Bar in Riverside. One day a good friend Juan Valencia, encouraged her to apply for a Matron vacancy at Santa Crus High School. At the urging of Dona Fedelina who told her she would baby-sit, she mustered her courage, applied, and got the job. She worked with the Espanola Public Schools as a Matron, cook, and Head Cook. Later she worked as a custodian for the Zia Company/Johnson Controls at the Los Alamos National Laboratory from which she retired.

Sara was a very generous giver of her time, money, and friendship. She enjoyed her membership in Las Senoras Unidas and in the St. Anns Coro of the Holy Family society. As an excellent cook, she always had some hot homemade food in her home frijoles, chili, posole, tamale pie, enchiladas, bread, and tortillas and always invited whomever stopped by to sientense, coma, hay mucha comida.

Sarah enjoyed cooking, dancing, listening to music on the radio, fishing, camping, going to the casino, and joy riding. She loved to hop in her car, pick up her friends and relatives and take them to appointments, run errands, or just take them for a ride. She was always happy and very kind.

After her husband died and at the urging of her mother who told her Cierra los ojos y compra esa casa. She bought a home in Valley Estates. A few years after her husbands death, Sarah met the second love of her life, Manuel Martinez (M & M). They lived together for over 40 years. Since he did not have any children, he considered Sarahs children as his own.

Sarah is survived by her companion, Manuel Martinez, her daughter, Geraldine, her son, Jose Ignacio Maestas, her grandchildren Benito Maestas, Nina Gallegos, and husband, Donald, Shawna Maestas, Amanda Valerio, Marissa, Benny Mario, and Adam Maestas, and Adrian Maestas, She also has several great grandchildren.

Surviving siblings, include Connie Thompson, David Salazar and wife Sylvia, Mary Agnes Gallegos, and husband, Andres, and Arthur G. Salazar. Surviving in-laws are Eloisa Block, Bennie Salazar and Lillian Martinez.

Her very capable caregivers were Carmen Rodriguez Rivera, Neri Maestas, Elsa Jester, and Dolores Rodriguez. Norma Marquez, a good friend, also assisted with her care. Amber Care with their excellent staff assisted her the last few weeks.

Sarah was pre-deceased by her husband, Benito, who died on September 5, 1967, her sons, Jerry, Benny James, and Leon, her brothers, John Block, Jr., Ramon E. Salazar, Jose Guadalupe Salazar, Eutimo Tim Salazar III, and Orlando Salazar, her sisters-in-laws Alberta and Mella Salazar and Mary Lou and Albinita Martinez, her father and mother in law, Jose Ignacio and Fedelina Maestas and Antonio Archuleta.

A Rosary was recited at the Rivera Funeral Home. Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at Santa Cruz de la Canada (Holy Cross) on Thursday, January 16, 2014. Interment followed at the Santa Fe National Cemetery. Eulogy will be delivered by her nephew, Albert Gallegos, with whom she contracted several years ago. Pallbearers are: Donald Gallegos, Andres Gallegos, Benito, Benny Mario, Adam, and Adrian Maestas. The readers at the Mass will be Nina Gallegos, Marissa Maestas, and Shawna Maestas.


This obituary is protected by copyright laws, unauthorized use or duplication is prohibited.