Maria Estrella

Maria Elena Estrella, age 71 of Sunnyside, went home to be in the arms of our Heavenly Father Lord, and Savior Jesus Christ on December 29th, 2020. Elena, born on May 6th, 1949 to Manuel and Maria Ramirez in the Township of Berlin, Michigan, immediately brought joy and laughter into the world. As a child, she loved to spend time with her brothers and sisters, but mostly just laugh and have fun. Her smile would light up the room and her hugs were one of a kind. As a child, she spent a lot of time with her twin sister, Esther. Their dad would often send them outside to clear the dandelions from the yard and they made a fun time of it. They’d crank up the music in Spanish, but after a while, Elena would tell Esther, “Hey, let’s make the song up in English. I bet no one has heard the song in English before. It’ll be unique.” So, Elena would start making up the words as she went along. Enjoying every minute of even doing the chores she was asked to do. She was always such a happy person and had an amazing voice. It was truly a blessing to hear her sing. Elena grew up in the Assemblies of God church. It was her life. So much so, Elena became a Sunday school teacher and sang her heart out for the congregation at Iglesia El Calvario during services and at revivals around the Yakima Valley. Then in 1981, Elena met Antonio Estrella and the two were inseparable from that point on. Antonio and Elena were married for over 38 years and had a daughter, Irene Estrella. Elena was a loving wife and fiercely dedicated mom and grandmother. The family came first, a value she instilled in all those around her. She always loved to spend time with her family. Having barbecues at her house was a regular occurrence. Surrounded by her husband, daughter, grandsons, great-granddaughter, and all those she loved. She always just wanted to make sure everyone was okay and that they all spent time together. In addition to being a loving wife and a dedicated and loving mother, Elena also loved to play games and do word search puzzles. She also made tortillas better than anyone in the world and she loved her arts and crafts too. Just ask her youngest grandson. One of her latest projects was making him hand puppets out of paper. She was always willing to do anything for her family. Throughout her entire life, she held an unwavering faith in God, which she shared with those who surrounded her. It is with this in mind that we come together to celebrate her life. She will forever be in our hearts and our memories of her will be cherished. The hole left by her absence is impossible to fill and she will be missed dearly. Elena joins her father Manuel Ramirez, mother Maria Ramirez, three brothers, Elias Ramirez, Gilbert Ramirez, Isaias Ramirez, and one sister, Noemi Flores, in Heaven. She is survived by her husband Antonio Estrella of Sunnyside, one daughter, Irene Estrella, two grandsons, Miguel Estrella, AJ Herrera, and one great-granddaughter, Alexa Estrella, all of Grandview, three brothers, Manuel Ramirez Jr. of Sunnyside, Maximo Ramirez of Sunnyside, Neftali Ramirez of Toppenish, two sisters, Raquel Castro of Kennewick, Maria Esther Villarreal of Moses Lake, and 41 nieces and nephews. Services will be held at Valley Hills Funeral Home, in Sunnyside. Family viewing is scheduled on Thursday, January 7th from 2:00-4:00 PM, with a limited public viewing from 4:00-7:00 PM. Masking, social distancing, and capacity restrictions required. A funeral service is scheduled for Friday, January 8th at 11 AM, followed by a graveside service at Lower Valley Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Sunnyside. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Maria Estrella, please visit our flower store.