Petra Mendez Rodriguez Zesati Obituary (1931

On Tuesday, December 17, our beloved mother, Petra Zesati-Mendez, was called home by our Lord and Savior. She left peacefully and now rejoices in heaven with all our loved ones who went before us. She was born on August 4, 1931, in Hacienda de Carrillo, Valparaiso, Zacatecas, Mexico. Her mother became ill and was unable to care for her, so she was raised by her paternal aunt, Isabel Mendez. Her childhood was spent playing with friends on the streets of San Jose de Llanetes, skipping school, and being mischievous. When her mother passed, she asked that her daughter be raised by one of her other aunts in La Boquilla del Refugio, so mom spent her teenage years there. Since her biological mother was unable to raise her, mom often talked about how she always yearned for a mother’s love and often cried by the banks of a river. In 1946, she met and married our father, Luis, and together, they raised eight girls and two boys. In 1975, impoverished living conditions forced the family to emigrate to the U.S. where they became farmworkers. They settled in Sunnyside where mom was an active member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, served as a Eucharistic Minister, lived her Marriage Encounter, and became a Cursillista. She was a long-time member of the prayer group in the 70’s and 80’s where she sang, and dad played the guitar. They traveled as far as California to pray for families in need and often visited the sick in hospitals, at times caring for those with no family. After dad’s passing, mom continued to live the rest of her life in the first home he bought for his family. Her doors were open for everyone, family or stranger. There was always something hot on the stove and she made sure visitors left well-fed, both physically and spiritually. The Good Word, or “La Chispa” as she called it, never failed as she read from her weathered bible. Aside from reading the bible, mom enjoyed playing “La Loteria”, writing songs about God and nature, embroidery, cooking for everyone, watching baseball, pool, and Anh Bushcraft on YouTube. Mom lived out the meaning of her name. She was our rock and held firmly to her faith through the valleys and hills of her life. She maintained a special relationship with God and showered her family with her spiritual wisdom. She often stressed that a joyful heart led to a long life and always comforted those seeking to be comforted. She was a firm believer in the unity of family and celebrated 24 family reunions with us. To ensure these continue, she left behind her “Pillars”. We will miss our “Matriarch” at our 25th Annual Zesati-Mendez Family Reunion, but we know she will be enjoying the ultimate reunion with her Maker. Mom was preceded in death by her parents and brothers, daughter Maria Luisa in infancy, our father Luis, her youngest daughter Blanca, and many grandkids. She is survived by her sons Refugio Zesati, Jose Luis (Maria) Zesati, daughters Senaida (Angel) Herrera, Ana (Ignacio) Ramos, and Teresa (Monty) Johnson all of Sunnyside, Isabel (Raul) Castro of Grandview, Modesta (Juan) Aranda of Lake Stevens, and Santos Zesati of Umatilla, Oregon, numerous grand-children, great grand-children, and great-great grand-children. Rosary will be Friday, December 20, at 6:00 pm at Valley Hills Funeral Home. Mass will be on Saturday, December 21st, at 10:00 am at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, followed by a Christian burial at Lower Valley Memorial Gardens.