Paula Garcia
Paula Edwina Garcia, 89, died Friday evening, March 13, 2015, at The Carriage House in Snowflake from causes incident to her age. The public visitation and viewing will begin at 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 22, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, 212 E. Arizona in Holbrook, and will be immediately followed by the Recitation of The Holy Rosary at 6 p.m. The Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 23, at the church. The concluding service and interment will follow at the Holbrook Cemetery, where she will be laid to rest alongside her husband, Ned. Paula was born on Tuesday, October 27, 1925, in Winslow to the late Pete and Adalina (Molina) Anaya. As a young woman, Paula met her husband, Nerez Baca “Ned” Garcia, for the first time at a dance in Winslow. Then later, in a chance encounter, the couple met again in California where a beautiful courtship began. They married at the original Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Holbrook and immediately moved to California, where they lived for many years. In 1979, she and Ned moved back to Holbrook, where she owned and operated the Shoes-A-Lon Shoe Store right next door to Garcia Enterprises, a business owned by Ned. She always enjoyed working alongside her husband at their Garcia Enterprises. It was there that the community would bring in its S&H Green Stamps to redeem them for other household items. Paula was a woman who enjoyed life. She and Ned taught their children the value of hard work, and they were so proud to watch as each one of their kids matured into responsible adults who are all well respected by their communities and friends. Survivors include five children, Dolores “Dee” (Joe) Meras of Upland, Calif., Marie (Lane) Kinder of LaVerne, Calif., Anthony “Tony” (Linda) Garcia of West Covina, Calif., Richard Garcia of Holbrook and William “Bill” Garcia of Farmington, N.M.; 16 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren. Along with her parents, Paula was preceded in death by her husband, Ned Garcia in 1999; a son, Andy Garcia in 2007; two brothers, Al Anaya and Tim Anaya; a grandson, Joe Meras Jr.; and a great-granddaughter, Savannah Meras. Owens Livingston Mortuary of Holbrook was in charge of the arrangements.
