Minerva Ramon Elizalde

Minerva Ramon Elizalde was a woman defined by extraordinary tenacity, resilience, ambition, and an unwavering devotion to her family. Born to Jose Ramon and Natividad Flores Ramon on September 22, 1929, in Garceno, Texas, Minerva’s strength was forged by early tragedy. At age ten, she lost her father and two teenage brothers in a horrific train accident; only three years later, her mother passed away. At just thirteen, Minerva left the 8th grade to care for her youngest brother, Leonel, while her older siblings worked to support the family and keep everyone together.  This remarkable act of love was often recalled with deep gratitude by her siblings, who never forgot the sacrifices she made for their family.    

In her early twenties, while a member of the Lucky 13 Social Club of Weslaco, she met and married her “college man” Arturo B. “Tito” Elizalde, a native of Harlingen, Texas. A proud World War II veteran, Arturo, had graduated from Oklahoma State University under the GI Bill and returned to the Valley to begin his life-long career in education.  Arturo and Minerva raised six children together.  During these years, Minerva worked full time at Wells of Weslaco. In the evenings, she pursued and attained her high school diploma, then began attending college.  These early years were busy.  Minerva and Arturo started their family while working full-time jobs, always supporting Minerva’s determination to complete her college education.  In December 1965, pregnant with her last child, she received her B.A. in Education from Pan American University.  Minerva began teaching in Edcouch, Texas in January 1966, and taught for many years in the Edcouch Elsa School District before moving to, and retiring from, Weslaco ISD.

Minerva was a woman of many talents. While teaching full time during the day, she spent her evenings teaching citizenship and English classes to adults.  Not one to be idle, she also pursued her Master’s degree in Bilingual Education from Kingsville A&I – a goal that required extraordinary commitment.  Along with her fellow classmates, Minerva traveled nights and weekends to Kingsville to attend classes. A later highlight in her life came in 2015, when UT Pan Am (now UTRGV) honored her by inducting her into its inaugural class of alumni celebrating 50 years of achievement.

 

 She was also a successful business entrepreneur.  During her teen years in Donna, Texas, her family operated the Dandy Fruit Stand, an experience that planted the seed for her own business one day.  In the 1970s, she fulfilled that dream by opening and operating Dandy Mart in Weslaco, Texas.  However, shortly after selling the business, Minerva suffered the devastating loss of her husband.  Though deeply affected, she pushed on.  And it was during these years, she embraced a new challenge, singlehandedly developing a ten-acre subdivision in Elsa, Texas that she proudly named Azucar Estates.

Her family meant everything to her and when her first grandchild was born, she was over the moon. She adored all six of her grandchildren and loved hearing of their accomplishments. Her greatest joy was attending their life events as their treasured “grandma.”  She loved travelling in the United States and elsewhere and was fortunate to have travelled to Europe with her husband on their dream vacation before his death.  Some of her favorite trips involved playing the slot machines in Las Vegas and Louisiana or taking in the fall colors in Massachusetts and the beauty of Alaska and Hawaii. She was a devoted Catholic and attended mass as often as she could.

She is survived by all of her children, David Elizalde (wife Margaret), Thelma Elizalde, Jaime Elizalde (partner Maria Moran), Laura Elizalde (husband Jonathan L.Morgan) , Arthur B. Elizalde, and Robert Elizalde as well as her grandchildren, Christina, Daniel and Jacob Arturo Morgan, Vida Mia Elizalde , Jordan Ramon and Arden Victoria Elizalde.  As Minerva needed assistance in her later years, she was lovingly attended to by Eva Rivera, Gabriela Ana Morrison and Leticia Velasquez to whom our family owes a debt of gratitude.

She is preceded in death by her loving husband of 27 years, parents Natividad and Jose Ramon, brothers Leonel Ramon, Raul Ramon,  Israel Ramon, Modesto Ramon , Romero Alberto "Ray" Ramon, Leonel Raul Ramon and sisters Natalia Cortez, Dora Ramon and Noelia Quarnstrom.  She is survived by brother Jose "Joe" H. Ramon.

Funeral Services will be held at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, 1108 Hackberry Ave., McAllen, Texas on January 22, 2026 beginning with a Rosary at 9:00 am followed by a funeral mass at 10:30 a.m.  The immediate family will gather for a private interment the following day at Highland Memorial Park, Weslaco, Texas.   

In lieu of flowers, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions be directed to the American Heart Association and the Alzheimer’s Association.