Amalia C. Mejia's Obituary
Racine - Amalia Castillo Mejia, age 83 passed away December 28, 2022, at her residence surrounded by her loving family.
Amalia was born on July 12, 1939, in Palau, Coahuila, Mexico, daughter of the late Antonio Castillo and the late Manuela Soto. Amalia was only able to complete the third grade to help her mother care for her younger siblings. Her desire was to attend school; therefore, she would sneak away to learn when her mother would send her to run errands. On February 13, 1958, she married her handsome husband, Raul Estrada Mejia in Palau, Coahuila, Mexico. They lived in Eagle Pass, Texas until 1961, when they moved to Racine, Wisconsin where Raul found a better paying job to help support a growing family.
Amalia did not work outside of the home. She kept herself busy by raising ten children and babysitting many others. Sewing was one of her many talents. She would help keep costs down by sewing herself outfits and matching dresses for her daughters. When the granddaughters came along, she would sew dresses for them and their dolls, as well. Amalia really took pride in making sure all her kids were neat and clean. Amalia was also a wonderful cook, always making plenty for family and friends. If you were to stop by unannounced, she wouldn’t hesitate. Her cooking always included everyone’s favorite, “homemade tortillas.” As an avid coffee drinker, it was always available along with her sweets.
One of Amalia’s passions was her garden. She had an abundance of roses and various flowers of many colors. She would name some after her children and later after her grandchildren. Her love for her beautiful flowers carried onto her children and friends, teaching them how to care for and appreciate God’s creation. In 1972, she was baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness and was a current member of the Lakeview Spanish Congregation. As a faithful servant of God, she was one of the original members of the Racine Spanish Congregation. She loved to sing praises to Jehovah, even training her Parrot (Pancho) how to sing one of the Kingdom Melodies.
As empty nesters, Amalia and Raul would go on dates every Saturday, usually beginning the day with preaching, then going to lunch, and end with a trip to Milaeger’s or Stein’s. Another favorite pastime and her pride and joy was spending time with her children and the extended family that included her grandchildren, great grandchildren, biological and non. Throughout the years she would babysit many of them. They would play in the snow and/or take long walks to North Beach or to the Racine Zoo, with kid’s hand-in-hand. As she would put it, “she was a duck with her ducklings,” which created many wonderful memories.
In November 2021, Amalia was diagnosed with Bile Duct cancer. Although it was devasting news to the family, she agreed to chemotherapy. After her second round of chemo, she suffered a debilitating bi-lateral stroke in December of 2021. Amalia strongly believed that our creator Jehovah God will one day transform the earth to a lovely paradise and pain will be no more. This is where she wanted to be and where she wanted to continue her love for the family in the future. Amalia’s beautiful smile and singing voice will be missed but her absence is only temporary.
Above all, she was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Surviving are her sons: Raul Jr. (Linda), Ezequiel (Juanita), Frank (Vicky), Juan (Gloria), Santiago “Jimmy,” Pablo (Tanya), Esteban; daughters: Amelia (Barney) Maldonado, Frances Mejia (Jeff Chiapete), Luz Rebeca (Juan) Arjon, and Gabriella (Shane) Brossman; grandchildren: Joshua (Rhonda), Chantel (Cody) Holden, Ciara Mejia, Raquel (Ezra) Fischer, Sara Dresen, Jesse Escobar, Anthony, Alexis (Nate), and Seth Maldonado, Ezequiel Ryan (Cassie), Jennifer, Rauly, and Phillip Mejia, Kacee and Ariella Arjon, Mario “Danny” and Cassie Palacios, Sebastian and Nicolas “Nico” Bieker, Olivia, Alyssa, John Paul, and Ameliana; great grandchildren: Aviana Palacios, Amelie Dresen, Bronx Harrison, Cora Holden, and Oscar, Hayzen, and Franklin Mejia; and many nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, she is also preceded in death by her husband, Raul E. Mejia; brothers: Pablo, Hilberto, Ramiro, and Ruperto Castillo; sisters: Paulina Rosales and Lupe Lopez: grandson, Jacob Mejia and grandson-in-law, Daniel Dresen.
A celebration of Amalia’s life will be held at the Wilson Funeral Home on Friday evening, January 13, 2023, from 5:00 PM until 9:00 PM.
Special Thanks to the wonderful and caring nurses at Ascension All Saint’s Cancer Center, who treated our mom with a lot of love and compassion.
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