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Margaret De La O, 91, of San Antonio, TX was called to be with our Lord on June 16, 2019. Margaret was the beloved wife of the late Eloy De La O, Sr., loving mother of Joann Brady (husband Mark), Eloy De La O Jr. (wife Megan), Diana Murphy, Rebecca Suarez (husband Al), Patti Salzmann (husband Ron), Stephen Opter (wife Melanie), and the late Rosemary Quiñones. Her legacy will live on in her 16 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren, and 5 great, great grandchildren. Born on April 13, 1928, to Pedro Vallejo and Pilar Ahumada, Margaret lived a humble life with her 13 siblings. In her childhood, she picked cotton for a family of Quakers. Although she was only able to attend school for a couple of years, she subsequently taught herself to read and write in both English and Spanish. Margaret lived through the Great Depression, World War II, the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, the integration of schools, the first lunar landing, and the fall of the Berlin Wall. As a result, Margaret had a deep compassion for people and an unshakable confidence in the potential of mankind. In her life, Margaret experienced racism. Thus, she made sure her children understood the importance of equality, agency, voice, education, voting, and the history of this hard-won right for people of color. Margaret took great pride in her right of suffrage and volunteered to work the election polls for many years and often encouraged her children to do the same. Margaret devoted her life to her family and to the Catholic faith, striving to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the example and guidance of our Blessed Mother Mary. To this end, Margaret was deeply committed to prayer, sacrifice, and the apostolic work of the Schoenstatt Movement. Margaret developed a deep and abiding love for the Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoentatt and for Father and founder Joseph Kentenich. Margaret drew strength from Father Kentenich’s devotion to Mary and through his life story, especially his arrest by Hitler’s Gestapo and his subsequent brutal and inhumane treatment at the Dachau concentration camp for his far reaching religious influence. As part of her commitment to the Schoenstatt Movement, Margaret traveled to Poland and Germany, visiting the Original Shrine, the memorial sites of former Nazi concentration and extermination camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau and Dachau. During this time, Margaret also traveled to Rome, visiting Vatican City, attending mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, receiving a blessing from Pope John Paul II, and climbing the 28 marble steps of the Scala Sancta on her knees. Margaret tried to live by Father Kentenich’s example of faithfulness in the face of adversity, and she consecrated herself daily to our Blessed Mother Mary in the service of Christ and the Church. Margaret believed strongly in the power of divine providence, and because of her unwavering faith, many of her friends and family believed that God was especially attentive to the prayers of His faithful servant. Although small in stature, Margaret was large in life, possessing a kind heart, charismatic soul, and generous spirit. She loved helping others and volunteering at her parish church and teaching kindergarten. She had a great sense of humor and saw value in making others laugh. She also had a gift for connecting with people. Many call her friend and some call her their second mother. Margaret was an excellent cook who is known for her perfectly round, scratch-made tortillas, which she made daily. From fried chicken to French toast to calabasita, her meals were made with love, and Margaret could often be found in the kitchen, insisting on feeding her guests. On most evenings, Margaret could be seen working in her yard and tending to her award-winning topiaries or her favorite plants and trees: roses, gardenias, mountain laurel, and magnolias. She taught her granddaughters how to plant purple oxalis, purple queen, purple sage, and various other purple flora - her favorite color. Margaret’s light will be greatly missed. A funeral mass will be held June 26, 2019 at 12:30 a.m. at St Helena’s Catholic Church at 14714 Edgemont. Interment will take place immediately following at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Our Lady of Schoenstatt Shrine at 17071 Low Road, Helotes, TX 78023.

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Margaret De La O

April 13, 1928 - June 16, 2019