Sophia Fuentes

Fuentes, Sophia Of Zilwaukee Beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and friend passed away peacefully on Sunday September 29, 2019 surrounded by family and friends. She was 95 years old. Sophia Fuentes was born on March 6, 1924 in Blumfield Township to the late Amado and Modesta (Rodriguez) Munoz. She retired from General Motors after twenty-two years of service. She married the love of her life, Manuel D. Fuentes on August 24, 1946 in Saginaw; he preceded her in death on July 2, 1990. Sophia and Manuel lived a happy life together and raised six children. She was active in the Cub Scouts serving as a Den Mother. She loved spending time with her family at the cottages in Caseville and in Harrison for many years. She enjoyed cooking and passing on the family tradition of making tamales. Sophia had to quit school in the eighth grade to perform migrant farm work and help care for younger siblings. In 1998 she returned back to school to earn her high school diploma from Mackinaw Academy. She was an active longtime member of St. Matthew Catholic Church in Zilwaukee. She served as a Catechist, Eucharistic Minister, Commission Lay Minister and Lector. She would take communion to homebound parishioners and visit the sick in the hospital. She then joined Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, where she served as a Lector, served on the Womens Committee and baked communion bread. She enjoyed cooking for the church Friendship Potlucks. She was an active board member of the Mexican American Council. She served the MAC house in many capacities, preparing after school snacks for the afterschool program, tutoring young students, decorating the house for Christmas walk through for Holiday in the Heart of the City and fundraising for the house. She was a committee member of PRIDE and helped organize Holiday in the Heart of the City. She served as the Secretary to the board at Benito Juarez Academy. She tutored students at the HOST program at the Jesse Rouse School. She volunteered with the Jail Ministry, teaching women how to crochet. She was honored by the Lions Club for Volunteer of the Year. She was a Grand Marshall of Zilwaukee Parade. In 2001 she was a recipient of the Community Service Award recognizing her service to the Saginaw/Zilwaukee community. Sophia is survived by her daughters and daughter-in-law, Dianne Fuentes, Laura Bush, Nancy Brigham, Rene (Jeff) Wuckert and Elaine Fuentes; grandchildren, Carrie (Win), Eric (Courtney), David (Erica), Dominic (Jordyn Straight), Anthony, Louis Matthew and Logan; two great-grandchildren, Addison and Anderson; and two brothers, Gilbert Munoz and Carl Munoz. She was preceded in death by two sons, Louis Fuentes and Ronald Fuentes; son-in-law, Dan Brigham; daughter-in-law, Lynette Fuentes; siblings, Carmen Vega, Justina Tafoya, Henry Munoz, Fernando Munoz, Raymond Munoz, Louis Munoz, Modesta "Alice" Saenz. The family wishes to thank the staff at Neuro Trauma ICU and the Surgical ICU at Covenant-Cooper for their loving care and compassion. A funeral service will take place at 11 a.m. on Friday, October 4, 2019 at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1209 Hancock St., Pastor Sue Hand will officiate. Friends are welcome to visit with the family at the W.L. Case and Company Funeral Chapel, 4480 Mackinaw Rd. on Thursday, October 3, 2019 from 12-3 p.m. and 5-9 p.m., where the Rosary will be prayed at 2 p.m. led by Fr. Andrew Booms and a vigil service will be held at 8 p.m. led by Rev. Fr. John Mancini, OSFS. Sophia will lie in state at the church on Friday from 10 a.m. until time of the service. In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy may wish to consider memorials to Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, the American Lung Association or St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital. https://www.casefuneralhome.com.

Funeral Home:
W. L. Case and Company Mackinaw Funeral Chapel
4480 Mackinaw Road
Saginaw, MI
US 48603