Sara Lopez

Sara Flores Lopez passed away peacefully in her home on Thursday, September 24^th surrounded by her loving family.

She was born April 10, 1929 in Runge, Texas to Sebastian and Eulalia Perez Flores.

She was the oldest living child of 10, having lost an older sister that died at the age of two. Her siblings were Elias, Eliseo, Isaias, Josue, and Aureliano, Magdalena, Dorothea, Dominga, and Mamie.

In 1932 at the age of three, Sara’s parents took her and her brother Elias to Mexico. While in Mexico, Sara attended school and worked outside of her home at a young age. She learned housekeeping, cooking, and baking skills from the ladies that she worked for.

In 1946 at the age of 17, Sara returned to Texas with her mother and siblings. She helped raise her younger brothers and sisters. The family fell on hard times, and eventually she and her brothers made a home together in Wharton. She worked at the Wharton Steam Laundry, where she walked from Correll Street to work every day. She attended Bethel Church with her Aunt Epifania and Uncle Salvador Soto and accepted the Lord as her personal savior. Sara became ill with Tuberculosis. God mercifully answered the fervent prayers of the brothers and sisters from the church and healed her. Her most devout prayer at the time was that her brothers would know Christ. They eventually did, and four of her five brothers became ministers.

A young man named Daimus who recently returned from the US Army after World War II also attended Bethel Church and was friends with Sara’s brothers. Daimus and Sara fell in love and married on December 23, 1956. They lived on the farm where Daimus and his father were sharecroppers. Sara quit her job to help on the farm, and she and Daimus had five children: Noah, Ruben, Lydia, Gilbert, and Joel. Daimus went on to work at Texas Gulf Sulfur and bought a piece of the farmland to build a home. Sara continued to practice the culinary skills she learned by making enchilada plates, breakfast taquitos, and tamales and selling them to many customers and friends.

Sara was always an immaculate housekeeper. She returned to work at Wharton Steam Laundry when her youngest child went to school.

Throughout the years, Sara continued being a very active member of Bethel Church. She served in many leadership roles including secretary, treasurer, church Board Member, Sunday School teacher, and ladies group president. At a time when only men held leadership positions, she was elected as the first female church official. She was also elected as the first president of the women’s fellowship group and held that position for 24 years. She went to numerous conventions and district conferences as a church delegate. She facilitated fundraisers, helped whenever something needed to be done at church, and visited and prayed for the sick. She shared that CLADIC was the only organization she worked in and was happy to be a member for over 60 years. Sara was proud that she and Daimus hosted many clergy in their home over the years.

She attended adult continuing education classes where she learned to read and write in English and improved her speaking skills.

Sara was a true prayer warrior. We give thanks for her life and the example that she set for us to give thanks to God in everything. We will miss her greatly but know she is healed and rejoicing in Christ her Lord and Savior.

She is survived by her five children, Noah, Ruben and wife Jan Lopez, Lydia Reyna and husband Julian, Gilbert, and Joel and wife Carrie Lopez, her six grandchildren Joseph Lopez, Laura Reyna, Katie Reyna, Monica Reyna, Sara Lopez, Jared Lopez and Savannah Cessna, her great granddaughter Saylah Lopez, two brothers Rev. Elias Flores and Rev. Aureliano Flores, three sisters Magdalena Herrera, Dorothy Davila, Mamie Tello, beloved sister-in-laws Tiburcia, Florita, and Estella Flores, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Sara was preceded in death by her parents Sebastian Flores and Eulalia Perez Aguilar, husband Daimus Lopez, and siblings Rev. Isaias P. Flores, Rev. Eliseo Flores, Josue Flores, and Dominga Sauceda.

Pallbearers will be her four sons, son-in-law, and two grandsons, Noah Lopez, Ruben Lopez, Gilbert Lopez, Joel Lopez, Julian Reyna, Jared Lopez, and Joseph Lopez. Honorary Pallbearers are granddaughters Laura Reyna, Sara Lopez, Katie Reyna, and Monica Reyna, and great granddaughter Saylah Lopez.

A visitation will be held on Monday, September 28, 2020 at the Wharton Funeral Home from 5:00-7:00 pm with a wake service to follow at 7:00 pm. The funeral service will be held on Tuesday, September 29, 2020 at 11:00 am at the Wharton Funeral Home with the Interment to follow at Evergreen Memorial Park.

Services will be led by Pastor Dolores Perez of Bethel Church Wharton, and Reverend Mike Chavez of California will officiate the funeral.

Memorials in Memory of Sara F. Lopez may be made to the Bethel Church, P.O. Box 885, Wharton, TX 77488.

The family would like to give special thanks to Teresa Mireles, Ruby Andrade, and Lydia Andrade Rodriguez for so lovingly taking care of our beloved Mother and Grandmother.