serenity funeral home kansas city obituaries

She especially loved fresh squeezed orange juice from her tree in the morning. Her manicured backyard was filled with beautiful flowering plants and numerous fruit trees she planted such as fig, pomegranate, avocado, grapefruit, persimmon and orange. She was a member of the Santa Barbara Four Seasons Garden Club for many years. She appreciated the beauty in all plants, and the scientific names just slipped off her tongue with ease. She also volunteered as an OASIS volunteer serving seniors with transportation, grocery shopping needs and companionship.

In later years, she especially enjoyed spending time with her good friends at noon mass. All of her children attended Notre Dame Elementary School because she wanted us to truly learn the Catholic faith.įor many decades, she participated and supported the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Legion of Mary Societies. She loved supporting her Catholic church Our Lady Of Sorrows. Helen had a strong, humble and unshakable Catholic faith. Always striving to expose her children to interesting and educational experiences. She happily drove her daughters to ballet/Spanish dance classes, team sport activities, Girls Club, and sons to the Boys Club. Her family’s memories of Helen are sweet and endearing, “Mom was a quiet hero. Her absolute favorite dessert was made during Lent, Capirotada (Mexican bread pudding.) Yum! And don’t get us started on her love for Christmas tamales. In addition, she was an excellent cook she could skillfully turn out a healthy delicious meal for her family in no time. We still have those ornaments to this day. She was especially crafty, for example, teaching her children to make Christmas decorations that were uniquely organic in nature by using walnut shells, orange slices, leaves and pine cones. Helen was an excellent seamstress, sewing many beautiful Fiesta dresses for her daughters over the years. She composted before composting was a thing. She sported a cute pixie-cut and little to no make-up, she was just beautiful.

She wore Levis and sandals like a uniform in the summer. In the 1970s, Helen was the original hippie Mom. Helen worked tirelessly for her family, giving each of her six children love, great patience, a calming presence, lots of compassion, encouraging words, gentle hugs, positive advice, and sweet giggling smiles. She became a loving mother to six children: Suzanne, Richard Jr., Michelle, Michael, Marissa and Peter. Helen met the love of her life, our dad Richard Bañuelos in Santa Barbara at a Community Recreation Center dance on East Carrillo Street. She attended grammar and high school in Bakersfield. While growing up with her four siblings, she regularly helped at their neighborhood family store. Helen, born Elena Christina Castro, came into this world on May 17, 1931, in Bakersfield, California, daughter of Cirila and Manual Castro. 13, 2023, in her beloved Santa Barbara with her loved ones by her side. Our Mother and family matriarch Elena “Helen” Christina Bañuelos passed away on Dec. Santa Barbara Wedding Bliss: Your Complete Guide.

Serenity funeral home kansas city obituaries