Consuelo Solis Martinez

Consuelo Solis Martinez
December 28, 1940- July 9, 2020

Consuelo passed away at Knapp Medical Center on July 9, 2020.

She is survived by her husband, Dimas Martinez Sr, her children Dimas Jr, David (Lidia), Deborah Zavala, and Dalinda (Bernadette), nine grandchildren Dimas III, Alyssa (Josh), Ryan (Samantha), and their mother Anna, David Anthony (Selena), Veronica (Daniel), Eric, Danyella, Nicolas, and Briana (Benjamin), two great-grandchildren Zepelin and Melody; her siblings Elena Hernandez (Juan), Jose Maria (Estela ), Idalia Martinez (Genaro), Francisco (Emma), Juan (Berta), Lydia (Ernesto), Rosa Garcia, and David (Gloria) and many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents Encarnacion and Nicolasa R. Solis and her siblings Manuela Solis Soto, Rogelio Solis, and Encarnacion Jr Solis.

Chelo married Dimas and they grew up together as dancing partners who were always in step with each other. She was always his rock and even in her last days wanted to make sure he was taken care of. For 58 years, Consuelo stood by Dimas Sr. from migrant work to building a successful business. She made sure she counted every penny and her frugality was a well-taught lesson. Ask any grandchild if they ever think about ordering lemonade at a restaurant and they know not to because you can make your own with lemons and a sweetener. Chelo made the best of circumstances and although she and Dimas struggled financially early on, they built a business that has supported two generations and will support more in the future.

Big C, as she was called by her siblings, was the fifth eldest of 12 children. Early on she learned to make a lot of food such as tortillas and made it look easy. She learned to make very little go a long way. She was always looking for a good deal. Chelo came back from one of their northern migration years in Indiana and bought her and Dimas’ first home out in north Weslaco. A good discounted purchase was her jackpot, many times she did not need the item but possibly new someone who could benefit from the great find. She was always thinking of others.

Chelo was a warrior, a fighter; she was a breast cancer survivor. She never let an obstacle get in her way to better her family. While she may have left high school as a junior, she attended beauty school, and then she eventually earned a GED at the age of 34 to become a teacher’s aide. She then left that profession to help build Payless Properties LLC. There are countless stories of being a migrant farmworker with her family and then with Dimas. She made any place a home, including under a tarp as a roof tied to a tree and a work truck. She would help families identify and use resources for basic necessities when up north. Once she faced her fears of driving an open bed truck to a tomato plant. The bed of the truck was stacked with bushels of tomatoes to the hilt. Although scared, nervous, and pregnant, she found the will within her to not lose out any potential earnings for her family. This included making sure that you paid your entrance fee at Val Verde Flea Market, not a single quarter would get past her.

Chelo was always willing to lend a helping hand when one most needed it. If she could not help, she would find someone who would. There was never a time when she could not put together a great meal with whatever was at her disposal. Whether it was capirotada, champurrado, migas, calabacitas con pollo, chile, rice, or flour tortillas, she was a great cook. Nonetheless, she was a fan of Whataburger’s biscuits and gravy. Grandma Chelo wanted the best for her grandchildren and would say that she wanted a better life for each one. She was always ready to walk you through a cooking lesson, you just needed to know there were no measurements.

Chelo had an infectious laugh. She could never finish a joke before she would be laughing so hard from knowing the punch line. She traveled across the United States, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Mexico, and Canada. Most recently she loved her trips to the Grand Ol Opry, Graceland, and Vancouver, Canada. Chelo never met a stranger and could strike up a conversation with anyone. She loved her some drama and stories, whether it be about Jackie O, the Clintons, Ann Landers, Caso Cerrado or CNN; she had become a news junkie, explaining her distaste for the current political administration.

Consuelo was compassionate, determined, strong, and a woman of faith. She will be greatly missed by friends, family, and all those who were blessed to know her. The love she gave us from the start will carry us throughout our lives. May the Lord bless her soul and may she enter into the Lord’s eternal kingdom in heaven.

Flowers may be sent to McCaleb Funeral Home. If you wish to make a donation in memoriam, donations can be made to the American Diabetes Association or to the Texas Oncology Foundation. https://www.diabetes.org/donate/donate-memorial

https://www.texasoncologyfoundation.org/giving/donate-online


We are so thankful that you want to join us. Our mom knows and feels your love and would want you to stay safe and pray with us from the safety of your home. She would want us to gather in person in the future when we are no longer putting each other at risk. Please join us as we live-stream her services, available via Facebook or YouTube.

Serving as pallbearers will be Dimas Martinez III, Ryan Mathew Martinez, Nicolas Troy Zavala, Eric Michael Martinez, Joshua Andrew Goodridge, and Cody Casares. Honorary pallbearers are David Anthony Martinez, Daniel Young-Il Lee, and Benjamin Pico.

To watch live..

https://youtu.be/JG6r-gTFJdQ

Graveside services..
https://www.facebook.com/mccalebfuneralhome/?__tn__=%2Cd%2CP-R&eid=ARDD3bhPV8SsLT24cpmaZ0NE2ptC8Opg5xU5iGxoVM8y9bo6lEh0wGiXagv7oOolqEyS6nFovGIFjMVk