A Registered 501(c)3 Public Charity

Sewing Across America

The Dee Gonzales Memorial Fund

Busy “Dee” Sewing Across America Getting Machines Into The Needy Hands Of Those Who Can See Rainbows

Agnes “Dee Dee” Gonzales, age 85, passed away on her and her husband’s (Andrew Gonzales) 67th wedding anniversary, on September 1, 2020. She was born October 6, 1934 in Rito Quemado, New Mexico. Her parents were Bernabel and Severita (Provencher) Tapia. After graduating from Albuquerque High, and landing a job as a paralegal assistant, she met her husband Andy via a “pen-pal” relationship while Andy was stationed in Korea. Andy returned to New Mexico after duty, his original place birth and married his sweetheart. Right after the wedding on September 1, 1953 the newlyweds “rolled out in a white Packard to California to start a family.” And that they did.

Dee Dee worked as a secretary for thirty years in various departments for the City of Richmond. Additionally, along with her husband Andy, she was involved in the Catholic Family Movement at saint Mark’s Church in the 1950’s. was a charting mem- ber and served as secretary for the United Council of Spanish Speaking Citizens (Concilio),and assisted her husband in operating a gardening business, which lasted close to fifty years. She was a member of St Mark’s, St Cornelius, St Paul’s, St Joseph’s and lastly St Patricks churches. More importantly than this is that Dee was a mother and pillar of strength and comfort, setting examples of empathy, love and for- giveness for 8 strong minded children. She beamed at them all and this gave them confidence. In a world of busyness, aggression, and worldliness, she projected family values, kindness and humility. She was offered a full ride scholarship by her attorney boss she she graduated from high school but chose the life of a mother and devoted wife instead. Her legacy lives on in her kids and the many others who she touched. Her love radiated to her eight children, twenty-two grandchildren and nineteen great- grandchildren and numerous nephews and nieces. May Agnes “Dee Dee” Tapia Gonzales, rest in peace till all unite again.

Why sewing machines?

Like most moms a lot of what Dee did for our family was unseen to out-siders. But, there is one time a year the outside world could see her dedication to our happiness. We are a family of 10 and every year our mom would make halloween costumes for each and everyone of us. The whole month was filled with commotion and happiness. Every stitch of our costumes was filled with her sacrifice and love. By sundown on Halloween we would tackle the streets and be on our candy quest. Sewing was a daily thing in our home and during this time in the heart of a pandemic I believe our mom would like to see young people learn how to sew. A sewing machine can be fun, creative, productive and potentially a source of income. Please contribute and help get sewing machines into our communities. We will be working with different places of worship, community outreach centers, and organizations that will help our moms legacy of love, respect and creative hard work to flourish across America. Contributors are welcomed to indicate a county or area you would like machines distributed.

Fund Administrators

  • Elizabeth Gonzales-Valle
  • Roberto Gonzales

CharitySmith accepts donations in two ways:

By Mail:
Sewing Across America
CharitySmith Nonprofit Foundation
13100 Filly Lane
Truckee, CA 96161
Online:
Use credit card by clicking the link below.

The above Memorial Fund is established as a division of Charitysmith Nonprofit Foundation (EIN 87-0636433). All donations are tax deductible in accordance with federal tax law. Receipts for tax purposes are sent via US Mail within two weeks of donation. Please consider asking if your employer participates in a gift-matching program. If so, your donation may be matched by your employer.

For questions regarding your donation or this memorial fund please contact CharitySmith.

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