Frances Silva

October 1946
 - 
April 2023

Tribute

Our Queen Bee, Mom &, Nanners: Mom was born the 2nd of 7 children to Ruth and Frank Trujillo. Her older sister passed away at a young age, leaving her the eldest. Their childhood was tumultuous, but there were also fun times. They enjoyed going to the movies, the sisters would dance in the living room, and there was always a reason to find laughter. Mom worked for a time as a farm laborer in the grape and tomato fields (though that was a tough one and she only lasted one day before walking off the job). She met my father when she was in high school and they married in the late 1960s and had 2 children. After leaving the hot and dry fields of the Central Valley in CA and a divorce, she took a clerical job at an elementary school. She met so many friends during that time and would hang out with a group that called themselves the Pink Ladies. She enjoyed volunteer work and helped her sister raise her 2 young sons after her own divorce. She and my stepdad, Raul, raised my brother's two children from the time they were 6 months and 18 months old. They are now 27 and 23, respectively. Samantha, the eldest, has 3 children of her own and her mom absolutely loved them. The eldest, our 4-year-old mini-Mom, would sit with her after she returned home from living with me here in Bakersfield. They'd share popcorn, pickles, and other snacks while watching old Westerns, or Mom's favorites: Planet of the Apes, King Kong, and War for Planet of the Apes. She misses her Granny Fo-Franny so very much. And the twin boys were a delight to her, she loved clapping and singing to them every day. While living with me, my dog gained so much weight from his Granny feeding him her table scraps. With her gone, he has begun to lose weight. Mom would go on to become a radiology technician at the local hospital before retiring and taking on the role of the family caregiver. She watched my cousin's children from the time that his wife returned to work until they began preschool. The ladies at the kids' school thought she was the best Nanners because she attended every bike-a-thon, jog-a-thon, and grandparent's day. She would do this for all 3 of his children before having her first stroke in 2020. Mom was a vibrant woman. She loved to bowl once a week with her girlfriends. And she and Raul enjoyed traveling to Las Vegas and LOVED the Central Coast. She wouldn't get out of the car but would sit inside, bundled, watching everyone else walk and taking in the sound of the crashing waves. They also enjoyed going to the local casinos. She also LOVED to shop. With her small frame, she'd get lost within the shopping racks and we'd have to either circle the store looking for her or find a spot to sit until she surfaced at the check-out lanes. She was such a giving person, too. If it were her last dime, she would give it to those in need. She was an amazing cook, from rice and beans to shredded beef, fried chicken, and menudo every Christmas morning.

Friends & Family

Raul Silva, Samantha Jimenez & Cruz Vaca, Darla Flores, Marcellus & Castiel Vaca, Marcos & Sally Garcia and Family, Isabel & Robert Chavira, Frank & Pat Trujillo and family, Joe Trujillo and family, Elena Spice and family, Pauline Trujillo and family

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