Isabel Cortez

Isabel Elizondo Cortez passed away on December 9, 2020. She was born on January 11, 1942 in the farming community of Nell, Texas. She attended Pawnee Elementary and High School and was ranked number two in her class before leaving school to help her family after her mother lost her hearing.

She met her future husband, Ernan A. Cortez, Jr., while both were working in Three Rivers. They married on August 9, 1964 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. They raised their five children in George West and were self-employed business owners. Their ventures included services stations, food service, and rental properties.

Mrs. Cortez was a voracious reader who enjoyed reading multiple south Texas local newspapers. Isabel Cortez not only instilled a love of reading but also had very high academic expectations for all of her children and grandchildren. Her children and grandchildren include teachers, principals, attorneys, engineers, and future nurses. She was a proud supporter of the colleges and universities attended by her children and grandchildren: The University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M, College Station, Texas A&M, Corpus Christi, Texas Christian University, The University of the Incarnate Word, Georgetown Law Center, South Texas College of Law. Granny loved football and spent many weekends attending her son’s football games while he played football for TCU. In her later years, Saturdays were spent cheering on the TCU Horned Frogs and the Texas Longhorns at home.

She was an avid storyteller and shared wonderful memories of growing up on a farm with a large family and many friends. Upon retirement, she enjoyed spending time caring for her mother while she was a resident at the Live Oak Nursing Center as well as visiting her elderly friends. She loved to cook for her friends and family. Her children will spend the rest of their lives trying to perfect her many wonderful recipes. As her health and mobility declined, she continued to offer advice and guidance (solicited and unsolicited) to her children and grandchildren.

Her Catholic faith was an inspiration to all who knew her. She was a parishioner at St. George Catholic Church and a member of the Altar Society for many years. If anyone needed help or guidance, she would pray her rosary for their intentions. She always gave God credit for her many blessings and her children’s successes. Her wisdom and wit will be missed by her family and friends.

She is survived by her husband, Ernan A. Cortez; who will be unable to attend the services due to hospitalization; daughter Cynthia (Blant) Miller of George West and grandchildren Marcus N. Miller and Morgan Christine Miller; daughter Corina Cortez of Washington D.C.; daughter Christina (Mike) Cortez-Gaza of San Antonio and grandson Blake Michael Gaza; son Edward (Susan) of Corpus Christi, Texas and grandchildren Emily Claire, Kelly Nicole, and Jack Edward; and son Mark (Brooke) of Celina, Texas and grandchildren John Caleb, Marissa Isabel, and Joshua Marc.

Other survivors include her sisters, Frances (Oscar) Guerrero of Spring Branch, Connie Gibson of San Antonio, Bertha Cuevas of San Angelo, and Antonia Aguirre of Pawnee.

A Rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Friday, December 11, at St. George Catholic Church.

The funeral Mass will be celebrated there at 1 p.m. Saturday, December 12, with Father Romeo Salinas officiating. Burial will follow at St. George Catholic Cemetery.

Serving as pallbearers will be her grandsons, Marcus N. Miller, John Caleb Cortez, Jack Edward Cortez and Joshua Marc Cortez; and Cosme Arciba, Pepe Garcia, Edmund Garza and Doyle Kornegay.

Honorary pallbearers will be all of her beloved Cortez and Elizondo nephews.