Maria Matilde Hortencia Quinonez-Velazquez

August 29, 1954 - January 11, 2021

Maria Matilde Hortencia Quinonez-Velazquez, of Saint James, Missouri passed away on Monday, January 11, 2021 at Missouri Baptist Hospital in Saint Louis, Missouri at the age of 66. Hortencia, was the first child, and only daughter of the late Roberto and Aurora (Nunez) Quinonez. She was born on August 29, 1954 in La Campana, Durango, Mexico. At the age of three, she met the boy that she would marry 14 years later. He was six and his father offered a ride to Hortencia and her mother, Aurora, who were heading to get to the next town over. The driver had many sons and asked Hortencia’s mother to choose one for her beautiful daughter, jokingly she pointed at a green-eyed boy. Later, Hortencia moved to the U.S. and settled in Chicago, where her uncle owned multiple restaurants and she worked as a waitress during the day and at a factory by night, all to save and send back to her mother and seven brothers back home in Mexico. One day, Hortencia would bring her family to the U.S. At the age of 17 she married the love of her life, Margarito (Mark) Velazquez, and the union was blessed with three daughters. In 1994, they purchased a farm in Saint James, Missouri, and also a family business in Rolla, Missouri called the American Motor Inn which sadly was destroyed in a devastating fire years later. Hortencia and Mark enjoyed raising cattle, horses, as well as gardening. She had a green thumb when it came to flower beds and vegetables. She always shared the bounty with friends and family. She dedicated her entire life to making sure everyone was taken care of, sometimes sacrificing her own health and time to help those in need. She was a woman of God, praying daily and asking for guidance for herself and her family. She was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. She will be greatly missed by all that knew and loved her. Ma. Matilde Hortencia Velazquez is survived by Margarito, with whom she shared 46 years of marriage and daughters, Hortencia (Tiah) Samuelsson and husband Jonas of Rolla, Missouri, Maribel Contreras and husband Juan of Rolla, Missouri, and Violeta Quezada and husband Dolores, of Rolla, Missouri; Grandchildren, Marco Jevon Palomar, Lluvia Anahi Garcia, Sixto Jimenez, Miah Sarai Samuelsson and Miriam Isabel Contreras, Lissette and Liliana Quezada; Brothers, Roberto Quinonez of Mexico, Sergio Quinonez and wife Norma of IA, Jorge Quinonez of Chicago, IL, Joel Quinonez of Rolla, MO and Fransisco Javier Quinonez of Chicago, IL. She is preceded in death by her brother, Jesus Quinonez, and her parents, Roberto and Aurora Quinonez. Because of COVID-19, services will be private. Interment will be at the North Lawn Cemetery in Salem, MO. If you would be so gracious to help this family please go to https://gofund.me/ffd35704