Corina Medrano

Corina Medrano, 89, born on November 23, 1923, in El Paso, Texas, passed away January 15, 2013. She resided in Hemet, California at the time of her passing. Arrangements are under the direction of Forest Lawn, Glendale, California.

Corina was the first of 7 children of Adolfo and Consuelo Elias, of El Paso, Texas and the first grandchild of Albino and Esperidonia Elias of Silver City, New Mexico. Her siblings are Leonor Ortiz (deceased), Adolfo (Fito) Elias, Jr. Aurora Guevara, Consuelo Hernández (deceased), Emma DeFina and Carmen Valero.
She attended Bowie High School in El Paso and for many years enjoyed the school reunions held in Los Angeles, California. She married at a young age and had two daughters, Yolanda and Dora (Mitzi). The marriage did not survive, and as a young single Mom she studied and became a Licensed Vocational Nurse and worked at the El Paso General Hospital.

After a two year courtship she married Luis Medrano, also of El Paso, who legally adopted Yolanda and Dora. A year later their son Louis (Guy) Medrano was born. While visiting her family and vacationing in Los Angeles, California, they recognized the opportunities and better way of life for the family, and decided to move and make it their new home. Their second son David (Sonny) Medrano was born in Los Angeles. She worked for 15 years as an LVN Surgical Nurse at the Los Angeles County General Hospital. In addition, they invested in income properties. She always credited her father, Adolfo Elias, for her understanding of the value of investing in real estate, which she succeeded at for many years. She enjoyed camping, the California beaches, National Parks, discovering new sites and vacationing throughout the west coastal states and into Canada. She enjoyed sharing these new experiences and sites, with family who visited from out of state. These excursions included visits to Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, which she loved so much, that she made all her arrangements for it to be her final resting place almost 50 years ago.

After back surgery for a spinal fusion she left nursing and obtained her GED. In order to change careers, she studied to obtain education certifications in school counseling and worked in that capacity for the Los Angeles Unified School District for about 10 years.

She and her husband retired to a beach property in Carlsbad, California where she lived for about 25 years. In retirement her interests were many. Her love for travel continued, and their vacationing expanded to include several foreign countries. She became a foster parent and cared for several foster children. She loved flowers, and took pride in her beautiful prized Dahlia's that filled her garden. The Yellow Rose was her favorite flower, reminding her of the cotton fields of Texas and the song "The Yellow Rose of Texas". All her life she loved to dance and sing especially old Mexican Ballads accompanied by the guitar. In her senior years she learned to play the guitar and ukulele, and would occasionally join the Senior Center Quartet Singers in a song or two. Her constant companions were her beloved Mexican Chihuahua's "Chiquita" and "Tiger" who would sleep at her feet and accompany her with their "howls" every time she began to sing. She also took up quilting, which she enjoyed sewing on her antique Singer sewing machine. One of her quilts received an award.

In 2001 she moved to Hemet, California to be closer to her daughters and son-in-laws who lived in Hemet and Rancho Mirage, and her son Louis (Guy) who lived in the Los Angeles area. She walked a little slower now; however her heart was very strong, her mind and memory always sharp and her will was unrelenting. Her daughter Yolanda's death of cancer in 2007 and Yolanda's husband Alfonso's death of a heart attack 6 months later, who lived near her, affected her deeply. However, with her strong heart and will, she always rallied forward.

The rest of her immediate family lived and worked in other areas and often traveled for their jobs. During the coming years and until her passing she enjoyed the company of her Son-in-Law Mark Rodriguez who lives close to Hemet in Rancho Mirage, and she appreciated his assistance. Mark filled the void left by Yolanda and Alfonso's passing for assistance with her daily needs. She continued to enjoy visits, assistance and phone calls from her daughter Dora (Mitzi) Rodriguez who took care of her personal affairs and son Louis (Guy) Medrano as well as visits and phone calls from her grandchildren, sisters and other family and friends from other areas of California and Texas. Like in Carlsbad, CA she had good neighbors and friends in Hemet. She lived alone, but was not alone.

In 2011acknowledging she needed more than just a few hours of daily assistance she moved to an apartment at "Legend Gardens" , a small private Assisted Living facility in Palm Desert, California where attendants were available to see to her personal needs on a 24/7 basis. She enjoyed their daily companionship, loving care and friendships. Here she was also closer to her doctors at Eisenhower Medical Center.

During her final days her immediate family was constantly at her side and she spoke with her sisters, grandchildren and other family members by phone.

She is much loved and we will miss her.

She is survived by her children, Dora (Mitzi) Rodriguez of Rancho Mirage, CA; Louis (Guy) Medrano of San Dimas, CA; David (Sonny) Medrano; grandchildren Louis Ochoa and Monica Ochoa of Westminster, CA.; Eric Rodriguez of Sherman Oaks, CA; Michael Rodriguez and wife Tricia of San Jose, CA ; Adriana Castaneda, of San Dimas, CA, Louis Medrano, Jr.; Laura Medrano; David Medrano, Jr.; Carmen Medrano; great-grandchildren, Johnny Avalos, Andrew Avalos, Devin Castaneda, Elena Castaneda all of San Demas, CA; and Kayla Ann Rodriguez of San Jose, CA; brother Adolfo Elias, Jr. of El Cerrito, CA; sisters Aurora Guevara of Oakland, CA; Emma DeFina of Thousand Oaks, CA; and Carmen Valero of El Paso, TX.