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Teresa M. Michaels,
Her full given name at birth was:
Maria Teresa Ines (Murillo)
Born on Friday, April 20, 1923, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during a spring snowstorm. Teresa went home to be with Our Lord on Thursday, October 14, 2021, at the age of 98.
Teresa was the daughter of Aaron Murillo and Sofia (Canales) Murillo. She was always told that her parents took her outside following her birth and rubbed her with the fresh snow because they believed it would make her have a long healthy life.
Teresa was the fifth child, and the second daughter of 11 surviving births; 15 in total were delivered in her family, sadly not all lived.
Her father worked for The Santa Fe Railroad as they built it west to California. Their family grew as they traveled and they eventually settled down in Los Angeles, California. Teresa graduated from Lafayette Junior High with awards in Dramatic Arts. Then, with continued interests in the arts, she graduated from Thomas Jefferson Senior High School in 1942. In 1947 she graduated from Airline School and was poised to become a professional Stewardess. It was during that time that she and her sisters went out for a night of celebration and dancing at the Palladium Hollywood, where she met a young WWll Naval Sailor named, Charles John Michaels. She never did take the career path she studied for, instead, she became a wife on September 20, 1947, and then, a year later, she became a mother.
Teresa and Charles named their only child, a daughter, after her mother and her grandmother, Teresa Irene, Trina, she was the light of their lives. They bought their home in Pico Rivera in 1951 when Trina was 3 years old and they raised her there attending St. Mariana de Paredes Catholic Church and School. They proudly watched Trina graduate from El Rancho High School in 1967; then from Cosmetology College. In 1970 they saw their daughter married at their parish, to Mr. Cary L. McLerran. Then one year later, the birth of their only grandchild, Katrina Marie. Teresa was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother.
She was very tidy and loved to try various cleaning methods and beauty treatments. She had regularly scheduled home visits with Fuller Brush and Avon. Teresa was always well put together and prepared for company. She was very generous and gracious to everyone she knew. She was always ready to entertain them, she had snacks and a cold beer, ready to share. She was a part of, The Greatest Generation, and she believed in The Lord, her family, her country, and enjoying time with good friends. She liked to walk and shop and go out dancing. She enjoyed a good book and watching novellas. She loved good food; ate slowly and relished every bite. She loved her morning coffee and something sweet to go with it. She didn’t like to cook, luckily her husband did; but when she did cook it was always delicious.
When her beloved husband passed away in 1993, she kept her home and she continued to keep busy. Her granddaughter married Scott Sampley in 1994. Teresa had 4 great-grandchildren, Timothy, Caitlyn, Cassidy, and Addison.
She was so loved and she was always ready to spend time with her loved ones. They loved and enjoyed being with her; sharing so many beautiful memories together and soaking up her stories and her glorious laughter. To say that she will be missed, would be an understatement. Teresa Michaels was a strong, beautiful woman with a heart of gold, and a gracious soul. She was loved by all who knew her.
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