1929
Anna
2020
Anna M Terrazas
July 22, 1929 — June 4, 2020
Calexico native Anna Maria (Mercado) Terrazas passed away from congestive heart failure on June 4, 2020 at LakeView Sharp Hospice in La Mesa, CA. Anna was the child of Dolores and Reyes Angel Mercado and had an identical twin, Maria Magdalena (Maggie) Goff who predeceased her in 2011.
Anna’s happiest day of her life was when she married the “Love of Her Life” Albert Terrazas whom she dated from 1947 until their marriage in 1953. They were married for almost 63 years until Albert passed in April of 2016.
Anna was a proud graduate of Calexico High School in 1949, always calling herself a “49er”. She helped organize many reunions of their classmates and included surrounding years, as their actual class size was small. She was also instrumental in putting together a “Black & White” Ball at the Hotel De Anza as a fundraiser for the Imperial Valley Museum. One of the most enduring traditions in El Centro that Anna started is the lighting of the “Luminarias” which started on their block of Sandalwood every 23 rd and 24 th of December. It has now become an annual tradition in El Centro and has been enjoyed by many families as a Christmas tradition.
Anna worked for the Calexico Chronicle from 1949 to 1970, covering local social events for the paper. In 1949, the Chronicle was both a stationery store and a newspaper. She then started with the Imperial Valley Press as Social Editor of the Calexico Bureau and wrote a column called “Border Brevities”. Anna was often called in to help with stories such as the Kiki Camarena story among others, using her bilingual capabilities to establish a liaison with newspapers such as La Voz de la Frontera in Mexicali. After 22 years, Anna retired from the IV Press to travel extensively with Albert, who retired from Imperial Savings.
Anna and her twin Maggie were members of the Calexico Women’s Improvement Club and they both spent time on various beautification projects and committees around their hometown. Anna was a co-founder of the Calexico Lioness Club and was on the committee responsible for Lioness Park near Calexico High School. After moving to El Centro in 1974, Anna remained tied to her hometown friends by forming the “Butterfly Bonche” which consisted of Lion’s Club wives. She also lunched regularly with her “Red Hat” girlfriends in El Centro and especially looked forward to participating in the gatherings of the Calexico pioneer group of women that called themselves “The Steel Magnolias”.
Besides the aforementioned, Anna was preceded in death by daughters Clarissa (Rissy) Marrs, a child who died as an infant, Marissa Terrazas and siblings Joe and Frank Mercado and Lupita Velasquez. She is survived by her youngest sibling Dolores (Loli) Torres and daughters Terry (Ron) Asamen and Lisa (Dave) Schmidt, grandchildren Edward Asamen, Andrea (Jimmy Gay) Asamen and Alexis (Josh Caserta) Asamen, David (Virggie) Fowler and Steven Fowler, Shelby Schmidt, Christopher Marrs, Vanessa (Tony) Rhea and Emily (Ed) Gonsalez and her ever-loyal dog Charlie. Anna had 12 great grand-children. Interment will be private due to Covid restrictions and a gathering for friends and family will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, Anna requests continued support of the Humane Society of Imperial County and the Sister Evelyn Mourey Center,
two causes dear to her heart.
Anna’s happiest day of her life was when she married the “Love of Her Life” Albert Terrazas whom she dated from 1947 until their marriage in 1953. They were married for almost 63 years until Albert passed in April of 2016.
Anna was a proud graduate of Calexico High School in 1949, always calling herself a “49er”. She helped organize many reunions of their classmates and included surrounding years, as their actual class size was small. She was also instrumental in putting together a “Black & White” Ball at the Hotel De Anza as a fundraiser for the Imperial Valley Museum. One of the most enduring traditions in El Centro that Anna started is the lighting of the “Luminarias” which started on their block of Sandalwood every 23 rd and 24 th of December. It has now become an annual tradition in El Centro and has been enjoyed by many families as a Christmas tradition.
Anna worked for the Calexico Chronicle from 1949 to 1970, covering local social events for the paper. In 1949, the Chronicle was both a stationery store and a newspaper. She then started with the Imperial Valley Press as Social Editor of the Calexico Bureau and wrote a column called “Border Brevities”. Anna was often called in to help with stories such as the Kiki Camarena story among others, using her bilingual capabilities to establish a liaison with newspapers such as La Voz de la Frontera in Mexicali. After 22 years, Anna retired from the IV Press to travel extensively with Albert, who retired from Imperial Savings.
Anna and her twin Maggie were members of the Calexico Women’s Improvement Club and they both spent time on various beautification projects and committees around their hometown. Anna was a co-founder of the Calexico Lioness Club and was on the committee responsible for Lioness Park near Calexico High School. After moving to El Centro in 1974, Anna remained tied to her hometown friends by forming the “Butterfly Bonche” which consisted of Lion’s Club wives. She also lunched regularly with her “Red Hat” girlfriends in El Centro and especially looked forward to participating in the gatherings of the Calexico pioneer group of women that called themselves “The Steel Magnolias”.
Besides the aforementioned, Anna was preceded in death by daughters Clarissa (Rissy) Marrs, a child who died as an infant, Marissa Terrazas and siblings Joe and Frank Mercado and Lupita Velasquez. She is survived by her youngest sibling Dolores (Loli) Torres and daughters Terry (Ron) Asamen and Lisa (Dave) Schmidt, grandchildren Edward Asamen, Andrea (Jimmy Gay) Asamen and Alexis (Josh Caserta) Asamen, David (Virggie) Fowler and Steven Fowler, Shelby Schmidt, Christopher Marrs, Vanessa (Tony) Rhea and Emily (Ed) Gonsalez and her ever-loyal dog Charlie. Anna had 12 great grand-children. Interment will be private due to Covid restrictions and a gathering for friends and family will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, Anna requests continued support of the Humane Society of Imperial County and the Sister Evelyn Mourey Center,
two causes dear to her heart.
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