Beatrice Tovar

The Funeral Service for Beatrice Sotelo Tovar of Albert Lea will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Friday, May 29, 2009 at St. Theodore Catholic Church. Father James Berning and Deacon Mike Ellis will officiate. Interment will be in St. Theodore Cemetery . Visitation will be from 4-8 P.M. on Thursday at Bonnerup Funeral Service, 525 W. Clark Street , Albert Lea , and one hour before the service at the church. There will be a Rosary Service at 7:00 P.M. Thursday at the funeral home.

Beatrice died on Monday, May 25, 2009 at the Albert Lea Medical Center at the age of 88. She was born on January 14, 1921, in Calvin , Texas , the daughter of

Stanley and Mary (Tennerias) Sotelo. As a young girl, Beatrice’s family moved to Minnesota . She grew up in Elmore and worked with her family in the fields. Her father died when she was 18, and Beatrice helped her mother raise her younger siblings. Shortly after her father died, the Sotelo family moved to Albert Lea and bought a home. It was in Albert Lea that she met and married her husband Clarence E. Tovar SR. They were married on April 26, 1947 and made Albert Lea their home. In addition to raising her family, Beatrice also worked at Clothing Care, Wilson ’s and Land O’ Lakes before retiring. She and Clarence had also worked together to clean several area homes and businesses. Beatrice loved making her house a home and was there to help raise her grandchildren. She enjoyed crocheting, making quilts and doilies, and cooking her favorite tortillas and tamales for all the family gatherings. She loved to dance and visit, and was “the best” of storytellers.

She is survived and will be greatly missed by her family which includes four children:

Clarence Tovar Jr. (Porky) and his wife Cathy, Terry Hutchins, Toni Tovar and special friend Jay Kiel and Paula Munkberg and her husband Kyle; daughter/

granddaughter Jamie Berg all of Albert Lea; daughter-in-law Jan Anderson; grandchildren: Jessica Tovar, Melissa (Doug) Griffith, Rachel Hutchins all of Albert Lea, Elias Tovar and his wife Brianna of Minneapolis, Luke Cardona and Andrew Anderson of Albert Lea, great grandchildren Seth and Skyler Tovar and Selah Griffith, sister Elveda Echevarria of Fort Dodge, IA, brother Tony Sotelo and his wife Dorothy of Woodhull, ILL, brother-in-laws Ray Tovar of Albert Lea, Dean Hiracheta of Fort Dodge, IA, Abad Gasca of Stewartville, MN and Frank Galvan of Rochester, MN, and many, many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Clarence E. Tovar Sr. in 2000, sons: Richard in infancy and Stanley “Babe” Tovar, son-in-law Tim Hutchins, brothers and sisters: Rosie Galvan, Otto Sotelo, Lolly Sotelo, Elma Mejia, Carmella Hiracheta, Onofre “Joe” Sotelo and his wife Naomi, Adela Gasca and brother-in-law Charlie Echevarria.

Beatrice was the heart of our family, she will be deeply missed and fondly remembered.