Lydia T. Garza

Lydia Garza Saenz entered into eternal rest on Friday, December 6, 2024, at Mission Regional Hospital with her daughters Aissa and Linda by her side. How do you write a description of someone so legendary, so grand, that they were grander than life itself? Lydia Garza Saenz and her 87 years of life were full of love, adventure, trailblazing, and love of Rio Grande City. Lydia was born on February 10, 1937, to Martin P Garza and Teodora Carrera. She is lovingly survived by two daughters Aissa L Diaz of Rio Grande City and Linda Molina of San Antonio, two grandchildren Anaissa Georgette Diaz of Rio Grande City and Miller Maximilliano Molina of San Antonio, two sons-in-law George Diaz of New Braunfels and Tim Molina of Dallas and a brother Marco Garza of Rio Grande City. She was preceded in death by her parents Martin P Garza and Teodora Carrera, brother Martin Garza Jr, sister Linda Diana Garza, husband Blas Pedro Saenz, and children Marisela Garza Carbajal and Francisco Garza Jr.Lydia was a graduate of Pan American College and often spoke of her adventures traveling every day from Rio Grande City to Edinburg to pursue an education. She is well known for encouraging students to get as much education as possible and has given many scholarships in her community throughout her life. She always believed that everyone has the potential to succeed if they had encouragement, so she spent a great deal of time with the youth in her community. She lived her life with the belief that community service was her responsibility and her mission. She would talk to everyone who came across her path because she truly believed that everyone was worth knowing. She was a proud member of the Florence J Scott Women’s Club and devoted much of her time to working on various projects to help her beloved community. She grew up in her parents’ store “La Tienda de Teodora” where she developed her love of fabrics and business. She loved going to the market in Dallas to look for merchandise for her parent’s store and always looked forward to those trips. She also loved clothes and wore them well, so much so that she captured the eye of Max Kerr, a photographer. She spent many of her Pan American College years posing for Max and together they won many photo contests. Lydia spent all of her life in the business world, from helping in her parents' store to opening the first Chevrolet Dealership in Rio Grande City (Rio Motors), and Garza Insurance Agency, which has been open for over fifty years and continues to be an anchor business in the town. Ever the entrepreneur, she always had an eye out for new projects. Her success comes from her parents who taught her to treat people with respect and to never let a customer leave without buying something. Above all Lydia loved her family very much and did everything she could for them. At an early age, she was taught to take care of family and she did that to the very end. She lived a fascinating life because of her unwillingness to give up. If something didn’t work, she would just try it another way until she found a way to get it done. Giving up was never an option for her, all she knew was, “I will find a way.”She was a beautiful mom, she was a butterfly, a fighter, a champion, and a believer. She is everything we all hope to be. Her grandson, Miller, called her Sparkly Granny. Even while she was solving larger, complex problems, and taking on challenges and adventures, she always needed glitter makeup, nail polish, or jewelry, anything to shine. She raised us by setting the example – and she still does. Her family vows to carry on her legacy and to shine while we do.

Rio Grande City - Lydia T. Garza, 87, died Friday, December 06, 2024, at Mission Regional Medical Center in Mission, TX. Funeral arrangements will be under the direction of Sanchez Funeral Home in Rio Grande City, TX.