Narciza Estrada

Narciza Estrada, a longtime Ambridge resident who left Mexico as a young bride in 1956 to start a new life in Southwestern Pennsylvania but never wavered in her religious faith, devotion to family and friends and pride in the food, music and traditions of her native Tierra Linda, died of natural causes Tuesday, March 4 at Heritage Valley Beaver. She was 90.

Known in her social circles as Alice or Licia, Mrs. Estrada saw the world in black and white, good and evil, much like studio wrestling, of which she was a fan from the days of Bruno Sammartino. Above all, she was a devoted Roman Catholic, praying the rosary eight times a day and, until her health began to decline, attended Mass regularly and walked daily.

Her biting sense of humor and faith in God, Jesus and Mary the Blessed Virgin braced her in the toughest of times. A frugal homemaker, she harvested vegetables from her backyard garden and turned-out plates of delicious food in the tiny kitchen of her home, where she raised her five children. She always made sure there were extra servings of food for visitors regardless of whether they wanted to eat or not.

During her early years in Ambridge, she hosted card games for the other Mexican families in town, her boisterous laughter-sometimes fueled by an occasional Highball-rose above the Ranchero music playing on the stereo. She volunteered weekly in the cafeteria of St. Veronica's Catholic School and sang in the church choir.

Born and raised in Michoacán, in west-central Mexico, she made efforts to maintain her connections to her home country. She arranged months-long family vacations to Mexico and fiercely defended Mexico in political debates.

She also passionately bragged about her grandchildren which amused her children because she often left the impression that they fell short of her standards.

Her husband, Louis Estrada, died in 1991. Survivors include her daughters, Rosemary (Timothy) Taddeo of Cranberry Township, Mimi Rosenblatt of Fairfax, Va., Marcie (Brian) Laughlin of Rockledge, Fla.; two sons, Louie (Lisa) Estrada of Nashville and Rudy (Trish) Estrada of Annapolis, Md.; and nine grandchildren, Ross and Tyler; Eva, Julia and Fredy; Kas and Mina; and Marley and Tobin.

Mrs. Estrada seemed to live the mantra: Give as good as you get. And she was dealt her fair share of bad hands. But she found joy as well in long summer evening walks through Ambridge's neighborhoods, watching her favorite shows, slot machines at casinos, singing, seeking out Spanish-speakers for random conversations, but perhaps most of all sitting around a dinner table with family and friends.

There was no public visitation.  Family and friends will gather on Saturday March 8, in the Good Samaritan Catholic Church-St. Luke the Evangelist Parish for a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 A.M.  Interment will follow in the Good Samaritan Catholic Cemetery.

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