Mary C. Miranda went to join family and friends in heaven on February 19, 2019, at 96 years of age.

She was born on November 25, 1922 in Red Bluff. We are not sure at what age her family migrated to Ferndale, but we know she attended the one room Grizzly Bluff Schoolhouse in Ferndale. At the age of twelve she competed as a member of the girls’ drill team for the Ferndale Portuguese Lodge.

With her parents’ consent, at the age of 16, she married her next door neighbor, Jack Miranda Jr. They had 51 loving years together before his death. The two of them spent many years salmon fishing in the ocean and on the Eel River, even though neither one knew how to swim. Often they had contests to see who would catch the most or largest fish.

She lived most of her life in Rio Dell and Metropolitan, surviving two floods and losing her house in the 1964 flood. At her time of death, she was residing at Lidia’s Blessed Home in Modesto, near her oldest daughter, Patsy.

Mary was a homemaker most of her life, raising four children, but worked briefly in a potato processing plant in Loleta, at Rio Dell Florist and at Snell’s Variety in Rio Dell.

After being widowed twenty-eight years ago, Mary donated much of her time to Scotia Elementary School, working in her grandchildren’s classes. When they became too old to have “Avó”, as she was affectionately called, work in their rooms, Mary helped in her daughter Jackie’s kindergarten classroom, becoming “grandma” to many students. In 2000, she was awarded the Golden Bear Award by the Scotia PTO, for her many hours of service to the school. Mary also volunteered as a “Pink Lady” at Redwood Memorial Hospital for nearly fourteen years. She belonged to TOPS, as well as Catholic Daughters of America and St. Patrick’s Altar Society. Mary was a fantastic ticket seller for those organizations’ fundraisers and made many lasting friendships. She was a longtime member of St. Patrick’s Church in Scotia before her illness.

Mary was an avid crocheter, having made afghans for family members, wedding presents and raffle donations. She was a perfectionist when it came to crocheting, often ripping out nearly an entire project because she found a mistake. She also gifted family and friends with more Christmas Angels, snowflakes and Easter eggs than we could count.

One of the highlights of her life was a trip to Portugal/Azores with her oldest daughter, Patsy. She also thoroughly enjoyed the Ensenada cruise she went on with her daughters and families for her 80 birthday.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband Jack, son Joe, her parents and parents-in-law, two brothers, three brothers-in-law, and two sisters-in-law. She is survived by daughters, Patsy Freitas (David), Newman, California; Judy Barbata, Fort Collins, Colorado; Jackie Eicholtz (David), Fortuna; daughter-in-law Crystal Miranda, Pasadena; sister-in-law, Joyce Miranda, Ferndale; seven grandchildren; seven great grandchildren; one great-great grandchild; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Viewing will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, March 1st, followed by the recitation of the Rosary, 7 p.m. at Goble’s Fortuna Mortuary. Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10 a.m., Saturday, March 2, 2019, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Fortuna. Interment will follow immediately at Fortuna Sunrise Cemetery.

The family would like to thank the River House and Lidia’s Blessed Home, along with their employees, for the wonderful care provided to our mother.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Bristol Hospice 374 East Yosemite Ave. Ste 200 Merced, CA 95340 or your favorite charity.

###

The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Mary Miranda’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.