Maria D. Ramirez was a loving, sacrificing mother of five children. She came to the United States from Jalisco, Mexico in 1946 when she was 18 years old. To do so, she not only sacrificed leaving her family, but also her identity as she took on her sister-in-law's name and Social Security number, becoming "Ernestina Rojas." Her sister-in-law gave Maria her Social Security card and birth certificate, telling her that she would no longer return to the United States because she was married to Maria's brother.  Now as Ernestina Rojas, she set out to create a new life for herself in the States. She met Cirilo Edrosolan in 1948 and married two years later at the young age of 20. She began her career as a seamstress working at a sewing factory for over thirty years, paying into the Social Security system.  Soon enough, she gave birth to 5 beautiful children and raised them to the best of her ability. Never asking for a handout, she worked night and day and side jobs on the weekends, just to provide for her new family.  

In Feb 2015, she was admitted into the ICU at St. John's Hospital in California, where the hospital informed her family that she had no medical insurance to cover the cost. They stated that "Ernestina Rojas" was dead. It was only until later that year that the truth was uncovered. Unbeknownest to Maria and her family, the real "Ernestina Rojas" had apparently moved back to the States and had also been collecting medical benefits through Social Security that Maria Ramirez had paid into the system to receive. Now, upon the death of the real "Ernestina Rojas," the Social Security office stopped all benefits to Maria Ramirez, even though it was she who paid into the system for over 30 years.  From that point on, the United States no longer recognized her as a citizen, giving her no Social Security number or the ability to apply to receive medical benefits. Therefore, all bills had to be paid for in full by her family, causing a hardship on all of her children.

It was with great sadness that we lost Maria Ramirez on March 22, 2016. After over a year of hospital visits and various medications, she joined her husband Cirilo in heaven, leaving her family with fond memories, but also thousands of dollars worth of unpaid medical expenses and funeral costs. 

If you would like to contribute to honor the matriarch of our family, any contribution would be greatly appreciated and utilized to pay for her funeral costs and outstanding medical bills.

It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to our beloved mother, grandmother, and friend. 

God Bless!