04/12/58 - 05/17/00

      

Michael A. Jimenez
April 12, 1958 - May 17, 2000

The year of 1975, our brother joined the Navy and serviced for 4 years.  He enlisted at a very young age.  Our mother had to sign for him in order to be able to join the Navy.  The service shaped him into a man.  Four years in the service, our brother came home a different person.  He went in as a boy and came home a  man.

Our brother was an outdoors man.  He loved fishing, camping, cooking and most of all he loved just being out in the mountains.   Where the wind blows, the rivers run and the sun shines on the face of the water our brother felt that he was home.  He was quite a craftsman.  He took pride in all he did.  Cooking is also something he enjoyed doing.  He always cooked meals for our mother.  He was a good cook.  To our brother, family was very important.  He took the time to visit and get to know his relatives.  Family values were high on his list.

Our brother Michael had one special place in his heart for the elders.  He would do jobs for them, any type of maintenance work that was needed.  He would fix their wells, do plumbing, electrical and any type of work that was needed to be done around their homes.  These elders would pay him with food, fruit and even a live turkey or chicken.  They has no money to pay him.  Our brother would take whatever was offered in payment.  He did not want to hurt their feelings.  His main objective was to help in any way he could.  Payment was not what he wanted.  In his heart he just wanted to help those that could not help themselves.

We were a family of 5 children, now we are 4.  As the years go by we still find it very hard, knowing that he is gone.   We want to believe that it’s just a bad dream and that we will wake up soon.  I don’t know how long it takes for the pain to go away.  It seems like just yesterday that our brother was murdered.  Only GOD helps us get through everyday.  Memories are all we have.  Birthdays and holidays seem so empty without him.  Our brother has been taken away from us but thanks to GOD for memories, they can never take our memories away.  We love you Michael, we will all hold the many lovely memories and the love you gave us in our hearts forever.

Mom, Judy, Dorothy, Louise and Peter