Emilia Cruz Barraza

Emilia Cruz  Barraza was born on February 7, 1959, in Los Angeles, California to Genaro Barraza and Julia Cruz Barraza. Emilia was also known as Emily by all her family and friends. Emily passed away on February 14, 2024, in Victorville, California, at the age of sixty-five. Of her five siblings David, Danny, Esther, and Ernie, Emily was the second oldest.  Emily and her only sister, Esther, were the best of friends. Emily was survived by her three adult children Nicole Moreno, Raymond Delgado, and Evelyn Webb, and her four grandchildren Jose Moreno III, Cecilia Moreno, Isaac Moreno, Oliver Webb, and soon-to-be second granddaughter Zoey Webb.

Emily grew up in La Puente, California where she graduated from Bassett High School in 1977.  She gave her life to the Lord in 1991 and attended Victory Outreach, in Pomona, California.  She moved to the High Desert in the 1990s to pursue property management and she began attending Praise Chapel Hesperia, where she soon started serving in the children’s ministry, which led to her opening up her own business in childcare.  She held this business for nearly 15 years.  Becoming a successful business owner allowed her to be at home with her own children while taking care of the children of her friends and family.  

She was dedicated to raising her three children and teaching them to love the Lord as she did.  Emily also loved being a Nana, she even had a personal tradition with her grandchildren that she loved to do called “Nana nights”, where she would buy snacks and have all the kids sleep in her room (while she fell asleep) and all the grandkids watched movies all night. Emily loved to sew and loved teaching her granddaughter, Cecilia, how to sew.

Emily loved being a part of her church community and serving in the church.  She was involved in church plays and would often make the costumes for the plays.  She was a Sunday school teacher for many years, which led her and a friend to start a ministry titled G.I.R.L.S (God Inspired Real Ladies Spiritually). Emily and her friend served in this ministry for five years.  Emily then served as the leader of the children’s ministry.  She made costumes for the children’s plays and organized special events such as the annual trunk or treat, Easter plays, and Christmas plays, she also did the children’s choir along with making all the props, robes, and even the microphones.  She also helped with revival and outreach events.  She also looked forward to the annual women’s tea and enjoyed assisting with that every year.  She discovered that she loved ministering to single moms and she loved worship. Of all the areas in church that she served in her heart was always with the children. Emily was generous with her talent to create by helping in all of these ministries in her church.  Before she passed she was serving as one of the church administrators and in the hospitality ministry.  According to scripture, she ended her life well, in the service of the Lord, and she can now rest for her hard work because all her years of good deeds followed her home to heaven.

Emily enjoyed making keepsakes for all events because she was a creative and artsy woman.  Emily loved cooking for her family and was known for her delicious cooking; she loved making egg rolls for her favorite son.  She also enjoyed making homemade cakes for anyone, she was famously known for her frosting, her banana cake, and her pineapple cake and everyone loved her enchiladas.  Emily’s favorite holidays were Easter and Christmas, every Christmas she would make tamales, enough to feed an army.  Emily had a contagious laugh and she enjoyed making others laugh, she would even laugh at her own jokes.  She would always try to uplift others.  

Emily was known for her hard work because serving others was her love language.  She was a loving mother, a very humble, giving person and she expressed herself by helping others. Emily would always go above and beyond for her family but most importantly she sacrificed for her children. Her faith and her family were always her number one priority.  She loved being a mom, a nana, a sister, an aunt, and a friend.  

Emily touched the lives of many through her, kind and mothering nature, her incredible will to care for and help others, and her ability to nurture and show compassion was remarkable.  Emily can be described in many beautiful ways and she will be remembered as a loving, faith-driven believer.  She was funny, creative, a family cornerstone, a confidant, a matriarch who provided endlessly for her family. She was full of compassionate and loved people.  One thing Emily would want to be remembered as is someone who loved people.  Emily leaves behind a beautiful, rich, and priceless legacy to her children and grandchildren that surpassed this life and that is the life she now lives in eternity with her Lord and Savior.  In love, we celebrate the life Emily lived here on earth and the legacy she leaves behind.