Obituary of Lobaida Maria De Herrera

Lobaida Mary De Herrera, 84, of Lodi, California, passed away peacefully with family by her side on February 3, 2023. She was born Lobaida Mary Blea on September 23, 1938, in Conejos County, Colorado, in a rural area of Antonito called La Florida. Lobaida has gone up that heavenly corridor to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus and to rejoin her husband, John Orlando De Herrera (Married 60 yrs. and one month at the time of his passing). Lobaida was quite a wonderful homemaker with skills that she developed earlier in her life, long before she left the family home in Colorado. She was the second oldest to six younger siblings, which she was expected to help look after, along with a couple of her cousins. She came to California in the early 50s with her aunt and uncle and lived with them for a short time to help with their two children. Two short years later, she met the man who would become her husband, and the two were married on December 6, 1953. Her husband was the proprietor of a Chevron service station in Thornton, CA. As she continued the homemaker/housewife role, they soon became the parents of three children (born in 55' a boy, 57' a girl, and 59' a boy). The homemaking skills she had honed early on will now come in handy. As a few years went by and the family business continued to grow, Lobaida took on part-time bookkeeping of the business records and was the deliverer of auto parts to the Chevron station they owned. And yet somehow, between juggling tasks of both home and business, she was still able to do a remarkable job raising her children. Her children were always kept clean and neatly dressed. Everything she did with or for her children was done with the utmost love. She gave her children guidance with schoolwork and school activities. She was the best cook in all the land as she made everything fresh and from scratch and always provided a delicious meal on the table. By the mid-60s, another baby was on the way, and she gave birth to her third son. By that time, the older siblings were occasionally available to help take up some of the slack. Lobaida was a strong woman of faith and enjoyed morning Devotionals, Bible studies with her friends, and worship on Sundays, where she sang songs and hymns regularly. She was often asked to sing for celebrations of life for her friends and relatives. She could sing at a very high level with a beautiful vibrato, near-perfect pitch, and timing. She was constantly singing at home, and music was always present in the household. She also enjoyed bowling with her family and friends and even joined bowling leagues. She enjoyed family camping. She especially loved cooking breakfast in the morning up in the mountain campsites. She enjoyed family bike rides on the American River Bikeway in Sacramento. She was the Ultimate/Classic/Traditional stay-at-home mother/housewife that could ever be. Lobaida didn't have a college degree, but she did have an ever-present inner sense of always knowing what would be best for her family, which is one thing that cannot be taught. She lived all her years with an overflowing motherly love for her family. Lobaida is survived by one daughter Gloria Lechich of Stockton, CA, and three sons, Ron De Herrera of Boise, ID, John De Herrera (Jill), and Mike De Herrera(Lisa), both of Lodi, California. She also leaves behind three sisters Janey McClung (Larry) of Myrtle Beach, SC, Maryann Wilkins (John) of Fredericksburg, VA, Dianna Hernandez of Denver, CO, and one brother Edwin Blea (Arla) of Denver, CO. Lobaida also leaves behind ten grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Lobaida also rejoins in heaven her late parents, Benino and Raquela Blea, sisters Stella McFarlane and Loraine Huntley, and brother Tony Blea. Her interment will be held at Cherokee Memorial Park Friday, February 17, at 1:30 p.m. A celebration of her life will be planned at a later date.