Felipe M. Eureste, Jr.

Felipe M. Eureste, Jr. was called home on May 4, 2018, a week short of his 84th birthday. He was born .May 10, 1934 in Gonzales County to Felipe R. Eureste, Sr. and Anita Melchor Eureste. He was a lifelong member of St. Patrick Catholic Church of Waelder.

He attended Waelder Independent School District and graduated valedictorian of his senior class. Felipe was the first Hispanic to receive this honor at Waelder High School — which during the 1950s — was an amazing feat. Throughout his life people knew him as a brilliant person, very intelligent and dedicated. Felipe honorably served in the United States Army during the Korean War.

He worked for his father in the family business, Eureste’s Grocery Store, for a period of time before going to work as a telegraph operator for the Southern Pacific Railroad and retired after numerous years of employment.

Felipe enjoyed playing pool, cards and dominoes with his friends. He loved bingo games at the nursing home. He was a resident of the Texan Nursing Home for 9 years where he was comfortable and content. Felipe will be remembered by his grandchildren as the “cookie thief.” During holiday parties at the nursing home, we’d be seated together and if the kids looked away or happened to walk away to grab another dessert, the cookies that they were saving for last somehow managed to disappear. Dad would snatch the unattended cookies and place them in his pocket to squirrel away for later.

Felipe is survived by daughter Ermelinda Gonzales (Steve); sons, Andy Eureste (Mary) and Jaime Eureste, all of Gonzales; grandchildren, Whitley Gonzales, Matthew Eureste, Hunter Gonzales, Noah Gonzales, Angelica Eureste and Iris Eureste, all of Gonzales; and extended family in Waelder and San Antonio. He was preceded in death by his parents and sisters, Ernestina Quintero, Celia Almaguer and Bernarda Buentello.

Visitation will be held from 5 - 7 p.m. Tuesday evening with a rosary being recited at 7 p.m. by Carney Zambrano all in Seydler-Hill Funeral Home. A mass of Christian burial will be held on Wednesday, May 9 at 10 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waelder with Father Paul Raaz officiating. Burial with military honors will be in the Waelder Community Cemetery. Pallbearers are Paul Quintero, Jr., Romeo Ortiz, Felix Estrada, Daniel Cedillo, Felipe Martinez, Jr. and Abelardo Ibarra, Jr. Honorary pallbearers are Abelardo Ibarra, Sr., Jesse Almaraz and Roy Tovar.

Services are under the care and direction of Seydler-Hill Funeral Home.