Abel Montoya

Abel Montoya, of Kosse, passed away at home on Saturday, November 8, 2014, with his family by his side. He was 75, and had been battling lung cancer for the past few months. Visitation will be held in Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M., with the Rosary at 6:00. NOTE: The time for the Mass/Funeral Service on Wednesday has been changed to 2:00 P.M.   - Wednesday, November 12, 2014 in the Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel, with Father Justin of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Mexia officiating. He will be buried in the Kosse City Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Kenneth Montoya, Joe D. Montoya, Jr., Kevin O. Montoya, Jesus Montoya, Chris Sustaita, and Jose Luis Lopez. Abel was born June 20, 1939 in Saltillo, Mexico to Jose D. and Juanita Montoya. The Catholic faith was instilled in Abel from his childhood by his parents. Abel came to Texas around the age of eighteen as a migrant farm worker on a Worker’s Visa, traveling back to Saltillo Mexico to visit the family and renew his Visa until 1959. He met Josephine Sustaita in Highbank, Texas, and they were united in marriage in the 1960’s. In 1970, Abel was employed at Dresser Minerals (now U. S. Silica) outside Kosse, and the family lived in Kosse since 1971. He was injured on the job and fully disabled in 1984. In spite of any discomforts from his injury and later in life from illness, he was not a man to complain or let anyone know how much he was hurting. He loved dancing when he was young, and listening to music. While he was able, he enjoyed fishing, working on lawnmower engines, playing cards, watching old Western movies. He loved his coffee every morning, and enjoyed going with the sons and grandsons to feed the cows. He insisted the family plant gardens. He really enjoyed playing Bingo in Waco and was pretty lucky, and also lucky with scratch-off tickets. Abel loved life and dearly loved every minute with his children and grandchildren. He spoiled everyone, and had a fun-loving nickname for each one, some names that the children would not let anyone but him call them. He was a jokester, who enjoyed playing tricks on everyone and was fun to be around. He tried to help the family with advice and to lead them to do right. He was a loving father, father-in-law, grandfather and a friend, who will be greatly missed. Mr. Montoya was preceded in death by his wife Josephine on December 13, 2001, and also by two sisters, Tonya Montoya Banda and Delfina Montoya Andrade. He is survived by his son, Abel Joe Montoya of Corsicana; daughter, Juanita White of Groesbeck; son and daughter-in-law, Johnny and Alicia Montoya of Groesbeck; and son and daughter-in-law, Joe D. and Melinda Montoya of Kosse. His ten grandchildren are: Nina, Isabelle, Kenneth, John, Anthony, April, Chelsea, Shalyn, Joe and Kevin; and five great grandchildren are: Alek O’Brien, Abel Sebastian, Adam Gabriel, Jordan, and McKenliey. He also leaves behind a brother and sister-in-law, Pablo and Maria Elena Montoya of Saltillo, Mexico and a sister, Juanita Montoya of Saltillo, Mexico; and many nieces and nephews.