Jessie Gómez, Colton Community Pillar Who Raised Six Children and Empowered Generations, Dies at 92

Jessie Gómez, Colton Community Pillar Who Raised Six Children and Empowered Generations, Dies at 92
Longtime Colton resident devoted her life to faith, family, helping others and fighting injustice

COLTON, CA — Jessie Gómez, a longtime Colton resident whose faith, determination and compassion helped shape generations of families in the community, passed away Nov. 5, surrounded by her six children, her grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She was 92. Services will be held Nov. 29 and 30 in Colton. 

A devoted wife, mother of six, businesswoman, community advocate and spiritual leader, Gómez built a legacy that extended far beyond her own family. She was a trusted resource for neighbors, a champion for children and women, and a woman who believed that education, hard work, faith and justice could change lives.

Gómez and her husband, Isaias, settled in South Colton in 1953, where they raised their six children. Though Jessie had received only a third-grade education and Isaias a sixth-grade education, they understood the importance of education and opportunity. All six of their children graduated from Colton High School, going on to careers in social work, law, public service, construction, business and higher education.

Their accomplishments reflected the values Jessie instilled in them: work hard, give back, defend others and never forget where you came from.

A young bride who built a life through determination

Gómez married Isaias when she was just 14 years old. Isaias worked in the United States, and by the time Jessie was 19, she had joined him here to begin their life together.

Their home soon became more than a place for their own growing family. Relatives traveling to the United States in search of work and a better life often stayed with the Gómez family, sometimes bringing entire families into a household already filled with six children. Jessie and Isaias provided a place for them to live while they worked, saved money and established homes of their own.

By the time she was 21, Jessie had joined her husband in purchasing their first home. It marked the beginning of their investment in real estate. They went on to acquire homes and duplexes, often buying properties that needed substantial repairs. Jessie worked alongside Isaias to fix them up. Because her husband worked full time, she also trained their children to help. They learned to clean, paint and do the work necessary to improve the properties. 

It was an early lesson in responsibility, teamwork and the value of earning what you have. 

Even while raising a house full of children, Jessie found ways to supplement the family income. She sold Avon and Stanley products, made velvet pillows and created elaborate floral arrangements. She sent her children into the neighborhood to sell their handmade goods. When she was 31, she packed her six children, ages 2 to 12 during the summer months, to pick onions and grapes. This would become a yearly routine to earn money for school clothes. 

She was, in every sense, a businesswoman.

Nothing stopped Jessie from finding a way to provide, contribute and build something better for her family – and she helped others to do the same. Jesse often counseled young families on the importance of savings. And she always recommended they buy their first home and continue investing in real estate for their family’s future. Many of her tenants followed her advice and eventually moved out and into their own home.

Faith rooted in family and tradition

Faith was central to Gómez’s life, and her commitment to sharing it became one of her most enduring contributions to Colton.

At San Salvador Church, Father Valencia loved seeing the Gómez family. During May Crowning celebrations, Jessie’s children would gather flowers from their mother’s garden to “ofrecer flores a La Virgen” — offer flowers to the Virgin Mary.

For Jessie, faith was not simply something practiced inside the church. It was something lived, shared and passed from one generation to the next. She often found ways to bring families and their children together to teach them about Christ, their culture and their traditions.

Recognizing that many families needed religious instruction in Spanish, she established Spanish Ministries, including Catechism. Her efforts were not always welcomed by everyone. Some questioned why Spanish should be spoken in America, arguing that people should speak English. Jessie understood the criticism but also recognized a need. She believed people should be met where they were, in the language they understood, so they could learn, participate and deepen their faith.

Her ministry helped create a place where Spanish-speaking families could feel welcomed and connected to their church.

Jessie later received recognition from the Pope for her involvement and commitment to her faith. This honor was presented to her by Bishop Gerald Barnes.

Her commitment to preserving religious and cultural traditions became especially visible through a celebration she formally established in 1982.

Las Posadas en el Barrio became a community tradition

In 1982, Gómez formally began Las Posadas en el Barrio, a neighborhood celebration commemorating Joseph and Mary’s journey as they searched for a place to stay before the birth of Jesus. She organized children to dress up and reenact the journey, bringing the Christmas story to life for families throughout the community.

The celebration grew year after year.

Jessie commissioned women in the community to make costumes, purchased gifts for every child and organized piñatas. Families brought homemade food, sharing a meal and celebrating together. What began as a religious tradition became an opportunity for neighbors to gather, participate and pass their culture on to their children.

The celebration reflected Jessie’s belief that faith, family and community belonged together.

Her work eventually received a beautiful write-up in the Sun newspaper, recognizing the tradition she had helped establish and the families who made it possible. For Jessie, the greatest reward was not recognition. It was seeing children and families participate, learn and create memories together.

Giving people the tools to find their own faith

When Spanish Ministries expanded to include small groups for Bible study, Jessie noticed that many participants did not have a personal Bible. Some families owned only a large family Bible, making it difficult for individuals to study and engage with Scripture on their own. Jessie responded by ordering hardback Bibles and giving them to those who attended. She encouraged participants to write in their Bibles, underline passages and highlight words that spoke to them.

For many, it was a new beginning.

She wanted people to develop a personal relationship with Christ, to understand Scripture for themselves and to feel confident in their faith. Her ministry was not about simply gathering people together. It was about empowering them.

Through her work, Jessie helped many people come to Christ in a new and personal way.

The person neighbors turned to when they needed help

In Colton, Jessie became the person people knew they could turn to. Someone needed help navigating social services. Someone was ill. Someone needed an attorney or a doctor. Jessie was resourceful and knew how to help people find answers. She became a trusted source of guidance for families facing difficult circumstances. People shared their deepest thoughts, hurts and problems with her.

Jessie listened.

She did not pretend she could solve everyone’s problems, nor did she simply tell people what to do. Instead, she helped them work through their situations and find solutions themselves. She understood that helping someone meant giving them the tools and confidence to move forward. Her approach empowered people rather than making them dependent on her.

She also held people accountable.

Jessie counseled parents, encouraging them to become more responsible and to recognize their obligations to their children. She helped lighten the burden on children who had been forced to carry adult problems. She believed children deserved the opportunity to be children, protected from the weight of circumstances they could not control.

She fought against injustice wherever she saw it, especially when someone used a position of power to take advantage of another person. Her words became a lesson that those around her would remember:

“Si no es correcto, es injusto. Si no es justo, es incorrecto.”

If it is not correct, it is unjust. If it is not just, it is incorrect.

For Jessie, justice was not an abstract concept. It was something that had to be practiced in everyday life.

A legacy reflected in six accomplished children

Jessie’s commitment to education, hard work and service was reflected in the careers and lives of her six children.

Her daughter, Rosa Gómez, became a social worker and eventually earned a doctorate in social work. She counseled countless people and dedicated her work to empowering young people.

Her daughter, Eloise Gómez Reyes, became an attorney who volunteered with Legal Aid while also helping injured people. She later served as a California State Assemblymember and currently serves as a State Senator.

Her son, Isaias Gómez Jr., learned the construction trade and eventually joined San Bernardino County, where he rose to position of Superintendent of Public Works Operations. Along the way, he also served as an associate pastor in his church.

Her daughter, Yolanda Gómez Daly, had a fulfilling career in law enforcement at a time when women were underrepresented. At time when it was the ultimate goal and honor for law enforcement to be invited and attend the FBI National Academy, Yolanda was one of so few women to attend. 

Her son, Tom Gómez, learned the construction trade, became a licensed contractor and built a business that included opening stores specializing in high-end women’s clothing. Since retiring from construction, Tom has become a successful sheep farmer.

Her daughter, S. Terri Gómez, earned a Ph.D. from UCLA and taught at Cal Poly Pomona, where she rose to the position of provost. She was recently named president of California State University, San Bernardino.

Their individual accomplishments spanned professions and public service, but the foundation was the same. Jessie and Isaias had raised their children to work hard, give back to the community and remember their roots. They taught them to protect and defend others and help people build something for themselves. They taught them that education mattered, even when their own opportunities had been limited.

And they taught them that no one was perfect. Jessie believed in second chances and reminded her children and grandchildren that people could make mistakes and still have the opportunity to do better.

A woman who empowered others

Throughout her life, Gómez worked to make the lives of those around her better.

She empowered women and men, encouraged families to take responsibility and helped people find their own strength. She believed in protecting children, especially those caught in difficult family situations. She challenged people to stand up against injustice and to recognize when someone was being treated unfairly.

She taught her children and grandchildren to understand how blessed they were, to work hard for what they had and to give back to the community that helped raise them. Her lessons were practical, often delivered through everyday conversations and the example she set. She showed her children what it meant to work alongside their father, help relatives in need, welcome families into their home and stand up for neighbors who had nowhere else to turn.

She demonstrated that service was not something reserved for people with titles or positions of authority. It was something anyone could do.

A legacy that lives on

Jessie Gómez, with a third-grade education, and Isaias Gómez, with a sixth-grade education, raised six children who have gone on to serve their communities in remarkable ways.

Their story was one of perseverance, sacrifice, and opportunity.

Jessie never allowed her limited formal education to define what she could accomplish. Instead, she used her resourcefulness, faith and determination to build a life that touched countless others. She was a mother who taught her children to succeed, a neighbor who helped families find their way, a woman of faith who welcomed people into the church and a community advocate who refused to accept injustice. Her children carried those lessons into their professions and their own lives of service.

The work she began in South Colton continued through the people she encouraged, the families she helped and the generations she taught.

Gómez was a pillar of her community, but her influence extended beyond the neighborhood she called home. She helped people recognize their own strength, take responsibility for their lives and believe in the possibility of a better future. Her legacy is not measured only by the accomplishments of her six children, but by the many people who found guidance, comfort, faith and encouragement through her.

Jessie Gómez spent her life reminding others that they mattered, that they deserved to be treated fairly and that they had the power to build something better. Those lessons will continue to live on in her family and in the community she served.

She leaves behind a legacy of faith, hard work, compassion and justice — and generations of people who will carry it forward.

Jessie Gómez was surrounded by loving family when she passed on Nov. 5 at the age of 92. 

Services

Services will be held Nov. 29 and 30 in Colton:

Wake and Rosary
Sunday, Nov. 29, 6–9 p.m.
Montecito Memorial Park & Mortuary — Valley View Chapel
3520 E. Washington St., Colton, CA 92324

Funeral Mass
Monday, Nov. 30, 9 a.m.
Immaculate Conception Church
1106 N. La Cadena Drive, Colton, CA 92324

Interment
Monday, Nov. 30, 10:30 a.m.
Our Lady Queen of Peace Cemetery at Montecito
3510 E. Washington St., Colton, CA

Reception and Celebration of Life
Immediately following interment. Location to be announced.

Memorial Contributions
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to VALOR Youth Foundation, Inc. in loving memory of Jessie Gómez.

###

 

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.