My beloved mother, Clementina Benites Arriola, born on February 26, 1930, aged 92, crossed over peacefully on November 23, 2022.  Born in Sahuarita, Arizona, and anxious to get to the big town of Tucson, she was able to live here with her aunt at 15 years of age.  Shortly after she was employed at St. Mary's hospital in the kitchen assembling trays for the patients. She always said that the job was one of the most enjoyable times of her life, with lots of friends. Two of her great joys in life was music and dancing.  She, her friends and sisters would often go to various dances that were happening in Tucson.  At one of these dances, she met my father, Federico, and the rest is herstory.

Clementina was a talented self- taught seamstress who became an alteration specialist.  She worked at the College Shop on Park close to the University gate. She was wildly creative and loved dressing up.  Everyone said that she was always well put together looking gorgeous on every occasion.

My memories of her are many, but most have to do with music and dancing.  She taught me how to jitter bug and we would dance in her kitchen.  She loved Big Band, Cumbia, Corrido's and even the Pointer Sisters! On one occasion, we were making tamales for Christmas and a cumbia started playing on the radio, and we danced cumbia with our fingers full of masa! What fun we had.  She had a quick smile and laughed easily; she was so funny with the things that she would come up with. We would often sing together, one of her favorite songs was Un Dia la Vez (One Day at Time), oh how she loved that song.

I miss her so much, but I know that when we see each other again, we will remember, and we will probably sing and dance again in the kitchen.

Julia