Aurea Esther Rivera, 89

Aurea Esther Rivera, 89, "went to sing in the heavenly choir" on July 17, 2009. Her daughter was by her side.

At the time of her death, the TV in Aurea's room at Immanuel Lutheran was showing the religious channel with a Catholic Mass being conducted. As the voices of the choir swelled to welcome the Host, she passed on. She had sung in church choirs most all her life.

Aurea was born in Puerto Rico on July 14, 1920, one of seven children. Her brothers died from influenza, leaving just Aurea and her two sisters, Delores and Rosie. Her widowed mother then moved to New York, where she remarried and gave birth to another sister, Tina.

Aurea completed her schooling and entered into an arranged marriage to Enrico De Leon Rivera that lasted 64 years. Together they had four children, one being stillborn.

Aurea is survived by her sons, Rick and Dominic; her daughter, Estella; 13 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren. Her last surviving sister, Tina, lives in Florida.

Esther was a self-taught singer. She was part of the church choirs in Massapequa on Long Island in New York; Arlington Heights, Ill.; La Mirada, Fullerton and Klamath Glen, Calif.; and St. Richards Catholic Church in Columbia Falls.

She was a member of the volunteers of Doctors Hospital in Buena Park, Calif., the Guadeloupians Society and the Knights of Columbus ladies of La Mirada and Arlington Heights. After she moved to Montana, she was part of the North Valley Senior Center and the RSVP troubadours.

She was known for catching more fish than her husband, being able to grow anything and tame any frightened animal. She told wonderful bedtime stories to her grandchildren and made the best pineapple upside-down cake. One day her husband came home from an extended business trip and asked about the car in the driveway. She informed him that it was hers. She had saved out of her grocery money for 30 years and had just gotten her driver's license at the age of 55.

A Catholic funeral Mass will be held at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 21, at St. Richards in Columbia Falls. In lieu of flowers, please donate to your favorite charity. There will be a small reception afterward. Aurea will be buried in California with her beloved husband.