Jovita Mary Perez

Jovita Mary Perez, 95, of Mason City, passed away on Saturday, October 26, 2024. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, November 2, 2024, at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N Pennsylvania Ave. The funeral service will be livestreamed on the Major Erickson Facebook page. Visitation will be held from 5 – 7 p.m. on Friday, November 1, 2024, at Major Erickson Funeral Home. Interment will be held in the Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the family of Jovita Perez. 

Jovita was born Feb. 15, 1929, in Mason City. She attended Holy Family School up to the 5th grade and was then adopted by her Tia’ (aunt) Emilia. She then moved to Ensenada, Mexico where she finished school. She moved back to Mason City, in 1947, when she began working at Decker’s Meat Packing Plant and met the love of her life, Valentin Rios Perez. The two were united in marriage on June 10, 1950, in Albert Lea, Minnesota. She took pride in her job and was a loyal employee for 48 years. After retiring from Decker’s, she also worked several years at Kraft foods. Jovita loved to reminisce about her special bonds with many fellow co-workers that she met throughout the years at both Decker’s and Kraft.

 Jovita and Valentin loved to attend Mexican dances. She also enjoyed knitting, crocheting, sewing, listening to her Mexican music and attending Mexican dances. Jovita was an avid animal lover. Jovita really loved to cook for her children, friends and anybody else in the neighborhood. Jovita adored her 6 children along with all her grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. She was a Jehovah Witness and attended the Kingdom Hall, and faith was very important to Jovita. She spent most of post-retirement years in Ensenada, Mexico. Jovita will forever be remembered for her outspoken spirit and quick wit, her love for her family, and her faith. Jovita will be deeply missed. 

 Surviving family members including her 6 children, Valentin J. Perez , (Valentin, Nikolas, and Aaron), Raymond, (Lacey), Rita (Raquel, Jeremiah, John and Ashland), Philip (Maria, Courtney and Jovita), Renee (Danny and Miguel) Rose (Justin, Amber and Megan) and many great and great-great grandchildren.

 Special people throughout her life, Connie Perez, Alfred Mejia, Aurora “Bodie” DeLaCruz, and Sue “Gomez” Jones.

 Jovita is preceded in death by her husband, Valentin R. Perez, her Tia’ Emilia and her sister, Isabel Preciado.