Carmen (Valdez) Minor

Carmen (Valdez) Minor, age 78, passed away on November 27, 2020 in Joliet, Illinois. Born in Pharr, Texas on August 1, 1942, Carmen lived in McAllen, Texas for nearly 50 years before moving to Illinois in 1990.

She is preceded in death by her father, Enrique Valdez; her mother, Martha Consuelo Ramat Centeno and her son-in-law Walter (Carmen) Hoggard.

Carmen is survived by her loving husband Ben Minor; her brothers, Max (Laura) Valdez, Eddie (Kathy) Valdez, Jessie Valdez, and Manuel Ramat; sister Teresa (Robert) Cortez; children, Angel (Norma) Flores, Carmen Hoggard, Jerry (Mary) Flores, Nora (Tim) Smith, Marina Butts, Chris (Jared) Leadbetter, Cheryl (Keith) Larsen, Michelle Minor, and Scott (Grace) Minor. She is also survived by her 15 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.

Carmen spent much of her life working in retail sales in McAllen. With a great fashion sense, shoppers would often seek her out for help choosing outfits. She loved to sing and dance. When she moved to Joliet to be closer to her mother, she met Ben who swept her off her feet. They were later married on the beach at South Padre Island, Texas.

Services for Carmen will take place on Wednesday, December 2, 2020 with a visitation at Tezak Funeral Home in Joliet from 10 am until 12 pm. A service will be live streamed at 12:30 pm and can be watched by following the link on the Tezak website. She will be laid to rest privately at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery.