Candida (Candy) Teresa Perez

CANDIDA (CANDY) TERESA PEREZ

Cedar Rapids

After a 105-year adventure, Candida (Candy) Teresa Perez, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend, went to be with her Lord on March 12, 2018.

The family will greet friends from 1 to 2 p.m. Friday, March 16, at Cedar Memorial Chapel. Services will be held at Cedar Memorial Chapel at 2 p.m. Burial will follow at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery.

Candy was born on March 10, 1913, the first daughter of Prudencio Anaya and Maria Teresa Echevarria in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Due to her father passing away, she had to help her mother with her siblings and was unable to finish high school. She met her husband at the First Baptist Church in Ponce, where they married on Dec. 16, 1935. They had two children, Abigail Perez Anaya and John Ramon Perez Anaya. They moved to New York in September 1946, where she eventually worked for Jo-El Clothing manufacturing company as supervisor. In 1986, she moved to Iowa to be near her family. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Marion, and a retired member of the ILGWU.

She is survived by her daughter, Abigail (Tom) Pumroy; her son, John Ramon (Frances) Perez; and special nephew, Angelo (Kathy) Carrillo. Grandchildren: BJ (Kaela) Pumroy, Kyle (Kelly) Pumroy, Marta Pumroy, Jon (Luciana) Perez and Nick Perez. Great-grandchildren: Paiton, Kinnick, Maddux and Thomas Pumroy and Damian and Cosmo Perez.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Juan R. Perez, in 1978, and her five younger siblings. She was the first to be born and the last one to be with her Lord. "The first shall be last."

The family would like to thank Dr. Jason Booth and the staff and nurses at Manor Care for her wonderful care.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be directed to First Presbyterian Church in Marion or a charity of your choice in her name.

Online condolences may be left at cedarmemorial.com.