Anita Madrid Gallegos Obituary (1940

Our beautiful, amazing mom went home on Sunday, December 19, 2021. Today she is dancing in heaven with her family and friends. We love you Mom, always and forever. Anita Madrid Gallegos, born August 2, 1940. She leaves her loving husband of 61 years, Johnny Gallegos, and her children: Tina Davis (Pam Shoemaker), John (Tony) Gallegos (Cheryl Gallegos), Teddie Jo Gallegos, Tricia Gallegos, and Cheryl Welsh (Mark Welsh). She was blessed with 11 beautiful grandchildren: Trent Davis, Rose Gallegos, Jeff Gornichec, Malissa Gornichec, Zachary Gallegos, Jacob Gallegos, Jared Gates, Addison Dufresne (Gates), Aubrey Gates, Gage Welsh, and Brittany Wilson. And 8 great-grandchildren: Jazelle, Anthony, Aydin, Alissa, Jaxton, Milo, Juniper, and Zander. She had brothers and sisters who preceded her to heaven: Richard (Maggie) Madrid, Rosalie Amador, Shirley Madrid, and Tommy Madrid. They are enjoying a beautiful reunion! Her brother, David Madrid (Janet), and sister, Carol Lopez (Tony), will miss her very much. And she has many nieces and nephews, cousins and friends that will miss her. Anita worked for Provo School District for over 30 years as a favorite “lunch lady”. She made the best dinner rolls on the planet and will be missed by many friends and co-workers. She loved to cook for family and our home was always filled with food, love, and laughter. As kids, one of our favorite things to do was to watch mom make homemade tamales. We also loved it when she would make bunjuelos or homemade tortillas. We were always amazed how she could roll those out so quickly and so round! She also enjoyed teaching her children and grandchildren how to make these delicious treats. One of her favorite things was when she got the chance to spend time with her brothers and sisters. They were known for enjoying life together and often getting into trouble! The boys with their cool mustaches and the girls with their very tall hair, were quite a sight to see! We had some of the best parties in our backyard. One summer we planned a 60’s party and asked everyone to dress appropriately. We built a stage, with lights and speakers, and then everyone took turns “performing” to their favorite 60’s songs, dressed as their favorite 60’s personalities! Cheryl and Tina even dressed up as Sonny & Cher and sang “I Got You Babe” — we laughed until we cried! Mom loved camping and fishing. We spent many weekends camping in the Utah mountains or fishing in a mountain lake. Mom even took just us kids fishing during the summer. We’d head to Deer Creek or Utah Lake and fish and play in the water all day. Then mom would cook the fish we caught. So delicious! And anyone who knows her knows that she loved to joke and cause trouble. She was always making us laugh! She also loved water fights. She was notorious for starting trouble, and this often took the form of water splashed over some unexpecting victim. This would start an all-out water war with everyone soaked and laughing and an inch or two of water all over the kitchen floor! And although her last few years were challenging, she never lost her quick wit and sense of humor. We will all miss her. She was a joy and an inspiration to all of her family and friends. The Celebration of the Life of Anita Madrid Gallegos will be held on Monday, December 27, 2021 from 4pm to 6pm MT at the Berg Drawing Room Chapel, 185 East Center Street, Provo, UT 84606. (801) 373-1841 **In lieu of flowers, we have created a GoFundMe page in her honor. Gifts received will be donated to her favorite charities: Primary Children’s Hospital, for her love of children; the ASPCA, for love of her pets; and the American Heart Association, who’s research and treatments kept her with us for many years. Go-Fund-Me: Celebrating the Life of Anita Madrid Gallegos – https://www.gofundme.com/f/celebrating-the-life-of-anita-madrid-gallegos?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1.