Elanor Hernandez Shippy

Elanor Hernandez Loera-Shippy passed and went to heaven on July 4th, 2025. She passed peacefully at home in her sleep with family beside her. She was given a beautiful send off of fireworks in the sky escorting her on her way to meet her family and friends who were waiting to welcome her.

Born March 22, 1922 in Phoenix, Arizona, Elanor to parents Juan and Paz Hernandez and is one of 9 siblings. Dolores (Lola), Pablo (Paul), Ricardo (Richard), Elanor, Roberto (Beto), Candelaria (Candy), Esperanza (Hope),Tomasina (Tommy), and Juan (John).

The family spent their early years in Phoenix. In 1939, Elanor married her first husband Martin Pacheco Loera, and together they had four children, Martin, Daniel, Maryhelen, and Yvonne. 1944 Martin was drafted into the Army during WWII and the family moved to Nebraska. Martin served in the Philippines, and after bootcamp Elanor moved back to Phoenix with their children.

1950 saw the family living in California until Elanor’s husband Martin became ill and passed away in 1966. Elanor then moved to Grants Pass, Oregon to be closer to her son Daniel where she met her second husband Marion Shippy and married in 1971. Marion and Elanor spent much of their married life traveling, and loved to go motorcycle riding, hunting, and fishing together. Elanor became stepmother to Marion’s children and friend to Marion’s large extended family.

Elanor is preceded in death by her parents, siblings Lola, Paul, Richard, Hope, Beto, Candy, and Tommie, husbands Martin and Marion, children, Martin, Daniel, and Yvonne, and stepchildren Linda, Mavis, LaVerne, David, Colleen, Judy, Edward, Mabel, Jimmy, Micky, and Loretta. Mavis, Laverne, David, Colleen, Edward, Mabel, Danny, Jimmy, Paul, Micky, and Loretta Shippy.

Elanor is survived by daughter Maryhelen (James, son-in-law), grandchildren, Jerry, Kimberly, Lisa, Matoux, Yvonne, Daniel, Jami, Aaron, Jeremy, Ashley, Drake, great grand children Lucas, Shelby, Kylie, Aaron, Mercedez, Vincent, Andrés, Matéo, Gabriel, Giovanni, great-great grandchildren (Lisa) Gavin, Justin, Coburn, Levi, Lennon, Lachlan, and Evelyn. Step children Judy, Maria, Linda, and Patrick Shippy.

Maryhelen - Elanor touched many people’s lives, shared what she had, and had a deep abiding faith in God. Maryhelen - My mother was a wonderful, loving, kind, helpful person. She has been living with me and my husband for the last 14 years after Marion passed in 2011. We had a very close relationship and I am blessed to have had so much time to spend with my mother. She was a mother, grandmother, great grandmother to many people who were family by choice. She loved to feed and take care of people, and always asked if you had eaten ,even right up to her passing, she was thinking of others and not herself. She was the best mother anyone could ever ask for and will be missed greatly by many people.

Growing up my mom was always there for me, and I remember making paper dolls with her and playing jacks, and learning how to make flower tortillas for my dad. I always felt loved and safe with her, she was always there when I came home from school and would drive me if I missed the bus. She loved dolls, but never had any growing up, and had many in later years. She loved all of her children, grandchildren, and loved spending time with her family.

She always wore hats and aprons (with everything), and her outfits needed to match. She was always asking me if I wanted to put on an apron when we were cooking and always had kleenex and chapstick in her apron pockets.

Yvonne - when I think of Nanita, I think of her endlessly circling the parking lot long for a shaded parking spot, asking if you wanted a stick of gum and then giving you a half of a piece, her outfits always needed to match, including her purse. She always had chapstick and would offer it to you. At home Nanita always had an apron on and in the pocket was kleenex and chapstick. Nanita saved everything food wise, every little bit was saved in bowls and baggies from growing up during the depression. We had to check the chair she sat in and you would find two bites of a sandwich wrapped in kleenex for later. Because Nanita always gave us the M&M candy cane as children at Christmas, I gave it to all my kids, nieces and nephews, carrying on the tradition.

We grew up making tamales every year, starting from a small child and only being allowed to put the olives on the meat to eventually learning how to mix the masa, wrapping, and cooking. She also taught my children how to make tamales. I always had a grandmother and my children always had a great grandmother who went to all their church and school events - baptism, first communion, sports, choir, scouting events, birthdays, holidays, and family gatherings.

Nanita was there to see me graduate from college and was very proud of that accomplishment.

Jami - road trips with her and traveling to see her, gum, always asking if I have eaten, hugs, how much she loved my mom. I moved in with my parents just under a year ago and she was always asking when I was coming home from work, or if I had finished work when working from home. She really wanted to make friends with my two dogs and eventually they would go see her everyday and get a piece of cracker. Something I remember her saying is that “she would get up every day God willing.” She experienced a great deal of loss during her life and was so strong and resilient and this is something that I take from her. Spanish was her favorite way of speaking to me even though I don’t speak spanish, I did eventually start to recognize words and phrases. I appreciate and cherish the time that I got to spend this last year, even until the last moment. Sitting with her and holding her hand, I told her that it was ok to go, that everyone who passed was waiting for her and that we would be ok.

For Christmas we would get a baggie of candy, nuts, an orange, a M&M candy cane and $5. Grandma never had a lot of money, but she always wanted to make sure we got something.

When she passed, I imagined her getting up from bed, her knees and hands no longer plagued with arthritis, stretching, holding my moms hand one more time and saying, see you later. Now she is up in heaven with family and friends catching up, making tamales, sitting on the porch and telling everyone what a good job my mom did taking care of all these years and how proud she is of my mom.

Giovanni - yearly trips to the mall to get new school clothes and have lunch together.