JENNY (ARELLANO) ORTEGA

A funeral service will be held for Mary Genevieve “Jenny” Ortega, 96, at 10:00 A.M. Friday, May 28, 2021 at the Saint James Catholic Church in Douglas, Wyoming with Father Lucas Kazimiro Simango officiating.  Inurnment will be in the Douglas Park Cemetery.  Serving as urnbearers will be David Forney Jr. and Deena Cook.

Jenny Ortega died Friday, May 21, 2021 at the Memorial Hospital of Converse County in Douglas.

She was born Tuesday, April 21, 1925 in Costilla, New Mexico the daughter of Moises and Amada Nestora (Archuleta) Arellano.  The family came to Wyoming in 1929, she was only four years old with her mother and two brothers.  At that time her father was killed by a horse at the Morton Ranch.  They lived north of Douglas on the homestead, prior to moving into town in 1931.  She received her education in the Douglas school system.  In 1941 they moved to Buffalo, Wyoming to work in the sugar beet fields, picked potatoes, and did some shocking of grain.  In 1946 she moved back to Douglas, where she worked in the seed house, did laundry at the motels, and worked in the restaurants.

In 1947 she moved back to Buffalo, where her eldest son, Joe, was born.  She returned to Douglas in 1948 working various jobs once again.  In 1951 she met the love of her life, Joseph Lifonso “Lee” Ortega and they were married March 4, 1952 in Douglas.  Lee and Jenny had five children, Cynthia, Charlotte, James, Debra, and Martin.  They lived in the rural area of Douglas where they raised their children.  The family moved to Glenrock, Wyoming where they lived at the VR Ranch where she cooked for the ranch hands.  The family moved back to Douglas where she continued to work until her retirement in1999.  Jenny was a very hard worker her entire life.  She enjoyed and loved to sew, bowl, and play bingo.  Jenny did a lot of different crafts, loved her house plants, which she did better than her outside plants.  She loved to cook and bake for her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.  Jenny was always a busy woman, also was busy doing what she loved to do, especially moving her furniture about her home, whenever she put her mind to it.

Jenny was preceded in death by her father, Moises, on July 24, 1927; mother, Amada, on November 21, 1998; step father, Telesfor “Tel” Andrada, in 1971; husband, Lee, on February 2, 2007; brothers, Richard Arellano and Moses Arellano; half-sister, Lucy Oellrich, on March 2, 2014; nephew, David Oellrich; and daughter-in-law, Sue Espinosa.

She is survived by her children; Joe (Edith) Espinosa of Torrington, Wyoming, Cynthia Sander (Brian Speicher) of Bar Nunn, Wyoming, Charlotte (Allen) Corkill of Glenrock, Wyoming, James (Cindy) Ortega of Douglas, Debra McDaniel of Eherberg, Arizona, and Martin (Kristy) Ortega of Douglas; half-sister, Dorothy Wagner of Glenrock; 24 grandchildren; and numerous great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren  

A memorial to the Converse County Cancer Fund in care of the Converse County Bank, P.O. Box 689, Douglas, Wyoming 82633 or to the Douglas Senior Citizens Center, P.O. Box 192, Douglas, Wyoming 82633 would be appreciated by the family.

The Gorman Funeral Homes – Converse Chapel of Douglas, Wyoming is in charge of the arrangements.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.gormanfh.com

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