Maria E. Sandino

Maria Emma Sandino, 95 years old from Kearney, NE, formerly from Long Island, N.Y. passed away June 13, 2017 at Mt. Carmel Home in Kearney. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 4:45 pm Monday, June 19, 2017 at the Mt. Carmel Home Chapel. Interment will be at a later date in Bay Shore, New York. Visitation will be from 2-4 pm Monday at Mt. Carmel Home with a rosary service at 4 pm. Memorials are suggested to the family. Maria was born in Garzon, Colombia S. A. At one time Maria was in a convent with religious sisters taking care of orphan children, she thought that one day she would be one of the sisters. But God had other plans for her. Maria was a devoted Catholic. She loved her faith as the most important thing of her life. She loved animals and people, and was very compassionate to everybody. She learned to do many tasks, from cooking for a hundred hard laborers of the fields, to crochet and knitting for little babies, and used the medicine plants to cure people's ailments. This was something that Maria developed and used with her own children and neighbors throughout her life. When she met Jose H. Sandino later in life in Cali, Colombia, they decided to start a family. Six children were born to this union. In 1970 Maria and Jose migrated to Long Island, New York, USA. Their oldest son petitioned them and later the rest of the family reunited with them. Family was very important for Maria. She passed that love to her children, friends and everybody around her. Immigrants work hard, she wasn't an exception. A Textile Factory in New York was her first job and she worked for several years and enjoyed the friendship of many friends from different countries. Maria learned how to drive and got her New York Drivers License, so she could go to work and drive to places with her grandchildren and with her group of friends, usually to church and garage sales. She also learned the English language in order to became a citizen of United States. In 1980 her husband suffered a stroke and Maria took care of him for years until his death on April 9, 1987 in New York. When her health declined, one of her daughters took her to Kearney, NE to live in Mt. Carmel Home where she was a resident until her last day. Survivors include two sons and two daughters. Hernando Sandino of Brentwood, N Y, Emiro Rebolledo of Cali, Colombia, S. A., Miryam Balanta of Massapequa, N. Y and Sr. Isabel Sandino of Kearney NE, also numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren living in New York, Florida, Maryland, and Cali, Colombia, S.A.

Maria E. Sandino

December 17, 1921 - June 13, 2017