Paula Murillo

Paula Murillo left us to be reunited with her husband Jose “Papa” on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. Paula was born Jan. 18, 1949, to Thomas Garcia Jimenez and Liboria Perez in San Miguel El Alto Jalisco, Mexico. Paula was the oldest of four siblings, she was 12 when her dad passed away so she helped her mom raise her younger siblings. To help her mom supplement their income, she would launder clothes for the community. She would load the clothes in a basket and walk them to the river and launder each item, then walk them back to dry and iron. For a break she would skip school with her friends to go play with the goats.

At the age of 16, Paula met Jose Murillo and they were married Nov. 22, 1965, in Mexico City. This is where their story began and they started raising the first eight of their 10 kids. In 1978, Jose moved to America to build a different life for him and his family, and in 1980 Paula and the kids joined Jose. They bought a house in Lewiston where they continued to raise their eight kids and had two more along with many, many grandkids and great-grandkids. Paula was known as “Mama” to everyone, even the friends that the kids and grandkids brought over. Mama was always loving and accepting of anyone brought to the house. She always had a kitchen full of food and no matter what time of day you would show up there was always a meal to be had, everyone loved her authentic Mexican cooking. She loved to share her kindness and home especially to anyone who had neither. She would make tamales for the family then have David deliver the extras to the hospital staff just down the street. Having 10 kids, Chanclas (sandals) were like boomerangs, she would throw them to try to get the kids to behave but somehow they always ended back up in her hand to throw again.

Mama would never go to bed until all of the 10 kids were settled and in bed which was usually later than expected. Every night on his 10 p.m. break from Blount, Papa would call to check on the house, this was the only time the kids were quiet as Papa believed they were actually in bed sleeping.

After her kids were grown, she opened her home to her grandkids while her kids were at work. Most of her grandkids’ first language was Spanish, but ironically none of them actually remember more than a few keywords. She cherished her grandkids and they cherished her, Mama would even get upset at her own kids for disciplining her grandchildren. Not all of the spouses realized that it was Alma and Papa that did all of the dirty work when it came to discipline in the household. Her family and grandchildren were her absolute joy and her eyes could take away any sadness they felt.

Mama was a collector of many things; she loved anything shiny. But she especially liked watches, handbags, yarn and trinkets. She would go to yard sales and find what she wanted then send a couple older kids to go pick up what she bought when they got out of school. She was never opposed to sharing her trinkets with her grandkids when she saw a special color, character or item that she thought they would like. She would always say “look what I have for you” and give them her treasure. She would crochet a long string and make a train with the younger kids having each of them hold onto the crocheted string to go on walks. She loved to sit on her front porch to talk and watch the grandkids play.

No matter what, she supported her children to the fullest. Mama was a Packer fan with her number 9, James, not sure if it was the Packers she liked or just the colors. She always found solace in the art of crochet and would make little baby outfits and blankets for every one of her grandkids. She also loved to share the art of crochet, sometimes it was just to get the kids out of her hair, but it is an art that many have carried on to their own kids. The young kids and grandkids could always be found rolling her yarn collection into balls, or holding the yarn while she rolled it.

Family reunions were not a thing in the Murillo household, every holiday, birthday and event was considered a reunion as the entire family would gather, and with 10 kids and many grandchildren there were a lot of birthday parties. At all of the family gatherings she would be found dancing with Papa until his passing in 2020.

Her favorite place to be when she was younger was always the family farm, El Rancho. Shortly after Papa passed away, Mama moved into the farmhouse that her son, Israel was building. They named the farmhouse El Rancho Murillo and just like when she was a kid she loved to sit outside cuddling the cats and watch the chickens, steers and horses run around in the pasture. When her granddaughter Lynae would get home for the day, she would fill her in on everything she missed. Just like the Murillo family home, her in law suite was a revolving door with family consistently visiting.

She is survived by her siblings: brother Jose Garcia, sister Candida Pedroza; kids: Alma (Robert) Responts, Jose Murillo Jr., Daniel Murillo, Hector Murillo, Monica Powell, Israel (Kari) Murillo, Abraham (Kari Smith) Murillo, James (Tara) Murillo, David (Elisabeth) Murillo; grandkids: Hector, Isaiah, Tyler, Zephryn, Ethan, Breanna, Abe Jr, Isabel, Azelia, Alecea, Ayla, Magdelena, Hannah, LeAnna, Daniel, Conley, Teno, LaTashah, Tony, Cassidi, Lynae and Preston Murillo, Kayla Valverde, Travis Responts, Tiana, Katrina and Lydia Powell, Abbey Achziger, Fenix Scott, Dillon Reckard, D’Angelo Holland, Tyrone Paul, Ashley Taylor, Aiden Smith along with many, many great-grandkids, nieces and nephews.

Paula is preceded in death by her husband: Jose Murillo; father Thomas Garcia Jimenez; mother Liboria Peres; sister Lilia Ramos; son Ricardo Murillo; daughter Magdalena Murillo; son-in-law Jeff Powell; grandchild Neahmiah Murillo; and great-grandchildren: Laura Pedersen, and Luka Murillo.

A public viewing will be held at 4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 11, at Mountain View Funeral Home, 3521 Seventh St., Lewiston.

Services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15, Emmanual Baptist Church, 2200 11th Ave., Lewiston and a celebration of life will follow at 2342 Burrell Ave., Lewiston.