Christine Esparza

Lola Christine Fleming Esparza, age 86, passed away on January 15, 2021 in Gatesville surrounded by her loving family. Graveside services are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Thursday, January 21, 2021 at Weaver Chapel Cemetery. The family will receive visitors from 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., Thursday, January 21, 2021 at the funeral home. Christine was born on July 19, 1934 in the Elijah community, which is now a part of Fort Hood, to the late Charles Maurice and Juanita Manning Fleming. She attended Turnersville High School and graduated in 1954. On September 26, 1954 she married the love of her life, Joe Esparza. Christine worked for GISD in the Elementary Cafeteria for 28 years. While she was working and after she retired, she continued doing what she loved cooking and catering for the community. She catered everything from weddings to delivering hundreds of cookies to the local banks. She was well known for her cakes and cookies. Her favorite thing to cook was cookies and some people have called her the “Cookie Lady”. She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles Maurice Fleming and Juanita Manning Fleming; and her loving husband of 57 years, Joe Esparza. She is survived by daughters, Rebecca Patterson and husband, Randy, Della Altum and husband, Tommy all of Gatesville, grandchildren: Trent Altum and wife, Julie, Ashley Swodeck and husband, Christopher, J.R. Ewing and wife, Jamie, and Joseph Ewing and fiancé, Kayla Lofland; great grandchildren, Trysten Altum, Levi, Cheyenne and Hunter Ewing, Martin Russell, and Jenna Ewing; siblings, Charlotte Latham, Margie Cline, Mabel and husband, Irvin Bush, Norris “Judge” and wife, JoAnn Fleming.