Luisa Nelly Valdez

Luisa Nelly was born to Elba Orellana and Medardo Zelaya, in Sonsonate, El Salvador, on the 3rd of February, 1940. She passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on June 28th, 2026 after a battle with pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, and congestive heart failure. Luisa, known to her family and friends as Nelly, was raised in San Salvador, El Salvador where she lived for her first 46 years of life. In 1986 she made the hard decision to leave her home and move to the United States for a better life. She spent the remainder of her joyous life in Arizona and Utah, until moving to California for the last year. Nelly was an accomplished seamstress having had her own successful business in El Salvador and later with smaller jobs in the states. It was rare to find a family member or friend who hadn’t had something fixed or made by her hand. Nelly was a loving, faithful, charitable and hardworking woman. She gave her love freely and enthusiastically and was always available to those who needed her. Nelly in her own words ‘was not the most educated’ but she made up for it with her fierce independence, work ethic, and unyielding strength, all of which she maintained until the very end. She remained faithful and led with that faith in all things but especially in her times of trial, which as is normal of life on earth, was more often than any one person should have to endure. Regardless of her many times of pain and trial she remained the ray of sunshine her family and friends knew her always to be. Nelly always had an open door policy whether that was for conversation, laughs, gossip, tears, shopping, or anything and everything in between. Nelly was a force to be reckoned with and as stubborn as they come and while you never wanted to be caught on her bad side she was also the most forgiving woman. As the living matriarch of the family she was well known for her many tales and with those tales came deep life lessons that none are soon to forget. Nelly had five children, Cecilia, Elba, Nicolas, Jessica and Evelyn, who in turn granted her the title of grandmother with fifteen grandkids. One of Nelly’s favorite accomplishments was gaining the title of great-great grandmother in her lifetime which she proudly announced to all who would listen. Nelly is survived by her children, Cecilia, Nicolas, Jessica, and Evelyn; her siblings Ricardo, Elsa, Mercedes, Salvador, Hugo, and Rebeca; as well as her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. Nelly is preceded in death by her mother Elba, and her daughter Maria Elba, who she has had a joyous reunion with. Funeral Services will be held July 30, 2026. Burial at Murray City Cemetery. Details to be released soon.

Luisa Nelly Valdez

February 3, 1940 - June 28, 2026