Carmen Bertagna
Carmen Bertagna
Carmen Bertagna
Carmen Bertagna

Obituary of Carmen Bertagna

Carmen Bertagna passed away at The Courtyard, her residence for the past four years, on Tuesday, October 20, 2009. She was 83 years old. Carmen (Carmelita) Bertagna was born to Antonio and Ascención (Susan) Sanchez on May 25, 1926. Her parents emigrated from Spain in 1911 to the Hawaiian Islands. After six years they came to Chico. Carmen attended all of the Chico schools that no longer exist: Salem, Oakdale, Central and the old Chico High. Carmen graduated from the latter in 1944. On June 9, 1946 Carmen married Ben L. Bertagna at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church where they were life long members. Carmen was a Cub Scout Den Mother and room mother for school classes for her three sons. She was devoted to her work as a wife, mother, homemaker, and bookkeeper for the family orchards that she and Ben owned and managed together with their sons. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were very special to her. She belonged to the Catholic Daughters of America, Native daughters of the Golden West, the Butte County Historical Society, and Chico Grange. Carmen loved to travel with Ben in their RV throughout the United States and enjoyed reading about the country's history. She also toured the Holy Land, Spain, Europe, Ireland, and Hawaii. Other hobbies she loved were bowling and keeping track of classmates for the Class of ?44 Reunion Committee, which she co-chaired for many years. She is predeceased by the love of her life, Ben L. Bertagna who died in 2003 after 57 years of marriage; her granddaughter, Ann Marie Bertagna; her sister, Susie Leon and her four brothers Pete, Mike, Tony and John Sanchez. She is survived by three sons, Ben (Mary Jane), Nick (Gail), and Andy (Janet); and nine grandchildren, Berton (Carol) Bertagna, Maisie Jane (Isidro) Hurtado, Nicole (Jason) Ballew, Jason (Gloria) Bertagna, Mary Carmen Bertagna, Theresa (T.J.) Schneider, James Bertagna, Gregory Bertagna, and Jenny Bertagna; as well as nine great-grandchildren, Barron Bertagna, Colton Bertagna, Madeline Ballew, Isabela Hurtado, Emma Schneider, Jeriko Bertagna, Natalia Hurtado, Valentina Bertagna and Holly Schneider. We truly thank her staff and friends at The Courtyard for all their caregiving, love and support. The Rosary Vigil will be held at Bruise Funeral Home on Sunday, October 25, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. A Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, October 26, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be sent to Chico High FFA Bertagna Family Scholarship, c/o North Valley Foundation, 3120 Cohasset Rd., Chico CA 95973 or sent to Bruise's Funeral Home.

Service

OCT 26. 10:00 AM (PDT) St. John the Baptist Catholic Church 416 Chestnut Chico, CA
Share Your Memory of
Carmen