The world has lost a beautiful soul. Our beloved Susie Carrasco Vela passed away peacefully just before midnight on June 18, 2025 surrounded by family.

Susie was born in Lubbock in 1931 to Jose and Ricarda Carrasco. She was the youngest of five children – four girls and one boy.

Susie met the love of her life Joe Vela when she was just five years old. They grew up as neighbors and friends but Joe would buy Susie lemon drops to woo her. Eventually they married and started their family that would include 13 children – 10 boys and three girls. After several moves, they settled in the small west Texas town of Muleshoe in the late 1950s.

To fulfill her love of helping people, Susie held the job of hospital aide for a short time. Her ultimate job was raising and caring for their children. Though Joe and Susie's means were modest, Susie made sure her kids were never lacking for love, humor and freshly made tortillas and home-cooked meals.

Susie enjoyed shopping and telenovelas and was also a nature spirit who loved flowers and animals. Susie was a woman of great faith and devotion who prayed daily. She loved and accepted everyone, regardless of their story, and everyone loved her.

Not only was she enormously proud of her children and all of their accomplishments, she also adored her many grandchildren and great grandchildren. She leaves behind a legacy of treasured memories to all who loved her.

Susie was preceded in death by her husband Joe and is survived by her three daughters Susan, Christene and Becky; her ten sons, Joe Jr., Bobby, Julian, Charlie, Danny, Tony, Ernie, George, Freddy, and David; and more than 100 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 28 at 11 a.m. at St. Jude Catholic Church at 500 E. Dallas, Mansfield, TX. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to American Cancer Society.