Maria Basilia Maestas Hofflinger, age 94, Lansing, Kansas passed from this life safe into the Arms of Jesus on Monday, December 27, 2021.

Maria was born in Nambe, New Mexico, in a small Pueblo Village on September 21, 1927 to Nabor and Celestina Maestas. She was welcomed by sisters Frances, Onefre, Delores, and Stella.

As a child she lived through the Great Depression. She had fond memories of her Grandpa Ortiz giving them money (pennies) 'teasingly slow' for the fast-approaching ice cream wagon. Her grandpa would also pile all the grandkids into his open wagon for a long all day 19-mile trip to Santa Fe, or the shorter 3-mile trip to Pojoaque.

After graduating high school, she attended nurses training in Albuquerque, where she met her life long husband and forever love, Wayne. They fell in love over the summer of 1947, and were married by a Justice of the Peace on October 22, 1947, and then later had a Catholic Wedding Ceremony in January, 1948. On July 29, 1948, they welcomed their first daughter Marlene, born in Santa Fe. Not long after, they moved to Manchester, Kansas to join paternal grandparents. Their second daughter Leola (Leigh) was born in Abilene, Kansas on June 9, 1950 in the middle of a central Kansas flood. Maria, while in labor, after traveling 17 miles by car, was taken to the hospital on a hill, in a row boat. Leola was born just minutes after arriving at the hospital. Fifteen months later, on October 2, 1951 their third daughter JoAnn was born in Abilene also.

When the girls were very young, the family moved to Bremerton, Washington, traveling by train. They acquired the first of many pets there, 'Fritz', the german shepherd puppy.

A move back to Manchester took place in 1953 where the girls began school. Manchester was a quiet little town with a post office, grocery and hardware store, and a filling (gas) station. Wayne was forced to find employment outside the state for many years.

Maria made all the clothes for herself and her girls. Maria learned to be an excellent cook while we lived with our Grandma Lucy and Grandpa Joe. Everyone also loved her home-made flour tortillas and her roasted green hatch chilles – a talent she mastered while growing up in Nambe.

In 1959, the family moved to Lansing, Kansas when Wayne got hired at the Kansas State Prison, and Maria worked at Cushing Memorial Hospital in Leavenworth. Many of those years she worked in 'Intensive Care' and later she retired from the VA Center.

Maria never learned to drive until all her girls graduated from high school (no need – we drove her everywhere). Later, she secretly took driving lessons and surprised us all the day she received her license. Then she couldn't be stopped. She drove everywhere until she voluntarily gave up driving when she was 92 years old.

Maria became a grandma for the first time on June 16, 1969 to David, and 3 days later, on June 19 to Brian – after having daughters only. On June 4, 1971, her first granddaughter Tina came into her life. Third grandson Casey was born February 21, 1987. On April 25, 2017 she became a great grandma when Bradley was born. Taylor's appearance made Maria a great grandma a second time in July, 1993. More great granddaughters continued to bless Maria's life with the birth of Briele on April 26, 1999, Bailey on April 19, 2001, Karlee on February 24, 2004, and Mikenna on September 29, 2006. Hayden, a great-great grandson was born September 4, 2017, and another, Brentley, was born December 29, 2017. Maria cherished each and every one, and shared many memories with them. Her grandchildren all called her Gaga – a name she loved.

For the past 30 years she has lived alone in the home she and Wayne built in 1968. She insisted on being independent.

She loved sharing her childhood and a lot of her adult memories, and relished in teasing everyone who came in contact with her. She usually had everyone laughing with her wonderful sense of humor. All of her male doctors and gentlemen who offered their help to her – she would tease them in good nature – the last 15 years – that she had her many 'boyfriends'!

One of Maria's favorite observances and sayings – "Well, I guess I have lived long enough to see all three of my daughters go on Social Security and Medicare.

In 2007, we discovered we had family in the country of England. Sue, Laura, Andrew, Elinor, Wayne, Charlotte, Rebecca, Neil, Matthew, Ryan, and Darcie have been a part of our lives since then.

She was preceded in death by her parents, sisters, an infant brother, her husband Wayne, and many friends.

Maria will be greatly missed, but she will continue to be with each of us in everything we do, for she has left us with the wonderful example of a sense of humor, and a very strong work ethic, a personality and life attitude that taught us we can overcome any challenge – with the help of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Maria lived a full life filled with love, family, friends – and her strong steadfast FAITH.

Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m. Thursday, December 30, 2021 with a Catholic Funeral Mass at 10:00 a.m. at St. Francis de Sales, Lansing, Kansas. Burial will follow at Sunset Memory Gardens, beside her beloved husband Wayne, with a lunch following at the church.

Memorial donations may be given to Vitas Home Care, Meals on Wheels, or Boys Town in her honor.