Valentin Rivera

Valentin Canas Rivera, age 85, of Wharton, died Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2007, at a Houston hospital. He was born on Feb. 14, 1922 in Matagorda County, son of the late Dionicio Rivera and Nickolasa Canas Rivera.

Mr. Rivera was a lifetime resident of Wharton County having been reared and attended school in Burr. He was married to Anita Vallejo on May 25, 1944 in Wharton. He served his country during World War II in the United States Army Air Corps obtaining an Honorable Discharge in February of 1946. At one time, all of his brothers and himself were deployed overseas during World War II. Mr. Rivera worked in the warehouse at Texasgulf for many years. He enjoyed his garden, dominoes and baseball, where he was a manager of youth league teams. Mr. Rivera was an avid sports fan, watching every Astros and Texans game played. Valentin was a member of the American Legion No. 87 and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church.

In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by an infant son, Richard; infant grandson, Joshua Rivera; and brothers, Candelario, John, Peter, Joe and Vincent.

Visitation was held Friday evening Jan. 4, 2008, with a rosary recited at 7 p.m. from the chapel of Wharton Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. today, Saturday, January 5, 2008, at Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Wharton with Rev. Bryan Heyer and Rev. Eugenio Canas officiating. Interment will follow in Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery.

Pallbearers are John Rivera, Robert Rivera, Michael Rivera, Alan Kollmann, Jason Munos and John Rivera Jr.

Survivors include his wife, Anita Rivera of Wharton; daughters; Adelina Raitt of Wharton and Tina Thompson and husband, Wayne, of Baltimore, Md.; sons, John Peter Rivera and wife, Jan, of Garwood and Robert Rivera of Wharton; sister, Matilda Gonzales and husband Raul of Clinton, Wis.; brothers, T.C. Rivera of Wharton and Don Rivera and wife Santos of Wharton; grandchildren, Rebecca Munos and husband, Jason, Sarah Kollmann and husband Alan, John Rivera Jr., Rachel Rivera, Robbie Modrall, Richard Rivera, Anita Jean Thompson and Jacob Thompson; and one great-grandchild, Jacob Kollmann.

Funeral services are under the direction of Wharton Funeral Home.