Hilda Saldana

Hilda Tarango Saldana, 86, went home with her Lord and Savior on Monday, March 28, 2022. The Rosary will be 12:00-12:30pm and visitation will be 12:30pm to 1:30pm, Friday, April 1, 2022 at Elmwood Funeral Home, 5750 Hwy 277 South. The funeral service will be 2:00pm, Friday, April 1, 2022 at Holy Family Catholic Church, 5410 Buffalo Gap Rd.

On May 8, 1935 in Candelaria, Texas, Alfredo and Petra Tarango gave birth to a wonderful baby girl, her name was Hilda. Soon after she was born, the family moved to Midland, Texas. Hilda played sports while attending Junior High and High School, especially enjoying baseball and volleyball, but her true passion was dancing. She attended many dancing events, wearing elegant dresses/gowns and always accompanied by family members. When she was a Senior in High School, and while working in the grocery store her parents owned, Hilda met Robert J. Saldana. Always accompanied by a chaperone, Hilda and Robert saw each other frequently. After graduating Midland High, Hilda attended Federico’s Beauty School in Fresno, California. Upon her return to Midland, she opened a salon of her own, Hilda’s Beauty Shop. While Hilda was in California, Robert enlisted in the United States Air Force and was stationed overseas. They wrote letters to each other for over four years until Robert came back to the states when they started seeing each other again. Hilda married Robert on December 13, 1958 and moved to Tye, Texas where Robert had a house built for Hilda. They still lived in Tye when they celebrated 58 wonderful years of marriage together. Hilda enjoyed decorating her home and planting flowers. She really had a green thumb. She also had a hidden talent of playing the piano and could play by ear. She worked at Cleo’s Beauty Salon, as well as working at a jewelry store at the Mall of Abilene. She also got involved in civic activities, assisting with the Tye city elections for several years.

Hilda was a people-person! She was a lady who always dressed to the nines. She was a wonderful host making people feel welcome in her home and cooking delicious meals for them. She loved meeting people and visiting with them. She never met a stranger and everyone she met liked her immediately! Hilda was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother, and great grandmother. She was a member of Holy Family Catholic Church. A Christian woman who was passionate in her Catholic beliefs, spending hours praying her rosary along with her daily prayers. She enjoyed religious word-find puzzles and watching religious and western television programs. She was a wonderful role model who was dearly loved and will be greatly missed.

Survivors include her children Robert Saldana, Jr. (Diane) and Diana Reid (Gerald); sister Alicia Ochotorena (Norberto) and brother Rudy Tarango (Loretta); grandchildren; Corey Bermea, Ashley Flatt, Christopher Saldana, Aaron Flatt (Lacey), Victoria Saldana, Wyatt Rodgers, GW Reid (Chelsea), Britt Reid (Kari), and Emily Reid; great grandchildren; Cailana Bermea, Evan Flatt, Brynleigh Flatt, Harper Flatt, Lenora Reid, Leslie Reid, Nyssa Reid, Aurora Reid, and G.J. Reid; and many nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her parents, Alfredo and Petra Tarango; a son, Rene Saldana; her husband, Robert Sr.; three brothers, Alfredo Tarango, Elias Tarango, and Alfred (Chito) Tarango; and five sisters, Beatriz Tarango, Othelia Hernandez, Nila Abalos, Angelina Mora and Delia Menchaca.

Pallbearers are Corey Bermea, Ashley Flatt, Christopher Saldana, Aaron Flatt, Victoria Saldana, Wyatt Rodgers, and Jose Moreno.

Honorary Pallbearers are Isaac Moreno, Junior Moreno, John Lanham, Randal Reid, G.W. Reid, Britt Reid, and Emily Reid.

The family would like to extend special thanks to the staff of Hendrick Hospice.

Online condolences and memories may be shared with the family through the obituary link www.elmwoodfuneral.com