Rosa Gonzales Hinojosa, age 80, went to her eternal rest on Thursday, June 1, 2023 surrounded by her loved ones. Rosa was born September 12, 1942, in Marshall, Michigan to Jose R. and Antonia L. Gonzales. Her family moved to Texas for better opportunities when she was a child and she called New Braunfels home since then. Growing up in a family of 16 (she was the third oldest), Rosa always had family around. To help support and provide for such a big family, she started working before she could even finish middle school. But, she did not let that slow her down. She was a hard worker and set a strong example for her siblings, and always made room for fun. Her absolute favorite thing to do was dance and compete at the Landa Park record hops where she won numerous awards. Rosa took great pride in her first official job at Randolph Air Force Base in the Officer's Club as a server, then at the textile mill, and ultimately to her 30+ year career as a New Braunfels ISD school bus driver. Rosa's parents taught her the value of family, and she shared that same value with her own children, always enjoying time together. She especially liked being outdoors and in all the details with her family including taking great joy in giving Linda her first tree "Mighty" for her new home, helping Angie at the church, volunteering to be the equipment manager and scorekeeper for Priscilla's softball team (a game she initially knew nothing about but made sure to learn everything she could) and seeing them to a number of championships, and getting Jr to all of his games and cheering him on. Rosa especially loved time with her grandchildren (all 25 counting the greats and she was so proud to become a great great grandmother in 2023)—sharing stories that lead to contagious laughter, playing games (did I hear a Bingo?!) and watching them participate in all of their events. She cheered them on in so many football games, marching competitions, soccer games, dances, and volleyball games, we can't even count.She brought laughter every place she went, and she was always ready to enjoy a meal bringing friends and family together for breakfast tacos and coffee. She even had a dish named in her honor called "The Pile it" which just meant all the ingredients were piled on top of each other, no bread or tortillas because she had to watch her waistline. Although you wouldn't typically find her in the kitchen cooking, when she made her famous rice, everyone came running. She was also well known for her blankets. She loved to crochet—she would have someone in mind, ask them what colors they wanted, and spend hours and hours crafting a unique gift for them. Doing things for those she loved brought her joy. Rosa was baptized into the Catholic faith, was a parishioner at Holy Family Catholic Church for over 30 years and attended masses at Saint Peter and Paul Catholic Church as well as Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Rosa's faith was strong, and with her lifelong love for music and dancing, we have no doubt that she's experiencing the greatest joy of all now dancing with Jesus. She is preceded in death by her parents, Jose and Antonia Gonzales; sisters Cruz and Linda Gonzales, Margarita Castillo; brother Jose Gonzales Jr; daughter Angie Kiesling; son-in-law Danny Valdez; great granddaughter Noelani Garcia; and numerous loved ones. Rosa is survived by her spouse Jesus Hinojosa; her daughter Rosa "Linda" Valdez née Garza; daughter Priscilla Vela and husband Phillip; son Jesse Hinojosa, Jr. and wife Ceci; son-in-law Thomas Kiesling; grandchildren Debbie Valdez, Daniel Valdez and wife Valerie, Dionna Rodriguez and husband Nate, Davey Valdez and Janna Morales, Jonathan Gomez, Kristy Gonzalez, Joshua Gomez, Trinity Vela, Benjamin Vela, Liliana Hinojosa, Zoe Hinojosa, Daxton Hinojosa; great grandchildren, Demmi Valdez and Shaun Flores, Reyna Oen and husband Adam, Cristalyn Valdez, Noah Valdez, Adrian Valdez, Micaela Valdez, Nathaniel Rodriguez, John Valdez, Noah Rodriguez, Ariana Rodriguez, Jayden Valdez, Alexander "AJ" Gonzalez; great great grandchild Avery Oen; brothers Juan Gonzales, Ruben Gonzales, Luis Gonzales and wife Carol; sisters Dora Sassenhagen and husband Dario, Mary Mendoza and husband Roy, Rebecca Carrillo and husband Jesse, Esperanza Alanis and husband Lee, Estella Canales and husband Martin, Amada Romero and husband Robert, Cynthia Sanchez, Melissa Medina and husband Vincent; as well as many nieces, nephews and other relatives. A public visitation will be held on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm with a recitation of the Holy Rosary at 6:00pm at Sunset Memorial Oaks Funeral Home, 415 South Business 35, New Braunfels, Texas. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, June 8, 2023 at 10:00AM at Our Lady of Perpetual Help at 138 West Austin St, New Braunfels, TX. Cremation will follow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hope Hospice who has guided and supported our family so well.https://www.hopehospice.net/donate