Maria Schuelzke February 7, 1958 - February 4, 2023

Maria began her life February 7th, 1958 in a small town, Hualahuises,  Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Maria is the eldest child of six children from Tomas and Esther Sanchez. Maria’s early life was spent with her family working farm to farm from Texas to Idaho, before her family settled in the Willamette Valley, Oregon.

At 18 years old, Maria started her own family and career. In 1978, Maria married her late-husband Raul Marquez Sr., together having two children Raul & Mia. As a family, they enjoyed cookouts at the park, summers at Northfork, and spending time with the extended family. She started her career at Xerox (formally Tektronix) where she worked for 40 years and earned the title of Regional Service Sales Manager. She was well-respected and skilled in her professional career.  Her team earned many vacations, from Florida to New York, for their hard work. In 1990, Maria welcomed her third child Bianca into her life, caring for her on her own. Several years later, she met her sweetheart and second husband, Richard. Richard & Maria wed on August 17th, 1996 at Holy Redeemer Church. Richard & Maria had two children together, Jordan & Alena. All together with five children, with many friends and family, they loved traveling, cooking, and dancing.

Maria loved to dance!  Wherever there was music and a dance floor (sometimes this was not even necessary), she could be found enticing family, friends, and Richard to join her in dance. Maria was passionate about gardening, Richard & Maria could often be found hard at work in their garden, picking and sorting new plants, growing tomatoes and peppers, or planning new outdoor living spaces. Her passion for gardening made her home a haven for many family celebrations. Maria had a flare for design that caught the attention of many family and friends. It is because of Maria’s love for excellent home decor, design, and style, that hints of her tasteful eye can be found in many friends and families homes. Most of all, Maria loved her family, whatever the call was she was there. Her acts of love and kindness were unparalleled. She would bake you a cake on a sad day, be someone to call, pray for you or with you, be there to help you move, the list is infinite!

She is survived by her husband Richard Schuelzke, her children Raul, Mia, Bianca, Jordan, Alena, her parents, Tomas & Esther Sanchez, her siblings, Tom, Thelma, Angel, Raul, Yudel, her nine grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.