Petra Ida Rodriguez was born on January 30, 1928, in Fort Collins, Colorado, to Cecil and Sara Villalobos. She passed away on December 24, 2013, surrounded by her loving family.

Petra is survived by her husband, Ralph Chavez Rodriguez, and their four children, Teresa, Ralph, Ronald and Susan. Ralph and Petra were married for 64 years, and have 13 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

The eldest of 14 children, Petra was preceded in death by her parents and her sister Carmen and brother Mike. She is survived by her brothers, Angelo, Cheo, Peter, Ronald, Manuel, Lonnie, Julian, Joseph, and Louie, and her sisters, Rita and Cornelia.

Petra strove for excellence in everything she did, and was always a cheerful giver. She was an outstanding seamstress and homemaker, but her primary focus was her faith. She was very active at La Purisima Concepcion Catholic Church in the Legion of Mary and Catholic Daughters, and she was a Third Order Carmelite. In her final years, Petra took on a personal mission of making quilted blankets for the homeless, and dozens of blankets were distributed to rescue missions and shelters. After raising her children, Petra worked as a teacher's aide in the Lompoc Unified School District for approximately ten years. In her senior years, she went back to school and received her Associate of Arts degree with Honors at Allan Hancock College.

A funeral Mass will be held on Monday, December 30, 2013, at 10 a.m. at La Purisima Catholic Church to be followed by a graveside service. A reception to celebrate her life will follow at the church parish hall. There will be a viewing on Sunday, December 29, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Starbuck-Lind Mortuary, followed by a vigil service and Rosary at 6 p.m.