CARMEN HOULE

Carmen P. Houle June 16th 1937 - December 18th 2020

Carmen was born in Lordsburg, New Mexico and passed away in Lancaster, California. Her parents were Jose Gonzales and Anita Potter. The family moved to San Bernardino, Cal in June 1944.

After graduation from high school Carmen went to work as a civilian employee for the U. S. Air Force. She started her career as a clerk and after more than 38 years with the Air Force she retired on 3 January 1995 as a GS-12 Employee Management Relations Specialist. She retired at Edwards Air Force Base.

After her retirement she started two new careers. She raised 2 nieces and 2 nephews (Julie, Jennifer, Robert and Antonio). She also volunteered at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Lancaster; teaching religious education classes every Wednesday and Thursday night for twenty years.

Carmen married Air Force Sergeant Maurice Houle in 1970 in the base chapel at Andrews Air Force Base Maryland. At that time she worked as a secretary for the Air Force in the Pentagon. After their marriage they traveled through most of the United States visiting relatives and friends. In 1974 Maurice was reassigned from Edwards AFB to Spangdahlam AB, Germany While in Europe they visited Rome, Paris and London. When Carmen's mother visited they took her to Barcelona, Spain. Carmen and Maurice also visited Austria, Holland, Belgium most of West Germany and Luxembourg, which was only a half hour from where we lived in Germany.

In 1977 Maurice was again assigned to Edwards to prepare for his retirement on 1 April 1978. On New Years weekend in 1978 they moved into their home in Lancaster, Cal. For the next 42 years they were busy working, traveling on Air Force business and finally raising kids. Carmen was teaching a lot of Catholic children about their religion; right up to her passing.

Carmen was preceded in death by her Mother and Father and her sister Patsy Gonzales.

She is survived by her husband Maurice Houle and six sisters; Mary "Tommie" Simental, Rachel Prieto, Edna Blackwell, Victoria Morris, Mary Lou Guerrero and Mary Helen Ellis.

She is also survived by the children she raised and their children: (Mailiee, Joel, Isaiah, Bella, Kalani, Julien and Aiden). She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews of all ages from seniors to toddlers.

The girl that was born in New Mexico 83 years ago left a big foot print on this earth and touched the lives of more people in her lifetime than she could ever have imagined.

She is already missed and will be for a long time by a lot of people; relatives and friends. She is where she belongs; in Heaven with her mother who she loved and never forgot for 83 years. She can again visit with Patsy.

On Friday January 15th, 2021 starting at 1130 AM there will be a Rosary service; followed by a burial Mass at 12 noon at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Lancaster, Cal weather and Covid conditions permitting. More to follow on this if there are any changes.

All arrangements are being handled by Halley-Olsen-Murphy Funeral Home in Lancaster, California