Obituary of Carmen C. Vela

Carmen C. Vela, age 90 of Channahon, passed away peacefully, on Sunday, August 20, 2023, at Lightways Hospice Home with her loving family by her side.

Born July 22, 1933, in McFaddin, Texas, she was the daughter of the late Jose and Margarita (Bazan) Casas.  She married the love of her life, Asencion Vela, and they enjoyed 72 years of marriage. Carmen and her husband moved from Texas to Illinois in 1957 and later returned to Texas in their retirement in 1994 and returned back to Illinois in 2020.

Carmen was a loving and devoted wife, mother, and grandmother who loved her family unconditionally.  She will be fondly remembered for loving to cook, crochet, going to church, and occasionally trying her luck at the casino. 

Carmen is survived by her loving children; Carmen Smith, Rosa Chobar, Anna Vela Eberhard (Gary Lakotich), and Asencion (Colleen) Vela; 15 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her son; Juan Vela; her daughter Sylvia Westhoff; granddaughter Vanessa Sophia Vela; son-in-law Jim Chobar; four sisters; two brothers; two stepsisters; and one stepbrother.

The family would like to say a special thank you to her grandson Jesse and his wife, Christina for guiding them in prayer during this difficult time.

Visitation for Carmen Vela will be Sunday, August 27, 2023, from 2:00 - 6:00 p.m. at the Fred C. Dames Funeral Home, 3200 Black (at Essington) Road in Joliet, IL. Funeral services will take place the following morning, Monday, August 28, 2023, leaving the funeral home chapel at 9:00 a.m. and processing to St. Ann Catholic Church, Channahon for a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. Interment to follow at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in her name to Lightways Hospice, 250 Water Stone Circle, Joliet, IL 60431.

For more information, please call 815-741-5500, or to leave an online condolence, visit her Memorial tribute page at www.fredcdames.com.