6/6/1961 - 12/27/2017

Ernestine Jeanette Ortiz-Ventura was married to Edward T. Ventura Jr. for 22 years. She is the mother of their only child Edward III. She was born on June 6, 1961 in Las Vegas, New Mexico and passed away on December 27, 2017 in Omaha, Nebraska.

She chatted or texted with her son every chance she could get. She prayed for Edward III daily and was proud of his social media accomplishments. She always said, ”I love you forever, my baby you’ll be,” a quote from author Robert Munsch. She loved the man he has become and relished the relationship between him and Abigail Sorensen.

Ernestine met her future husband during his last year of college at New Mexico Highlands University while celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. He proposed to her while riding a float in the city’s Fourth of July Parade. They were married on June 10, 1995 at the Immaculate Conception Church in Las Vegas, NM.

She is preceded in death by her parents Candido & Cruzita Ortiz and her brother Leroy (Frances) Ortiz along with her father-in-law Edward Ventura Sr. Her nephews Daniel Solano, Damian Lucero, Jordan Ortega and Nathaniel Montaño also preceded her in death.

She is survived by her siblings: Joe (Priscilla) Ortiz; Lorraine (Orlando) Ramirez; Dr. Raymond (Michelle) Ortiz; Isabel (Ben) Ortega; Benny (Julia) Ortiz; James (Arlene) Ortiz; John (Velma) Ortiz; Diane Garcia; Candido Ortiz Jr.; Andrea Martinez; Tommie Ortiz along with many nephews and nieces.

She is the godmother of Jazmyne Boner, Matthew Keith Sedillos, Hasan Sannoufi, Crystal Gill, Makaio Alcuran, Joshua Jones and Gabriel Montaño. She was the confirmation sponsor for Janice Ortiz and Stephanie Ramirez.

She retired from teaching in June 2017 having taught at Gomez Heritage and Castelar elementary schools in the Omaha Public Schools and was a K-8 teacher and Bilingual Director for the West Las Vegas School District (Las Vegas, NM). She was a substitute teacher for OPS before her death.  She was active in NEA, NSEA and OEA.  She was a past delegate at NSEA's Delegate Assembly and the NEA Representative Assembly.  She was a past association representative for her elementary building and was a past member of the NSEA Metro District Board of Directors.  She was also an avid supporter of the NSEA Ethnic and Minority Affairs Committee and was active in local politics.

She was a lector and usher at St. Mary’s in Bellevue, Nebraska.

She was loved by many family and friends near and far — neighbors, union brothers & sisters, her students, her coworkers and leadership teams. She greeted everyone with a smile and loved to banter with everyone.

Reception of Friends:  5-7 p.m. Tuesday, January 2, 2018 with WAKE SERVICE at 7 p.m. at St. Mary Catholic Church, 2302 Crawford Street, Bellevue

Mass of Christian Burial:  10:30 a.m. Wednesday, January 3, 2018 at St. Mary Catholic Church

Interment:  St. John Cemetery, 7506 South 36th Street, Bellevue

Memorials will be directed by the family