Heriberto Tovar's Obituary
Herb was a distinguished WWII army veteran who participated in D-Day and received numerous citations for his service. He was proud to be a WWII veteran and wore his cap everywhere.Herb was born in San Buenaventura Coahuila. When he was few months old, he developed a very high fever and was taken to the local parish to be baptized. The family came to the US when Herb was five years old to join an uncle who worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad and had secured a job for Herb’s father. The family settled in Texas and moved often as the job demanded. He lived in many little Texas towns including Mathis and Odem, where he went to school. As a youth, he picked cotton and vegetables during the summer. One year during the Depression, Herb’s father secured a large lot and planted vegetables. He had very good memories of that time as he and his brother worked beside his father outdoors. The family had joined the Pentecostal church as the Uncle was a Pentecostal preacher and they were all active in the services.Herb was working in Odem at a gas station when Uncle Sam called. He went to San Antonio to be inducted in the Armed Forces. He trained in Fort Sam Houston; Macon, Georgia; Breckinridge, Kentucky, and Fort Devens, Massachusetts. His unit left for England on the ship Cynthia from New York Harbor. They stayed in England until D-Day.On D-Day, Herb’s 179th Engineer Combat Battalion crossed the English Channel and landed at Utah Beach. There were many losses as they advanced toward Paris. Later, General George S. Patton brought the Engineer Battalion into his 3rd Army. Herb had a small period of rest after Germans surrendered. The unit was being sent to the Pacific, but, fortunately, the war ended in the Pacific also.While in the army with the Corps of Engineers, he was in the battles of Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe. He was awarded the Good Conduct Medal E T O with four Bronze Service Stars, an American Defenses Ribbon, a WWII Victory Medal, and an American Theatre Campaign Medal lapel button.When Herb returned home, the family had settled in Corpus Christi, Texas. They were attending First Spanish Baptist Church, so he joined. He met his wife Mary Mara Cuevas and they were married two years later and the Lord blessed them with four wonderful children.Herb worked at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. When the O & R department of the base closed, he and the family were transferred to NAS Alameda in California.The family attended a small Spanish Baptist church in Oakland. Later, they join First Southern in Hayward that became Elmhurst Baptist. The area missionary asked Herb to help Calvary Baptist with a large Hispanic group from Nicaragua, so the family joined Calvary and eventually moved to Fremont, CA where they joined Mission Way. Herb was a member of First Baptist Church of Newark when the Lord called him home.Herb made several missions trips to Mexico and Honduras with Men’s Ministries led by Ed Brown of the Baptist state office and short trips to border towns in Mexico. He served as deacon in three churches: Elmhurst, Calvary, and Mission Way.Herb loved gardening outdoors. Three days before his passing, he had turned the soil to prepare it for planting. He had planted a grapefruit tree for daughter Becky, a peach for Mara, a plum tree, a fig tree, a mandarin orange tree, and an apple tree that doesn’t know it’s supposed to grow apples. Some years back, before dementia took hold, his tomatoes were the prize of the neighborhood. Some would ask “how do you get them so sweet?” Herb would say “I put sugar on them!”Herb is survived by his wife of 67 years, Mara, and four children: Ed from Brunei; Mark Tovar and wife Marilyn of Stockton; Rebecca Goldman and husband Bob of Palo Alto; Sandra Miller and husband Erick of Fremont. He is survived by four grandchildren: Tom Tovar and wife Yolanda of Stockton; Christina Tovar of San Jose; Milan Fortin and Chad of Discovery Bay, and Neil Satterlund of New York. He is also survived by three great grandchildren: Lani Mitchell and husband Daniel of Stockton; Timmy Tovar; and Sarah Tovar. Layla and Laveah Mitchell are Herb’s great, great granddaughters. His surviving siblings are sisters Carolyn Grant of Corpus Christi, Texas; Mary Spence of Sandia, Texas; and brother Moses Tovar.Herb has gone to his heavenly reward having been a good Christian husband, father, faithful steward, and church member. He will be greatly missed by many people.
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