Maria (Mary, Sue, Suzy) Asucena Niaves 73, of Muscatine, IA went home to be reunited with her parents, Monday, February 19, 2024. Maria passed peacefully at 5:57am, surrounded by family in San Tan Valley, AZ.
Maria wished to be buried with her parents in Brady, Texas. Her wishes will be fulfilled with an honorary Rosary on Friday, July 26th, 7pm at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church (406 S. Bridge Street, Brady, TX 76825). On Saturday, July 27th, 10am family and friends will gather at church for a mass. Immediately after, Maria will be laid to rest at Rest Haven Cemetery, Brady, TX. After burial, family and friends are invited to gather at the church for a celebration of life luncheon.
Maria was born July 2nd, 1950 in Brady, TX. Daughter of Jose (Joe) Sr. and Nicanora Ledezma Niaves, and only sister to brothers Jose Jr., Henry, and David. In 1964, the Niaves family moved to Muscatine, IA to work as seasonal harvesters. At a young age, Maria learned the value of work and she did her share to provide for the family. Maria took the initiative to teach herself how to read an atlas to help her parents navigate roads as they traveled through states for harvest. Maria could also often be found taking care of her younger brother David in the family car while the others worked in fields, until she was old enough to join them.
Maria was always a hard worker and smart businesswoman. After high school, she joined Monsanto, where she maintained multiple jobs until she landed work as a lab technician. In 1978, she met her life-long partner, William (Bill) Caparoon, and not too long after, they fell in love and married on September 26, 1980. After 20 years at Monsanto, Maria retired and left Iowa to follow her children to Wisconsin where she returned to work as a lab technician at Third Wave Technologies for another 12 years.
She retired a second time to pursue her dream to live in warmer weather without the pain of cold winters. Maria and Bill moved to San Tan Valley, AZ, where they purchased a large dream home, complete with a pool, so her children and grandchildren could always visit and enjoy. In Arizona, Maria took up new hobbies such as mountain hiking and backpacking. She spent many days hiking with just her backpack and bear spray. At 68, she accomplished her final goal by completing The Arizona Trail, an 800-mile hike from Mexico to Utah. Maria was very athletic throughout her life. She loved boating, skiing, racquetball, softball, running, biking, swimming, dancing, and music. She loved to travel, and with her bubbly personality, she was never alone. She could often be found traveling with a wonderful group of friends and family.
Maria loved giving back to her community. She spent her free time with children in Head Start, supporting families of domestic violence, and assisting with the upkeep and maintenance needed to keep parks clean. Maria will be missed by many, as she leaves behind an older brother Henry Niaves (Linda) of Brady TX; sister-in-law Ema Niaves of Muscatine, IA; her life-long partner, William (Bill) Caparoon of San Tan Valley, AZ; daughter Monica and Richard O’Brien of Deforest, WI; son Juan Niaves and Kelli Peterson of Waunakee, WI; and daughter Christina (Lola) Gonzales and Abraham Lopez Artero of Monroe, WI. Maria has seven grandchildren, Desiera (Zac) Wade of Winter Haven, FL; Kassandra Gonzales (Cody) of Monroe WI; Cynthia Honts (Max) of Baltimore MD; Vanessa Honts (Brenton) of Sun Prairie, WI; Tyler O’Brien (Khira) of Deforest, WI; Richard O’Brien of Deforest, WI; Andrew Niaves of Oregon, WI and two great grandchildren, Lucille Runaas and Oliver Bates of Monroe, WI. In addition to her parents, Maria was preceded in death by her brothers, Jose Niaves, Jr., David Niaves, and nephew Edward Niaves.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church or another charitable cause of your choice.
