Aida de la Vega, 75, was born October 24, 1937 to Adolfo and Virginia (Gonzalez) de la Vega in Mexico, Distrito Federal, the second of 3 children. Aida attended school in Mexico City and studied to be a bilingual secretary specializing in Spanish and English. Her favorite job was in a travel agency where she sold tours to tourists. One of her customers was Dennis Larson of Deer Park, Wisconsin who was exploring Mexico by train. After Aida sold several tours to Dennis, the relationship progressed to dinner and they were married about a year later on December 6, 1969. Aida arrived in the United States on Valentines Day in 1970 where they made their first home in Anoka along with Ricardo Perez, her son from a previous marriage.
During their 43 year marriage, Aida worked in a variety of positions in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area. She was a recorder for several title insurance companies, a language intensive position. During her later years she was a homemaker and had many different hobbies. Some activities included painting pictures and their home was adorned with them. She was also a wiz at crocheting and and knitting. Other activities included reading novels, caring for her dog and spending many hours at the Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park. In addition to many trips to visit her relatives in Mexico via air, she traveled with husband Dennis by automobile to Acapulco, to both coasts on Amtrak, and area attractions in the Great Lakes states by automobile.
Besides Anoka, they spent most of their years in Mounds View and Coon Rapids. About 2 years before her passing, her fight with cancer began. During the last 9 months of her life her final residence was back in Anoka 40 years later, where they moved to Walker Plaza, an assisted living apartment complex after her oncologist gave a glowing report about her health. This was the second time she got erroneous information and paid the ultimate price as cancer was back for its final, fatal blow. Aida passed on May 25, 2013 with husband Dennis and sister-in-law Rachel O'Connell at her side. Aida was known by her fellow residents at Walker for her smile even though she was gravely ill. Nurses said she was a fighter.
Aida is survived by her husband Dennis, son Ricardo, sister Guadalupe Palacios, of Mexico City, sister and brother-in-law Rachel and Bill O'Connell of New Richmond, sister and brother-in-law Carolyn and Ron Anton of East Bethel. She was preceded in death by her mother and father, Virginia and Adolfo de la Vega, mother and father-in-law Eleanor and Clifford Larson, brother Adolfo, sister-in-law Gail McNally, brother-in-law William McNally and brother-in-law Octavio Palacios.
Funeral services for Aida will be at the Cullen – Crea Funeral Home in New Richmond on May 30, 2013, at 1:00 p.m. with Rev. John Kutek officiating. Visitation will be before the service at 12:00 noon. Lunch will be served after the funeral and interment will be at Calvary Cemetery in Deer Park after lunch.
