Funeral Mass was celebrated June 4 at Marian Residence Chapel, Santa Maria, for Sister of St. Francis Martha (Helen) Vega, 84, who died May 30.

Sister Vega, born in Los Angeles, attended St. Joseph School, Los Angeles, and after working in a beauty parlor entered the Sisters of St. Francis in Sierra Madre at Mount Alverno in 1941. She made her final vows in 1944.

She served in California, Washington and Montana, and particularly enjoyed working with children. She served at Grace Day Home, Sacramento, and taught and tutored elementary school children in Los Angeles before retiring in 2001 to Santa Maria. She also became active in clown ministry and worked as an artist making glass windows.

One of 10 children, she is survived by two sisters (Carmen Nichols and Anne Putnam), a brother (Carlos Vega), and many nieces and nephews. Donations in her memory may be made to the Sisters of St. Francis, Marian Residence, 124 S. College Dr., Santa Maria, CA 94354.

George J. Neumeier
Funeral Mass was celebrated recently at St. Elizabeth Church, Van Nuys, for longtime parishioner George Joseph Neumeier, 88, who died May 11.

Neumeier was the fifth of 12 children whose family grew up in a home next door to St. Elizabeth. He was an altar server, member of the parish youth group, and for a time studied for the priesthood. He eventually married his wife Catherine in 1943, served in the U.S. Army during World War II, and returned home where he owned and operated service stations in Van Nuys for 35 years.

At St. Elizabeth, Neumeier was a founding member of the Van Nuys Council of the Knights of Columbus, serving as Grand Knight in 1953. Preceded in death by a brother and a sister, he is survived by his wife, son Gary, four grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and nine brothers and sisters.

Fr. Juan Santiallan, Sch.P
A Mass for the repose of the soul was celebrated June 5 at St. Lucy Church, East Los Angeles, for Piarist Father Juan Santillan, who died of a heart attack May 29 in Spain, while driving back to his religious community home from doing pastoral work.

Born in Los Angeles, Father Santillan was the first Angeleno to be ordained by Auxiliary Bishop John Ward in July 1969 at Our Lady Help of Christians Church, East L.A. He served as a teacher at St. Bernard High School, Playa del Rey, and Pater Noster High School, Los Angeles; as associate pastor of St. Lucy and Santa Teresita parishes, East L.A.; and as pastor of Santa Teresita and Our Lady Help of Christians.