As an adult, Mercedes continued to immerse herself in Spanish culture. She regularly cooked Spanish cuisine, collected Spanish art and china for her home, would go watch live Flamenco music and dance performances, and wore cultural scarves and garments from Spain. She was proud of her Spanish heritage, and sought dual citizenship, even returning to Spain with her Mother and Sister later in life to visit family and see where they were born.

While growing up in El Paso, Mercedes attended Jesus and Mary Elementary School, then Saint Joseph's School, and graduated from Burges High School in 1973. Mercedes had a love of the arts and took guitar and ballet lessons as a child. She began painting and drawing, and learning about and appreciating the world of art.

Right after graduation, Mercedes Married her high school sweetheart, Martin, and moved to North Carolina, as her new husband had aspirations of becoming a Navy Seal. Unfortunately, her husband decided he wasn’t ready to settle down and the couple split shortly after. Mercedes came back home to El Paso, the marriage was annulled, and she changed her name back to Newman. She was heart broken, but being a proud young woman, she moved on.

Mercedes began attending the University of Texas in El Paso, enjoying taking painting classes, and resumed her study of ballet. During school, Mercedes began working for the local newspaper, where she would meet who she described as the love of her life, Bill, and they soon began making plans for a life together. But, those plans never came to be, as Bill was diagnosed with brain cancer. Scared, and at the mercy of this awful disease, Mercedes traveled with Bill to seek treatment, hoping for a cure. She was by his side caring for Bill until he succumbed to his illness shortly after. Although devastated by her loss, she turned her focus to her own life, and moved to Austin, TX.

Mercedes found her place in Austin. She lived an adventurous life, hiking, kayaking, and traveling the US and abroad. She was a true outdoorsman and a steward of the environment, living simply, and choosing an organic healthy lifestyle. She loved going to festivals and museums and began volunteering for the Blanton Museum of Art. She found love and married again, to a kindred earth conscious spirit, Steve. Together they bought some property in the country, in Driftwood, TX, moved a 100 year old farmhouse onto the property and while living in Austin, were planning to remodel their new home together, making it habitable on the weekends. They were excited to plant gardens and enjoy a country lifestyle once they remodeled their old home. But soon after, Steve began to act erratic and grew angry and agitated. He had a mental illness that he did not disclose to Mercedes, and feeling extremely happy, he decided to go off his medications. He soon became delusional and threatening, and spiraled out of control. Mercedes was scared and didn’t know what to do to help. She contacted his family, who tried to intervene, but ultimately, Steve became too overwhelmed by his illness that he took his own life.

Mercedes was totally crushed by this trauma, on top of the pain of her loss, she found herself not able to afford to live in town and still pay the note on the house and property. She ended up moving into the old house without running water and only an extension cord from a utility pole going into the home to run a table lamp. She was scared about losing the only thing she had left, but felt stuck, as she didn’t know how to better her situation. It was a brutal winter, and she was nearly freezing trying to survive in the dilapidated old house, showering in town at the YMCA. When her friend from work, Alicia, went out to visit her one day, and saw the poor condition Mercedes was living in, she went home and begged her husband, David, to help her friend. David, a firefighter, together with another member of his crew, sprang into action and on their days off, remodeled the farmhouse for Mercedes. The job turned out beautifully and Mercedes was so grateful. She felt like they saved her, and gave her the biggest gift, to be able to live out the dream for her and Steve, living out in the country in that beautiful farmhouse.

Mercedes grew into a very capable and independent woman, but she was lonely and isolated out in the country. She adopted a dog, Nelson, and bought a few miniature donkeys, which helped give her companionship. She had been working at a Textbook publishing house, Holt Rinehart & Winston (HRW) since 1990, as a designer. HRW had lots of deadlines, and the work could be quite stressful. This stress, coupled with her long commute and isolation in the country, and the trauma of losing her pet donkeys to a pack of dogs one evening, caused her mental anguish, and she began to show signs of being bi-polar. She recognized the signs and confided in her friends, and together they helped get her diagnosed and into treatment. Her friend Alicia encouraged her to sell her house in the country and move into one of Alicia and David’s rental houses back in Austin.

It was a good move. Being close to work and friends was very beneficial for Mercedes’ mental health. Although she didn’t have the space for gardens at her new home, she rented a plot at the local community garden. She got to know a neighbor, Ellen, and enjoyed their friendship very much. Mercedes enjoyed the quaint south Austin neighborhood she was living in, and when she was ready, decided to buy a home just a few streets away. She loved to walk her dog Nelson in the neighborhood and get to know all the neighbors. When Nelson passed, she adopted another sweet guy named Finn from the local shelter. He was a big, sweet, lovable dog. She frequented the dog park often as he needed space to run. Mercedes loved her new home. She could envision her living there forever. And was glad it had a place for her sister, Angi, to come live with her. Which she did for a short time.

Mercedes struggled with her bi-polar disorder off and on through her adult life, and worked hard to keep things together and stay in her home. Her friends often had to help her see she was needing medical intervention, and when she was in a better state, she was always so appreciative to her friends for staying with her and helping her through a troubled patch. Always embarrassed of her actions and that she burdened anyone with her need. She knew what it was like because she often had to take care of her sister who was also mentally ill, and sometimes would be on the streets, needing a lifeline back.

Through the years, Mercedes became content as a single person, and found enjoyment with her dogs, painting, making pottery, and gardening. She loved being a part of the community gardens, as she enjoyed the fellowship she gained there. She was always studying and learning, and had extensive knowledge she shared with friends about plants and caring for them.

After 18 years at HRW, in 2008 Mercedes was laid off when the company consolidated divisions. Mercedes went back to school at Austin Community College to get her teaching certification, and in 2009 she became a bilingual pre-K teacher. Mercedes was grateful to have her friend, Teresa, who was also a pre-K teacher, to confide in as she transitioned to her new career. Mercedes loved working with the small children, and felt she finally found her true calling in life. She would often say, although she never had kids of her own, she felt blessed to have so many kids she would love forever. She enjoyed working as a pre-K teacher for the next 6 years, devoted to helping these young kids, often from struggling homes, learn English and inspire them to have a lifelong love of learning, but the stress began to interfere with her mental health, and she knew it was time to retire. Luckily, she did not have to worry about an early retirement, as she was blessed by her Uncle Fletcher, who left her and her sister some money upon his death a few years prior.

Once retired, she volunteered to teach art at Creative Action non-profit, the less stressful environment was perfect and she again was helping children. Spring of 2014, Mercedes traveled to Ebbio, Italy to train to be a specialized kid’s yoga instructor. Upon her return to the states, in 2015, she began teaching yoga to kids at the Foundation Communities Pre-K school, as well as volunteering at the non-profit, which she loved doing, but soon after was diagnosed with colon cancer. It was a hard fought battle with many surgeries, compounding complications, and chronic pain for the next 6 plus years. During her years of suffering, she was always determined to be independent and not burden anyone, and always did what she could to help take care of her sister who’s mental illness had completely taken over her life.

Mercedes, housebound due to her illness, began painting watercolor again, starting with simple studies of flowers and bugs, hoping to paint larger pieces once she beat cancer, but she never got the chance. Her beloved dog Finn, who she would take hiking with her and to the dog park before cancer, was by her side throughout her long ordeal, even sleeping with her at the Christopher house her last days. Finn was an amazing companion to Mercedes, and she loved him very much. Her neighbor, Ellen, would often take Finn when Mercedes was in the hospital, or needed respite, and Mercedes was so thankful for Ellen’s help. Since Ellen had 5 dogs of her own, after Mercedes passed away, Finn was adopted by a dear friend Mercedes met at HRW, Scott. After many years of being by Mercedes’ side while she was ill, Finn is enjoying being spoiled by Scott in his senior years.

Mercedes was proud of her time as a teacher and volunteering her services for children, but her biggest accomplishment, which she did without hesitation, was taking care of her sister, Angi. As a teenager, Mercedes’ sister was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, and she often needed help. Mercedes helped her family cope with the struggles, and after her parent's passing, Mercedes devoted her life to making sure her sister was taken care of. Until her dying day, she always thought and worried about her sister, and set up care for her after she passed, to ensure her sister would not struggle or be without support. She truly loved her sister Angi, and wished she didn’t have to die, as there would be no family left for Angi. Although Mercedes spent over 6 years physically struggling and very sick with cancer, she fought so hard to be there for her sister as long as she could.

Mercedes had a life filled with heartache, but she never let it drag her down to a life of depression and woe. She always looked at everything for its beauty and how she could help. She cared deeply for others, and did what she could to support those around her, and never wanted to be a burden to anyone. When she was sick with cancer, her friends stepped in to help her, Ellen, Alicia, and Scott tried to do what they could, or what Mercedes would allow them, to ease the pain of cancer. Her best friend, Alicia, was by her side when Mercedes would take a turn for the worse and needed her to step in and keep up with bills, or help take care of her. And her friends Mary Ester and Teresa, and her cousin Michael shared many hours of great conversation that Mercedes cherished, when she became bedridden from her illness. She was grateful for the home care and hospice nurses and the chaplains for their gentle, patient care and company they offered her, and the Christopher House, which accepted her multiple times when she was not able to manage her pain, and when she finally came the last time, providing a peaceful place for her last days, keeping her comfortable and without pain. Until her dying day, she was apologetic for being in need, and she would offer payment and something of hers to any caregivers, hoping to feel the sense of purpose she desired, which was to help others, even when she needed help. Mercedes never gave in to cancer, and fought hard to keep living, until her last breath.

Mercedes is survived by her sister Angelina Newman, her cousin Michael Thiel, close friends Maria Esther Berdion Barger, Scott Allen, Teresa Carera-Paprota, Alicia Sullivan, David Sullivan, Ellen Kallman, and others she blessed with her friendship. Rest in Peace Mercedes, We love and miss you, and will remember you always.

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