Bertha Herrera

Bertha (Yeya) Herrera, 91, of Gainesville, Florida passed away peacefully in her sleep in the early morning of February 14, 2023 at Haven Hospice of Lake City. She was born in Havana, Cuba on January 3, 1932. She was the daughter of Victorino and Ramona Rodriguez. She was married on February 20, 1960 to Jacinto Herrera and were married for nearly 40 years until his passing in 1999. She immigrated to the United States in the fall of 1961 and later became a US citizen. Bertha was a seamstress by trade, but most importantly a supporting wife, mother, aunt, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend to many. She enjoyed watching her novellas and dancing.She was the matriarch of the family and was known for her candid, instinctual,and wise comments. After decades of selflessly supporting her family, in her later years she expected to be served what she wanted and when she wanted it. She grew up the youngest of eight children. Her sister convinced her that she didnt need to go to school when she was in the fourth grade. The absence of a formal education did not subtract from her worldly wisdom.Her father passed away when she was fifteen. About that time, her mother convinced her to care for her sisterschildren as her sisters went to work in Havana. Her nieces and nephews that she cared for were Jorge, Javier, Roberto, Martha and Ana Patricia. In her teens, she was courted by her future husband Jacinto who called her Soledad, a reference to Our Lady of Solitude. In her twenties, she worked as a seamstress for the largest dry cleaner Chantres in Havana which did work for many of the movie stars that worked in Havana during the glamorous days of Cuba. The Cuban Revolution forced her and her husband to what was first thought as temporary exile but turned out to be permanent. She returned to Havana to visit in 2017 after 57 years to find her childhood city destroyed by the failed revolution. She never regretted leaving because of the family that the created and nurtured for in the United States. When she first immigrated to the United States she lived in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and thereafter moved to Hallandale, Florida in 1970. She lived in South Florida until 1980 where she moved to Williston, Florida. She then returned to South Florida until the death of her husband Jacinto in 1999 and lived in Ocala and the greater Gainesville area until her passing. She is survived by four children, Juan Lazaro Herrera married to Kathie Herrera, Jacinto Herrera married to Donna Herrera, Susan Fowler married to Mark Fowler and Frank Herrera married to Elissa Herrera, nine grandchildren, three step grandchildren and eight great-great grandchildren. Ashley Butcher married to Brain Butcher, Thomas Herrera married to Christi Herrera, Justine Whetzel, Joseph Herrera married to Megan Herrera, Dustin Herrera, Caroline Herrera, Jenna Herrera, Isabela Herrera, Sebastian Herrera, Kelsey Noyes, Will Noyes, Evan Noyes,Evan Butcher, Owen Butcher, Sofie Herrera, Nico Herrera, Joe Herrera, Oliver Herrera, Max Herrera, AJ Medina, Step Grandson Trevor Fowler married to Makayla Fowler with step great grand-daughter Aubrey Fowler and step grand-daughter Raliegh Brown married to James Brown. Memorial and Visitation Services will be held at Knauff Funeral Home 512 E Noble Ave, Williston on February 16, 2023 from 5pm to 7pm. In South Florida a Memorial Service will be held at Vista Memorial Gardens 14200 NW 57th Ave, Miami Lakes Florida on Saturday February 18, 2023 at 11:30 am. Arrangements are under the care of Knauff Funeral Home 512 E. Noble Avenue Williston, FL. (352) 528-3481 www.knaufffuneralhome.com Visitation Thursday, February 16, 2023 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Knauff Funeral Home - Williston 512 E Noble Ave Williston, Florida 32696 Graveside Service Saturday, February 18, 2023 11:30 AM Vista Memorial Gardens 14200 NW 57th Avenue Miami Lakes, FL 33014