Santiago B. Ramos, 81, of Rochelle, went to be with his Lord on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023 while surrounded by loving family at his home.
Santiago was born on May 31, 1942 in Zacatecas, Mexico, the son of Luis and Piedad Ramos. He married Maria Montelongo on January 29, 1964 in Piedra Negras, Coahulia, Mexico, and in 1966 he moved his family to the United States and began working at the Rochelle Del Monte
plant in 1968. He spent his entire career with Del Monte, and later Kraft Foods, retiring in 2005. Santiago was the fourth of 11 children, and as a young teenager he began working with a construction crew in Mexico, which served him well later in life when he often took on many
major home projects himself. He became a master brick-layer and often talked about the homes he helped build and brick, including his own.
He was very proud of the two-story Rochelle home he totally refurbished with the help of family over the years, and loved the Christmas season when his light displays lit up the block and attracted many drive-by views.
Although Santiago had no formal education, he was a hard-worker and quick learner who was very intelligent about finances, politics and people in general, which enabled him to successfully realize his dreams in America. In addition to his working career, he also acquired a large
apartment house his father had owned, and spent several nights and weekends upgrading the units and attending to the needs of his loyal tenants. Whether at his own home or his apartment house garage, he was always well organized and believed everything had its place. Zip ties were one of his favorite methods for hanging up and storing tools and other home items, and he utilized all sizes and colors, often drawing laughs
from family members. One of Santiago's favorite Christmas gifts was receiving scratch-off lottery tickets that were zip tied to a miniature Christmas tree. Santiago loved his family and could always be counted on to help his parents, children, grandchildren, siblings and extended family with advice and support when needed. He greatly enjoyed large family cookout outings, playing bags and other backyard games, and he is fondly remembered by his nieces and nephews of always handing out sticks of Juicy Fruit gum when they asked. He enjoyed traveling with his wife, Maria, and on group trips with siblings to various locations, including Florida, Texas, Wisconsin, Las Vegas, Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco and also Hawaii for a 25th anniversary celebration. For the past few years, he and his wife would drive up to Cherry Valley Mall several times a
week to walk for exercise, have lunch in the food court and sometimes meet siblings for fellowship. Up until the last few months, the couple would occasionally venture out for a day trip to a casino in Iowa or Wisconsin, enjoying people watching and the rural farm settings along the way. Santiago also made time to stroll down to the little league fields in the summer to watch some baseball and enjoy a hot dog for dinner. At home, he kept up with news on the Spanish TV channels and was a regular viewer of boxing matches, although none compared to his favorite fighter of the past- Sugar Ray Leonard. He was a very kind, patient and spiritual man who often read Bible verses and privately reflected about the word of the Lord. Every Christmas and Easter morning he and his wife, Maria, would make the rounds to the homes' of family members to wish them greetings, and at holiday parties his pre-dinner prayers were legendary.

Santiago is survived by his wife, Maria, of Rochelle; five children, Jose Ramos (Colene Pottinger), of Hillcrest, Consuelo Flickinger, of Venice, Florida, Victor (Jenny) Ramos, of Hillcrest, Maria (John) Shank, of Rochelle, and Santiago Ramos, Jr., of Rochelle; eleven grandchildren,
Cole Ramos, Jaimee (Cody) Hinrichs, Olivia Ramos, Nicholas (Rachel) Flickinger, Alex (Katrina) Flickinger, Isaiah (Desiree) Ramos, Sarah (Alex) Elam, Jonathan (Sara) Ritchie, Benjamin (Morgan) Shank, Brady Shank and Ariana Ramos; fifteen great-grandchildren and one on the
way; two brothers, Primitivo (Petra) Ramos and Gonzalo (Josefina) Ramos; four sisters, Juliana (Alfredo) Navejas, Feliciana Ramos, Abelina  Gumercindo) Hernandez and Mary (Richard) McCrea; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his parents; two brothers, Gregorio Ramos and Refugio Ramos; two sisters, Amelia Ramos and Andrea Ramos; and son-in-law, Mel Flickinger.

Visitation will be held from 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023 at the Unger-Horner Funeral Home, 400 N.
Sixth Street, Rochelle, Illinois. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 4 at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1415
10th Avenue, Rochelle, Illinois, with pastor Michael Wolff officiating. Burial will follow at Lawnridge Cemetery in Rochelle. Memorials may be made in Santiago's name to his favorite charity, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. An online guest book is available by visiting ungerhorner.com