Our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother, Betina Reyes Guevara de Bulnes, was born on August 18, 1930 in Alianza, department of Valle, located in southern Honduras, border with El Salvador.
Daughter of Alfredo Guevara and Irma Reyes. At a young age she moved to the Chasnigua banana fields of the RAILDROAD Co. fabric in the municipality of Lima, in the department of Cortés where she met who would become her husband of 70 years, Francisco Felipe Bulnes Arguijo, father of her 10 children: 5 boys and 5 girls.
After a while they moved to San Manuel, department of Cortés, where their first 3 children were born: Silvio, Alejo and Dalila. Later they moved to Tegucigalpita and then to Cuyamel, on the northern coast of Honduras, where the rest of their children were born: Betina, Nohemi Senaida, Lilia Aleyda, Fidel, Mario Alonso, Pedro and Irma.
While living in Cuyamel, she supported her husband, who along with 2 other partners, had the opportunity to participate in the founding of the International Limited Transport Cooperative CITRAL, which still exists today. She received health training from a relative who worked in a hospital when she lived in La Lima. This training equipped her to help her community in Cuyamel, since there were no health centers, much less hospitals in town. Many people from the town, her out at all hours of the night to attend to their relatives who had health problems. She saved the lives of many around her as she always agreed to help.
Throughout her life she showed to be a strong, wise, respectful, friendly, cordial, loving person who put the interests of others before her own. She was a lady highly respected by the entire community. Everyone knew her as Doña Betina. She always taught us through her hard work that she was a true business entrepreneur. While her husband drove his CITRAL bus, she opened a shop selling medicines, which she could get from the capital of the country. However, if the people couldn’t afford it, she would give them the medicines for free. She also made flower wreaths for families who had lost loved ones.
Always shared with us how God manifested Himself in their lives through miracles; from experiencing a magnificent rainbow over their house as an answered prayer to many other miracles. She visited the Cuyamel Adventist Church and included her older children to participate in services, but she was not baptized until later in life.
On June 24, 1978 she moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States, where she worked for a few years and it is where she joined the Seventh-Day Adventist Church which she deeply loved and set a great example for her family. Later in 1982 she moved to Texas.
In Texas, during each Wednesday prayer service, she prayed for her children and for her husband who was still living in Honduras so that he could move to the United States and learn all that she had learned as a member of the Adventist Church. She did this, endlessly, for 10 years until God granted her request and then they finally could worship God together until he called her to rest on December 28, 2022.
She lived grateful to God for answering her prayers and for manifesting Himself in her life. One of her blessings and delights was seeing her children visit her, the same with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. In the last week of her life, she used to say:
"I thank my God, because all my children have become very good people"
Her face irradiated with life and love just by seeing them pass in front of her. Consequently, was saddened when they left to go back home.
She loved Jesus and rested with the blessed hope of seeing her Savior return in the clouds of heaven at His second coming longing to renew her strength and enjoy an eternity.
Betina is survived by her children, Silvio Bulnes Reyes, Alejo Bulnes Reyes, Dalila Bulnes Reyes, Betina Bulnes Middleton, Noemi Senaida Bulnes Reyes, Lilia Aleyda Bulnes Diana, Fidel Bulnes Reyes, Mario Alonso Bulnes Reyes, and Irma L. Bulnes Lopez; grandchildren, Marco Tulio Bulnes, (step) Victor Cruz, (step) Moises Cruz, Mitchell Lewis Bulnes, Al Ryan Bulnes, Ryu Musaschi Bulnes, Tarsis Dalila Day, Dan Gad Matamoros Bulnes, Lester Francisco Campbell Bulnes, Alejandra Mercado DeSmit, Alejandra Noemi Lopez Bulnes, Jose Antonio Lopez Bulnes, Ashley Carolina Lopez Bulnes, Allison Nicolle Lopez Bulnes, Esmeralda Aleyda Diana, Reyna Nohemy Diana, Elias Enoc Diana, Dennis Fidel Bulnes Anariba, Lester Mauricio Bulnes Anariba, Fanny Jesennia Bulnes Anariba, Fabiola Bulnes Mendez, Susannah Evelyn Bulnes, Silvia Vanessa Bulnes Mejia, Maryorie Fabiola Bulnes Mejia, Pedro Luis Bulnes Mejia, Genesis Bulnes, Christopher Moises Lopez, and Irma Danielle Lopez; great-grandchildren, Marco Silvio Bulnes Medina, Michel Ayiri Bulnes Medina, Isabelle Bulnes Erickson, Austin Holmes, Dominic Dan Matamoros Cassanova, Kyelee Harper Day, Evie Elliana Day, Baby Musashi (on the way), Olivia Marie Campbell, Liam Alexander Campbell, Noah Miles Francisco Campbell, Luca Grey DeSmit, Collete Evelyn DeSmit, Misael Antonio Aguilar Bulnes, Alejandro Jose Aguilar Bulnes, Dinora Monserrath Bulnes Zaldivar, Mathew Bulnes Mejia, Peter Jafet Bulnes Mejia, Jack Stiben Bulnes Mejia, Ami Esmeralda Lara Bulnes, Jafeth Eduardo Contreras Bulnes, Dylan Haziel Contreras Bulnes, Greyson Don Lopez, Paisley Ann Lopez, and Logan Shaun Lopez; and one great-great-grandchild, Logan Bulnes; and a host of other loving family and friends.
She was preceded in death by her son, Pedro Bulnes Reyes; parents, Alfredo and Irma Reyes Guevara; and two brothers.
A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, January 5, 2023 at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Chapel, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas 75013. The service will also be live streamed at TJMfuneral.com on Betina’s obituary page by clicking on the following link: https://celebrationoflife.tv/blog/betina-reyes-bulnes. After the service, the recorded live stream will be available for viewing at the same link location. Following the service, a procession will make its way to Midlothian Cemetery in Midlothian, Texas for a committal service.
The family will receive family and friends during a visitation on Wednesday evening from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the funeral home.
" But they that wait upon the Lord
shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk, and not faint.." Isaiah 40:31
Nuestra querida y amada madre, abuela, bisabuela y tatarabuela, Betina Reyes Guevara de Bulnes, nació el 18 de Agosto del 1930 en Alianza, departamento de Valle, localizado al sur de Honduras, frontera con El Salvador.
Hija de Alfredo Guevara e Irma Reyes. A corta edad se trasladó a los campos bananeros Chasnigua de la TELA RAILDROAD Co. en el municipio de Lima, en el departamento de Cortés donde conoció a quien sería su esposo por 70 años Francisco Felipe Bulnes Arguijo y padre de sus 10 hijos: 5 varones y 5 mujeres
Después de un tiempo se mudaron a San Manuel departamento de Cortés, donde nacieron sus primeros 3 hijos: Silvio, Alejo y Dalila, posteriormente se mudan a Tegucigalpita y seguidamente a Cuyamel en donde nacieron el resto de sus hijos: Betina, Nohemi Senaida, Lilia Aleyda, Fidel, Mario Alonso, Pedro e Irma.
Mientras vivieron en Cuyamel, ella apoyó a su esposo, quien junto a 2 otros socios, tuvieron la oportunidad de participar en la fundación de la Cooperativa Internacional de Transporte Limitada CITRAL, la cual aún existe en el día de hoy. Ella recibió entrenamiento de salud por medio de un familiar que trabajaba en un hospital cuando vivía en La Lima. Este entrenamiento le ayudó para ayudar a su comunidad en Cuyamel, ya que no existían centros de salud ni mucho menos hospitales en el pueblo. Muchas personas del pueblo la buscaban a todas horas de la noche para que atendiera a sus familiares que tenían problemas de salud. Ella salvó la vida a muchos en su alrededor.
Toda su vida fue una persona fuerte, sabia, respetuosa, amigable, cordial, cariñosa y ponía los intereses de los demás antes de los de ella. Fue una dama muy respetada por toda la comunidad. Todos la conocían como Doña Betina. Siempre nos enseñó por medio de su arduo trabajo que era una verdadera líder y emprendedora de negocios. Mientras que su esposo manejaba su bus de CITRAL, ella abrió una tienda de venta de medicinas, cuales conseguía desde la capital del país. Sin embargo, si las personas eran de bajos recursos financieros, ella les regalaba los medicamentos. También fabricaba coronas de flores para familias que habían perdido a sus seres queridos.
Siempre nos contaba como Dios se manifestó en sus vidas por medio de milagros; desde apreciar un arcoíris sobre su casa hasta oraciones contestadas. Ella visitaba la Iglesia Adventista de Cuyamel e incluía a sus hijos mayores a participar de los servicios, pero no se bautizó hasta más tarde en su vida.
El 24 de Junio de 1978 se mudó a Grand Rapids, Michigan, Estados Unidos, donde trabajó por algunos años y es ahí donde se une a la Iglesia Adventista de Séptimo Dia la cual amó profundamente y fue un gran ejemplo para su familia. Posteriormente en 1982 se traslada a Texas.
En Texas, durante cada servicio de oración de miércoles, ella pedía oración por sus hijos y también por su esposo que todavía vivía en Honduras para que el pudiera mudarse para los Estados Unidos y conocer todo lo que ella había aprendido siendo miembro de la Iglesia Adventista. Hizo esto, sin cesar, por 10 años hasta que Dios le concedió su petición y pudieron adorar a Dios juntos hasta que la llamó al descanso el 28 de Diciembre del 2022.
Vivía agradecida a Dios por contestar sus oraciones y porque El se manifestaba en su vida. Una de sus delicias era ver a sus hijos cuando la visitaban, lo mismo con sus nietos y bisnietos. En la última semana de su vida, solia decir:
“Gracias doy a mi Dios, porque todos mis hijos se han convertido en muy buenas personas”
Su rostro le irradiaba de vida y amor con solo verlos pasar en frente de ella. Así mismo, se entristecía cuando ellos partían de regreso a sus casas.
Ella amaba a Jesús y descansó con la bendita esperanza de ver a su Salvador volver en las nubes de los cielos en su segunda venida anhelando tener nuevas fuerzas para disfrutar de toda una eternidad.
“Pero los que esperan a Jehová tendrán nuevas fuerzas;
levantarán alas como las águilas;
correrán, y no se cansarán;
caminarán, y no se fatigarán.” Isaias 40:31