Maria Cruz Melendez was born September 25, 1956, in the country of El Salvador. The earlier years of her life and education were completed in her home country. In 1970 she met Jose Santos, her beloved husband and father of her three boys. For several years she lived in El Salvador until 1983 when she came to the U.S. for the first time. In 1986 Maria and her family moved to the U.S permanently. In 1988 she was employed by Lamb Weston, where she worked until her retirement in 2020. She lived in the Tri-Cities for 34 years. On Friday she went to be with her Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. She will be deeply missed. She is survived by her 3 children Jose Gamaliel, Abel, and Oscar; also 6 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. Jose, her beloved husband passed on in 2009. She will be remembered as a woman of courage, hard worker, strong in her faith, kind and a great love for people and plants, but mostly for her Love to God.