Former longtime citizen of Bayard, Innocente “Aleck” Vera, died Saturday morning, December 21, 2013, of natural causes in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Innocente Vera was a veteran of World War II. At the time of his death he was 92 years, 11 months, and 23 days old. He was born December 28, 1920, to Manuel and Margarita Vera in Bayard Nebraska. He was second of eleven children; nine boys and two girls. He was preceded in death by his father and mother, Manuel and Margarita Vera; a sister, Guadalupe; six brothers, Jesus, Phillip, John, Leo, Wallace, and Manuel; his only son, Paul Vincent Vera; and one great-granddaughter, Trinity Page Vera. He leaves behind three brothers, Henry (Alice), Ernest (Lucille), Tom (Lydia) Vera; one sister, Margaret (Albert) Soto; his two daughters, Juanita K. (Jerry) Hastie of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Theresa V. Vasquez of La Mirada California; also seven grandchildren, Andrea M. Enriquez, Eddie R. Vasquez, Maria A. Schwalbe, Nicholas D. Stump, Efren V. Vera, Joe Curtis Vera, and Paul Vincent Vera II; 20 great-grandchildren; and 10 great-great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews, family and friends.
His funeral mass will be held Friday, March 28, 2014, at 10:30 a.m., at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Bayard with Father Dave Rykwalder officiating. Interment will be in the Bayard Cemetery with military honors provided by the Nebraska Army National Guard. A rosary will be recited prior to the funeral mass at 10:00 a.m., Friday, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Family and friends will meet afterwards to remember and celebrate his life.
Tributes of sympathy may be left at www.bbchapels.com. Bayard Memorial Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.