Rita Renteria-Valenzuela, A Well Known Fiesta Mexicana Volunteer, Board Member And Former UMOS Administrative Staff Passed Away

Renteria-Valenzuela was well known as a Tejana, Salsa, Cumbia and Mexican cultural traditional dancer, a long time volunteer for La Fiesta Mexicana and Board member, jalapeño eating contest co-coordinator including Miss Fiesta Mexicana pageant coordinator in Milwaukee.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

February 13, 2023

Milwaukee, Wisconsin- On Monday, Rita Renteria-Valenzuela, 84, passed away in her sleep, according to family from Chicago who announced her passing to eternal life. Renteria-Valenzuela was well known for her volunteer work with La Fiesta Mexicana, a Board member, jalapeño eating contest co-coordinator and a Miss Mexican Fiesta pageant coordinator in the three-day Fiesta event at Henry Mier's Festival Grounds (Summerfest).

Renteria-Valenzuela after retiring from the United Migrant Opportunity Services (UMOS) Human Resources in 2010, she relocated to La Ciudad de Durango in the State of Durango in Mexico. Renteria-Valenzuela worked at UMOS for 20 years.

Renteria-Valenzuela loved to dance Tejano, Salsa, Cumbias and Mexican cultural traditional dances.

In 1962, Renteria-Valenzuela was crowned Prom Queen for Don Bosco High School and grew up working at her father's, Ponciano Renteria's corner food store in the Southside of Milwaukee. She was also an active co-organizer for the Mexican Independence Day parade in Milwaukee for many years.

She was the loving daughter of the late Juanita Renteria, also a former UMOS staff member and who participated along with 500 educational activists in the 1970 UW-Milwaukee Chapman Hall Takeover on August 27, 1970, which led to the elimination of unwritten discriminatory barriers that kept Hispanics from enrolling at the university. Since the 1970's, thousands of Latinos/as in Milwaukee including throughout Wisconsin have earned their university and college degrees.