Renewed by the Lord, run freely and without weariness upon streets of pure gold.

Isaiah 40:31 – Revelation 21:21

Rosa Mirella Medina was born on June 5, 1950, in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. On Saturday, February 14, 2026, she was welcomed into her eternal home with our Lord, surrounded by the love of her family. Her homecoming on Valentine's Day was a sweet reminder of how deeply she was loved by God and of the promise that we will one day see her again.

At the age of 17, Rosa moved to the United States as one of four sisters who came to work and help support the Peña family back home. The twelfth of sixteen children, Rosa carried a deep love for her family and her beloved Guadalajara throughout her life. Because of her devotion to both her home and adopted country, she proudly became a dual citizen of Mexico and the United States.

In 1969, Rosa met Salvador Medina at Bayley's in Sanger, California, where she was working and where Salvador was employed part-time while attending college. They were married on January 24, 1970. In September 1970, they welcomed their first daughter, Mirella Isabel, and in November 1975, their second daughter, Sonia.

After becoming a mother, Rosa began running as a hobby, which quickly blossomed into a lifelong passion. She competed in road races and marathons throughout the Central Valley and beyond. Her dedication and talent led to her recruitment by Fresno City College, where she ran cross-country and track. At the age of 35, she earned a full scholarship to California State University, Bakersfield, where she competed in cross-country and track. Rosa's commitment to fitness never wavered; neighbors in the Sanger and Sunnyside communities were accustomed to seeing her running through the streets. She continued running three to five miles a day and working out in her home gym until the age of 74.

After earning her bachelor's degree, she went on to receive her master's degree in Spanish literature from California State University, Fresno. She served as a part-time faculty member at Fresno State before becoming a full-time Spanish instructor at San Joaquin Memorial High School, where she faithfully taught until her retirement.

Rosa was preceded in death by her parents, Miguel Ángel Peña Angulo and María Isabel Delgadillo Navarro; her siblings, Miguel Ángel, Minerva, Yolanda, Gloria, Rosalba, Lauro, Mario, Jorge, Norma, and Luis; and her beloved granddaughter, Megan Mirella Christianson, who passed away in August 2022 at the age of 32.

She is lovingly remembered by her husband, Salvador Medina; her daughters, Mirella Isabel Williams and her husband, Leonard Williams, and Sonia Medina Pranger and her husband, Kevin J. Pranger, Sr.; her cherished grandchildren, Christian Malachi Hall, Belana Mirella Pranger, Grace Bethany Pranger, Sophia Lina Pranger, and Kevin Joseph Pranger, Jr.; her great-grandson, Joe Brian Duenas; and her siblings, Augusto, Sonia, Alma, Maria, and Alejandra.

While we will deeply miss seeing her run, we find comfort in knowing that she is now running freely on the streets of gold, restored in strength and joy, in the presence of her Savior.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Mary Church on Bethel Ave. in Sanger on Friday, March 6, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., with interment to follow at Sanger Cemetery