Natalia (Moreira) Costa, 83, of Fall River, wife of the late Manuel A. Costa, passed away peacefully at the Sacred Heart Home following a long and courageous battle with an illness. Born in Remedios, Bretanha, Sao Miguel, Azores, she was a daughter of the late Joao Moreira and Belmira (Vicente D'Arruda) Moreira.

As a young girl Natalia worked in Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel for a wealthy family who loved her extremely. It was here where she developed her fine skills of home-making and food preparation.  Today she is still known as the "Queen" of Arrojo Doce (rice pudding), Biscoitos (Portuguese biscuits) and Massa (sweet bread).

Natalia and Manuel immigrated to Fall River in 1973 with their five children to give them a better life and to join the rest of her Family.  A couple of years after arriving in the United States, they were blessed with their sixth child.

Natalia worked hard all her life,  working part time at night at Quaker Fabric while raising her six children during the day; being a mother and father to all of them. Natalia also took care of numerous nieces and  numerous friends' children. She was what you call a "Wonder Woman". After raising her children she worked full time on third shift and took care of children during the day time.

Her strongest attribute was her unwavering faith which could move mountains, living a long and full life with God as her pilot. During times of sorrow the Holy Spirit was her strength and she lived for it. Losing two daughters at a young age was not an easy road for her but with the Grace of God she persevered.

Natalia had many talents, one of which was knitting blankets for all her family and also for children she did not know. She knitted over 300 of these blankets with the Alphabet and the child's name. Natalia also crocheted numerous table clothes for all the Family and for all occasions.

She was a member of the Espirito Santo Parish where she developed her spiritual life by attending daily Mass and where she would often meet her parents. She was a very active member of Espirito Santo Church ministries and belonging to many organizations and societies such as the Holy Rosary Society, Charismatic Movement, Choir Group, Group of women opening the churches donations/collections, Alter decorations, Oratory of the Holy Family and also a member the churches kitchen ministry which cooks for church dinners and makes malassadas. In this Ministry she developed long lasting friendships. One of her favorite kitchen duties was to make malassadas (fried dough) at the Great Feast of the Holy Ghost at Kennedy Park.

A great and devoted Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Sister, Aunt and Friend; Natalia leaves her loving children, Antonio Costa and his wife, Maria, of Fall River, Jose and his wife, Melissa,  of Portsmouth,  Rhode Island, and  Merciana and Nancy Costa, both of Fall River; her grandchildren, Stephanie (husband, Matt), Kyle, T J, Erica, Brandon, Christopher, Morgan and Kaitlin; two great-grandchildren, Sophia and Jacob; her four sisters, Margarida Goncalves, Teresa Reis, Leontina Arruda, and Maria DoCarmo Borges; three brothers, Jose Pacheco, Antonio Moreira, and Francisco Pacheco; and many nieces and nephews. She was also the mother of the late Margaret Costa and the late Nellie Costa and sister of the late Joao Moreira.

The Family would like to thank Bristol Elders of Fall River, Associated Home Care, Visiting Nurses, Hospice Community Nurse, and Sacred Heart Home for the excellent care that she received from these organizations. They would also like to thank her physician, Pulmonary Doctor Mansharamani, and her Prima Care Nurse Practitioner, Linda Pavia.

Her Funeral Mass was celebrated on Friday, October 20th, in Espirito Santo Church followed by her committal at Notre Dame Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, kindly consider a donation in Natalia's memory to: Espirito Santo Church, General Fund, 311 Alden Street, Fall River, MA 02721.

Family members are always grateful for relatives and friends wishing to make in-person expressions of kindness and support. If you were unable to do so, because of this pandemic or any other reason, all are urged to express their sympathy online or by mail. To ensure that said condolences and/or sympathy cards reach the family, please always make sure that submissions online are made directly through the funeral home's website (www.silvafaria.com) and not through a third party. Thank you!