Terra Leah Cramer

Terra Leah Cramer, 44, of Ventura, passed November 7, 2023, with her family and friends by her side. Terra was born May 28, 1979 in Oxnard, CA to Gerald and Constance Rowe (Ellis). Since family was everything to Terra, she was fortunate enough that her mother remarried Fernando Dominguez, after her father passed, and her family grew.

Terra attended Santa Clara High School, where she graduated in 1997, she received her AS from Ventura College, and was working towards her BS from Grand Canyon University.

Terra married Mathew Cramer in 2002 and in 2003 she was blessed with her “Sonshine” Jeremiah. While Mathew was in the Navy, Terra lived in Whidbey Island, WA and San Diego, CA. After Mat’s retirement from the Navy, they settled back in her home town of Oxnard, CA and finally Ventura, CA.

Terra was a one woman warrior for anyone she felt needed a strong voice of advocacy, especially those who were mistreated or marginalized.  She was born to use the power of the Ellis voice to right the wrongs and serve the underdog. Her acts of advocacy transcended her role as an ombudsman for Naval Services  and as a SEIU-UHW union steward for her coworkers. Her role as care coordinator for Dignity Health was the perfect outlet for her often selfless advocacy and support, as she doggedly found creative ways to get her patients the care, equipment, and exams they needed.  Despite her MS diagnosis, Terra continued  to fight for others, while she was in the midst of fighting her own battle.

Regardless of her challenges, she found a way to be present, purposeful, and positive, as evidence by her tenacity to find the rainbow, in the middle of a rainstorm.  She was the family historian, committed to capturing the spectacular and the mundane in every family gathering, and would often quip. ”It’s for the funeral collage” to get people to acquiesce to her impromptu photo op or Facebook Live videos. Her social media platforms were filled with positive affirmations, that showcased her persistence to find a way to appreciate the positives at the end of a particularly crappy day. Terra posted this quote by Bob Marley on her Facebook page, “You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have,” which was reflected in her final fight to survive.  She was fighting for her family because her family was everything!

Tough but loving 

Embraces her independence

Resilient and tenacious 

Refuses to be stopped 

Authentic and true

Terra is survived by, her husband Mathew, her son, Jeremiah, her sister, Teresa Rowe, her brother, Kevin Rowe (Bianca), her father, Fernando Dominguez (Sonia), her aunts, Julie Rowe (Tim Rosenberg), Marie “Franky” Ramirez (Ralph), Michelle Sosa (John), Stella Ellis-Orndorff (Jen), Peggy Arkenberg, Rosa Dominguez, Martha Valdez, Marina Martinez, her uncles, Edmund “Dave” Ellis III, Eloy Ellis (Christy) Francisco Dominguez (Lydia) and numerous cousins and extended family.  She is preceded in death by her father, Gerald “Jerry” Rowe, her mother, Constance “Connie” Dominguez, her grandparents, Howard “Wayne” Rowe, Suzanne Rowe, Leona “Kay” Rowe, Edmund Ellis Jr and Marie Ellis, her cousin, Andrew Ellis and her uncles, Arthur Rowe, Bruce Ellis and Salvador Valdez.

Visitation will be held from 4:00-7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 21 at Reardon Funeral Home, 511 North A Street, Oxnard, CA. Rosary will be recited at 7:00 p.m. Funeral Mass will be celebrated Wednesday, November 22 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, 2511 S. C Street, Oxnard, CA. The Rite of Committal and burial shall follow at Santa Clara Cemetery, 2370 N. H Street, Oxnard, CA. 

In lieu of flowers please consider donating to The National Multiple Sclerosis Society in Terra’s name https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Donate

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