Day 891 of 1000
Don José Rodriguez Cavazos died last night at age 93. He took his final deep breath and died in the arms of his oldest daughter Grandma Conchita. Don José was the family patriarch in the very best way possible. He loved, served, and guided his family with every fiber of his being. He was defined more than any other way by how he loved and served God. His contemporaries called him Chepo. His grandchildren in Mexico called him abuelito. Kelly and Christian called him Grandpa José. Virtually everyone else called him Don José.
Don José’s first wife by whom he had all his nine children died at age 57 and he married Irlinda not to long after that. Don José was the very first person I met from Lorena’s family. I met him and Irlinda standing in the cafeteria line at a church convention in New Mexico in 1989. Little did I know at the time that he would play such a huge role, not only in my life, but the life of my extended family. I remember him as a very colorful, happy, friendly person. I will write a few things about him in some future blog posts as I want to record some of the colorful stories that he told and that were told about him.
Don José and Grandpa Milo were kindred spirits. They could not speak each other’s language but got along famously and spent the short amount of time they had together patiently listening to translators help them share stories. Both of them grew up during the depression in large close knit families. I remember them giving each other a big old bear hug every time they met. Grandpa José liked to finish that hug by bouncing us a couple times off his belly.
The picture the accompanies this post is of Don José with his wife Irlinda and seven of his nine children. The one’s in the back row from left to right are Gudelia, Betty, Nena, Nelda, and Abel. In the front row are Grandma Conchita, Irlinda, Don José, and Mina. The two missing are Tomás and Blanca.
Grandpa José was Lorena’s last living grandparent. He will be greatly missed, but he was a faithful man and is in a better place.
Betty Blonde #56 –10/02/2008
Click here or on the image to see full size strip.