The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 89, No. 28, Ed. 1 Wednesday, July 11, 2001 Page: 2 of 14
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Page 2
The Mercedes Enterprise
Mercedes, Texas 78570 Wednesday, July 11, 2001
Recuerdos de Ayer..
By G.G. Garcia, The Prairie Yaqui
First, there was no Recuerdos
column for the June 27th edition. My
daughter was getting married in the
Hill country of Texas on June 23rd.
.We stayed in Bandera, the self-styled
“Cowboy Capital of the World.”
Ileana Marisela Garcia-Spitz, age
25, and Joseph Wilson said their
nuptial vows out in the open, in a
small clearing in a secluded area near
the Medina River, in Pipe Creek, Texas.
One Hundred forty seven family
members and friends witnessed the
vows. Just a small, intimate affair.
The celebration was elegant in its
simplicity. It reminded me of a dinner
I once attended for Mexican President
Jose Lopez Portillo, hosted by
Governor Martinez Dominguez of the
State of Nuevo Leon. It was in Nuevo
Laredo. I was with Governor Bill
Clements on one of our official visits
with the President and Governor
Martinez Dominguez.
Eddie Gonzalez, a former television
news reporter for KGBT Channel 4,
and later Channel 5 in San Antonio
observed, “There was something
very spiritual, very moving about this
wedding. You could feel it in the air,
he told me after the ceremony. Yes,
there was, Ed.
This was a marriage between two
young people very much in love. But
there was something primordial about
Ileana going back to the mountains
for strength. (Some people would call
these hills in the Hill Country
“mountains.”)
The Yaquis were a nomadic tribe
of the Apache nation. They migrated
back and forth across the Rio Bravo
in search of food. They settled in the
Sierra Madre Occidental in
Chihuahua, Durango, and Zacatecas.
We, therefore, are descendants of the
Spanish Conquistadores, the warring
Aztecs, the French soldiers of
Napoleon Bonaparte, and the Yaqui
Apaches of the north.
It was a marriage of two families,
many cultures, many religions, a
wedding of the soul.
Eddy’s insightful quote was all the
more meaningful, considering he
could not hear what I said to Joseph
and Ileana as I gave the bride away.
The invitees were out of earshot from
the celebrant, the wedding couple and
I. He was going by nuance, the
environment, and the “spirit” of the
joining together for all eternity.
My words evidently touched
those members of the bridal party who
could hear me. One young lady told
me, as she went through the receiving
line, I should not be allowed to speak
at weddings. I made everyone cry.
It was a very special moment, a
transforming moment.
This was not a traditional,
conservative wedding. I felt like
Tevye, the dairyman played by Zero
Mostel in the musical based on
Sholom Aleichem’s stories of Tsarist
Russia: “Fiddler on the Roof.” It was
yet another reminder that change is
constant. This is the new order. My
time as an authoritarian head of
household is over.
I’m from another age, a valiant
Jorge Negrete, or Pedro Infante
idealizing love and poverty in song,
in black and white film. An incurable
romantic, am I.
Now my son, Ben. He sits like
another Leonardo Garcia, bringing his
gift, his music, to his sister’s
wedding, giving of himself; Jorge-
Luis, his older brother, my consulting
engineer, wanting to pay for
everything.
To put it another way: “Everything
changes, and yet everything remains
the same.”
When Sheila and I got married, on
December 28,1973, it seemed like the
whole Spitz and Kuebel clan,
including their faith communities,
turned out for our wedding. It was
truly a ceremony “to honor thy father
and thy mother.”
Ileana and Joseph, on the other
hand, chose to honor us, the parents,
not by this “ivory tower” approach.
They chose an inclusive, symbolic
gesture. Everyone, the bride the
groom, the grandparents, the parents
and their families were honored, as in
a circle, reminiscent of the wedding
ring, equally, simultaneously, deeply,
with such great love for all.
All of my children were at the
wedding: Cristela Elizabeth, New
Orleans; Jorge-Luis Armando, Dallas;
Benjamin Martin, McAllen; and Juan
Carlos, Machesney Park, IL. And of
course, Ileana and Joseph, of
McAllen and Pipe Creek, Texas.
I got to visit with my brother, E.J.
and his wife Irene, and their children:
Thelma Jean (Matthew) Montelongo,
Houston, and their lovely daughters
Victoria and Rebecca; Walter, a coach
in Progreso I.S.D., and Randy Lee,
(Yvette) and son, Matthew; San
Antonio. We missed David, a very
successful golf coach with Mercedes
ISD.
We also spent time with my sister,
Tere and her sons Michael Carmona,
Lawton, Okla., and Marcos Carmona
(Roseanne) Harlingen and their
daughter, Lexi.
Every member of my family is
important to me. But I was looking
forward to seeing Jamika, my niece,
Linda Lisa’s daughter, Matthew,
Randy Garcia’s son, Marina Villarreal,
Andrew and Marcos Rodriguez, and
Lexi Carmona, the youngest members
ofthe family.
I spent a considerable time talking
with Joseph’s grandfather, Tom
Wilson. He was with the Texas
Alcoholic Beverage Commission. He
knew the late Texas State Senator Jim
Bates. Brig Marmolejo, the former
Sheriff of Hidalgo County used to
work for Mr. Wilson. His wife, Betty,
speaks with a thick Texas drawl even
though she is not a native Texan.
The Yarrison’s, Mickey and
Tommy, Joseph’s mother and
stepfather, are super nice people.
They made us feel right at home. |
Mickie’s father, Jimmy Jackson, -
reminded me of Papa Lico. His wife,
Doye, was there a true Texas
matriarch. Edward Wilson, Joseph’s
birth father and his wife Debbie I
found very pleasant to talk to.
I also liked Roger and Alma, two
very special people who have had
some tragedy in their lives since the
wedding. Our heartfelt sympathy to
them both. Our prayers are with you.
PRAIRIE TRAILS
When we got back from Texas, I
had several calls from Santiago
“Jimmy” and Angie Duran from La
Feria. They were flying into O’Hare
in Chicago for the Fourth of July in
Wisconsin Dells. They were stopping
in Chicago Heights, IL the first night
to visit with Angie’s brother, Basilio
Betancourt and his family.
Jimmy and I have been close
friends since the seventh grade.
Junior High was in the southernmost
building on Ohio Avenue by the
tennis courts. On their way back from
the Dells, we had a chance to visit
over lunch. We laughed so hard,
reminiscing over the old home-
remedies for all sorts of minor
illnesses. We had a great time
Travis Elementary School Principal
Pearl Guerrero has released the Honor
Roll for the sixth six weeks as follows:
SECOND GRADE
Straight A
Christian Alvarado, Selena
Cavazos, Lorenzo Garcia, Thalia
Guzman, Robert Hinds, David
Marquez, Alberto Martinez and Karen
resurrecting names from the old days. L. Martinez.
More later. . Peter Martinez, Jannet Ortega,
July Birthday Wishes Monica Pena, Mary Reyes, Cassandra
To Lexi, my nephew, Mark and Salinas, Ramiro Sanchez, Asenet
Roseanne Carmona’s little girl. She Vallejo and Phylisha yierra.
turned 3 on July 7th. She was a flower
girl at the wedding. Nephew, Randy Average A
Lee Garcia whose birthday is on the . Candy Borjas, Marcelo, Campos,
15th. My sister Carmen just got back / Mark Chapa, Amanda De la Rosa,
from a trip to Greece, Turkey, and
Rome. Her birthday is July 16th.
Blanca Estela M Lita” Villarreal,
Carmen’s daughter, and Walter
Garcia, my brother E.J and Irene’s
other son. His birthday is on the 20th.
Also, a very joyous birthday to
our new son in law, Joseph Wilson.
He turns 26 on the 26th of this month.
(And a correction: An earlier
column confused two Mercedes-area
musicians from decades back, who
happened to have the same last
names: Pedro Salazar (Pete) Pena, and
Jose “Honeymoon” Pena.)
7
TENNIS CAMP PARTICIPANTS - The young Mariscal, Cassie Salinas and Ruben de Leon,
athletes shown above were among In back are Camp Director and Coach
participants in recent Summer Tennis Camp Manuel Baca, Malcolm Garza, Hector Garza,
sessions offered here. Posing are students in Christopher Longoria, Ariel Irby, Brittany
the morning sessions, and they include, in Campos, Coach Rebecca Gomez and
front row, from left, Marshall Irby, Aubrey Coach Herman de la Cerda. Not shown are
Gonzalez, Amber Gonzalez, Megan Trevino April Brewer and Chelsea Calvo. (Enterprise
and Lydia de Leon. In middle row, in same Photo.)
order, are Gabriel Serna, Jason Cantu, Paola
Final honor roll from Travis told
Alejandro Garcia, Andres Gausin and.
Amelia Gonzalez.
Esteban Gonzalez, Omar Gonzalez,
Jessica Hernandez, Karen Lara, Lance
Mendoza, Oscar Montoya and Roberto
Ramirez.
Ryan Ramirez, Marissa Riojas,
Elizabeth Rivera, Emilia Salas,
Charlene Urbina, Alejandro Vega and
Dominique Villela.
THIRD GRADE
Straight A
Denise Arenas, Monica Bazarte,
Jose M. Cavazos, Amy Cordova,
Criselda Cuellar, Lydia De Leon,
Joanna De Los Santos and Linda
Garcia.
Charles M. Garza, Leonel Garza,
Hannah Gomez, Amanda Gonzalez,
Amber Gonzalez, Erika Gonzalez,
Ricardo Gonzalez and Reynaldo
Hinojosa.
Todd M. Jones, Diandra
Maldonado, Guadalupe Martinez,
Jonathan Meza, Valentina Munoz, Jor-
dan Ovalle, Gilbert Quesada and Alex
A. Rodriguez.
Erika Ruiz, Christina Smith,
Samantha Trevino, Julean Villanueva
and Valeria Villarreal.
Average A '
Noemi Amaro, Casandra Beltran,
Cassandra Bocanegra, Johnny Casarez,
Jesse Castillo, Osiel Castro, Albert
Chavez and Jaime Garcia.
Roberto Gonzalez, Cecily Handy,
Kason Huerta, Celina Longoria, Juan
A. Longoria, Miguel Loya and Valerie
Saldana.
Jesus Torres, Meagan Trevino,
Govanna Uresti and Justin Villarreal.
FOURTH GRADE
Straight A
Angela Acosta, Tiffany Bazarte,
Galileo Campos, Jason Cantu,
Stephanie Castaneda, Christian De
Leon, Clarissa Dominguez and Mart
Flores.
Tiannie Gutierrez, Ashley Herrera,
Ariel Irby, Morgan Jones, Lizette
Longoria, Jacob Noriega, Katherine
Ovalle and Samantha Ramirez.
Arnold Rangel, Esteban Resendez,
Karoline Rodriguez, Marco Rosel,
Selena Salinas and Chelsea Sanchez.
Amy Torres, Evana Trevino, Anto-
nio Valdez and Jose Valdez.
Average A
Leg Roy Almanza, Elisa Alvarado,
Alberto Anciso, Juan Briones, Yurianna
Casas, Christopher Castillo, Severiana
Castillo and Shaina Cavazos.
Sarah Contreras, Ashley Desiga,
John Dominguez, Zachery Espinoza,
Alyssa Garcia, Darlene Garcia, Jorge
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Pedro Olmedo, Jose Ortega,
Ricardo Pecina, Hilary Pena, Neidy
Perez, Lyan Rodriguez, Pete Salazar
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Nickolas Tamez, Stephanie
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eessseeeegrnndnaldS
Congratulations to the Expos!
...and thanks to Coach Sam Irby
and his assistants!
Coach Irby, it’s hard to put into words how much we appreciate your efforts in
leading our Expos during the recent Little League season.
Baseball-wise, you did great! When the season began, you had a couple of kids
with talent and experience, and flock of kids who had a long way to go.
. Through your leadership, your dedication and your gentle encouragement, you
helped these seven and eight year olds learn a great deal.
They found out that through being a part of a team, they can become much
more than they can as individuals.
They learned first-hand how dedication and perseverance pay off, and how
practice really does take one a little closer to perfect.
And you helped them realize that baseball is not just about winning games,
scoring runs and keeping count. You have given them a basis to believe that it
really isn’t whether you win or lose, but how you play the game - whether in
sports or in life.
Your team took a losing record from the early weeks and turned it around to
finish in fourth place with an 8-6 mark.
But so much more important than baseball and standings, you taught our
youngsters about themselves, giving them self-confidence and building self-esteem.
So we thank you, because there is no better thing you could have done for
them.
On behalf of the parents and players
of the Valley View Mart Expos
MEMBERS OF THE VALLEY VIEW MART EXPOS are, in front row, from left, Ruben
Riojas, Kristine Castaneda, P.J. Aguirre, Eliazar Zuniga and Isaiah Trevino. In
back, in same order, are Assistant Coach Ruben Riojas, Jr., Cindy Trevino,
Asenet Vallejo, Asael Marquez, Bobby Hinds, Marshall Irby and Coach Sam
Irby.
***************************************************************
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The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 89, No. 28, Ed. 1 Wednesday, July 11, 2001, newspaper, July 11, 2001; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1652946/m1/2/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.