Mis recuerdos de los Avarez

by Raul G. Garza

What I remember about the Alvarez families is as follows:

Dona Josefa had a son and daughter. The son was Rodolfo, a Notary Public and the First Hispanic interpreter at the court house. He had three daughters, Baudelia, Berta and Viola. Dona Josefa's daughter , Rebecca was married to Jose "El Lobo" Ramirez. They had three children that I remember, Sonny, Luis and Becky.

Arturo and Lupe Alvarez had two sons and a daughter I remember. The oldest was Arturo Jr. who spend 20 years in the Air Force and retired as a top enlisted man. Humberto (Lizard) who retired as a Colonel in the Air Force after 20 years. The girl whose name I do not remember went and became a teacher. Lupe taught school with me later when I came back to Kingsville.

Guadalupe and Benilde had three boys, Alfonso (Poncho), Lupe and Arturo. We played more with Poncho and his brothers than with the other Alvarez's who were younger. Rudy and Baldo Longoria were their neighbors, sons to Amelia Longoria. There was also Keno Leyba and Roldan, and the Tijerinas lived near the Alvarez's. The oldest Tijerina boy, Manuel (Chato or Meme) stayed in the Marines for 22 years and two tours in NAM. There was also Rudy Trevino, who later spent 6 years in the Marines and 14 years in the Air Force. Tito Alvarez was related to Rodolfo and Rebecca, but he lived "en el barrio de la Riche" (Richard Street).

(New addition to this memory);

There was also Lalo Alvarez brother to Tito, who I believed, like all other Kingsvillians worked for the MoPac Railroad for sometime. Lalo married Armenia Ramos who is a daughter to the late barber Andres Ramos nicknamed "El Cacahuete". There was a grandmother to the Ramos family named Dona Romula. My first cousin, Gaspar Garza, who had a barbershop on the corner of 8th & Lee boarded with her when he went to Barber School in San Antonio because "La Tia Romula" was somewhat related to my grandmother. Dona Mariana Guzman. We used to visit her often when we rode the train almost free.

Lalo played some ball later in Kingsville with my uncle Jesus (Charola) Garza when he had a team named the Bears ("Los Gordos") who later evolved into the MoPac All Stars after World War II. Lalo, however, is remembered mostly as an umpire. He called most of the games in Kingsville and surrounding areas after World War II when he moved to Corpus Christi. Lalo was part of an "elite" group of ex-baseball players who became baseball umpires. Amongst that group were the late Luis Canales, Manuel Pineda, and later on a young protégé Manuel Arturo Castro known as "Castro". Castro's mother, my mother's sister, helped raise me since I was 5 years old, when my mother died. The Alvarez's of "La Calle Lee" were Palomilla from the barrio. Arturo and Lizard still live in Kingsville. They are still Palomilla and have never forgotten  where they came from. That strong still exist between them and us who were raised in the barrios.

I got to know Gerardo (Jerry) Alvarez, Lalo and Armenia's son when I was attached to the Naval Reserve Division at N.A.S. in Corpus Christy. I was a Chief Petty Officer. Jerry was a SEABEE which was also housed in the same building. We became friends through the Naval Reserve and have maintained  our friendship for several years.

Mr. Manuel and Mrs. Esperanza Flores moved into the house once occupied by the Ross Garza Family. They moved to Corpus Christy. Ross Jr. became a doctor in Corpus, Ernest was a salesman of some kind, Amelia, I do not know what happened to her. The Flores family sons have a distinguished  Military History. hey gave up two sons; Manuel Jr. a pilot in WWII and Henry (Kike) a Marine during the Korean Conflict. Willie, recently deceased, served in WWII, Humberto retired as a Major or Colonel, and Noe served in some branch, I do not recall; but was an outstanding Football player for the Brahmas, then later played for North Texas State. He has a Doctorate from either NTS or some other university close by.

Alfonso (Poncho) died in 2000 or 2001 in the town where Texas A&M is.

I also found out from Jerry Alvarez's mother, Armenia, that she was my grandmother Mariana's god daughter. My grandmother had taken Armenia to Baptism.