Hello fellow relatives;

 

Teri Elizabeth Lopez, 12th Grade

2004 State Champion 138 lbs.

I would like to contribute a story of my daughter's accomplishments in her senior year at Katy High School, Katy, Texas.  Her name is Teri Elizabeth (Alvarez) Lopez, daughter of Norma Linda (Alvarez) and Peter A. Lopez.  She has been a wrestler at Katy HS since her freshman year.  She won a State Bronze Medal (3rd place) last year in Austin.  In Feb. 2004, she won First Place in State Girls Wrestling in Austin, TX in the 138 lb. range.  Her 95 lb. teammate, Melissa Terry,   won 1st place also, as well as one of the boys.  It was a great meet and my first cousin, Iza (Alaniz) Gonzales of Austin and formerly of Kingsville and Brownsville,  was able to see her first bout of the state championship.  She was ranked 6th in the Nation in 2003.  She competed in Michigan for the National championships.  She is making plans to attend University of Texas as San Antonio (UTSA) this coming fall.

Also, for other news.  I, Norma Linda (Alvarez) Lopez was born and raised in Kingsville, TX; however, moved from that city in 1962 when I was 14 yrs old because my Dad, Guadalupe Silva Alvarez, better known as G.S. Alvarez or Lupito, worked for the Missouri Railroad and the shops in Kingsville had closed.  We moved to Houston. I attended the 100th anniversary of Kingsville this past 4th of July weekend with a girl friend, Dora (Garcia) Mayorga who graduated from KHS and who is now living with her husband, Frank, in Conroe, TX.  We had a marvelous time seeing old friends we hadn't seen since elementary school!   We attended both the Friday and Saturday night dinner dances, Friday's was held at A&M ballroom and we were at the Naval Base for the Sat. night event.  We had lunch at King's Inn prior to going to the Sat. dance.  Dora and I also attended the Mexican American festivities Sunday afternoon under a large tent on Richard Street.  There were quite a lot of people seated under the tent, and I saw my 2nd cousin, Gilbert Alvarez, but I'm not sure he had seen me.  We had talked at the Welcome Reception on Friday afternoon given at the old Ice House which is now the King Ranch Museum.  The program was a history lesson in how the Mexican Americans around 1904 became door to door salesman, selling various products such as fruit, clothing and even Avon products sold by a male!!   Very interesting.  I happened to stand next to a cowboy with a large mustache and when I turned to see him, it was Tio Kleberg, son of Richard Kleberg.  I introduced myself because he went to school with my brothers, Gaston and Omar Alvarez.  He , of course, knows them very well.  I asked if I could pose for a photo with him and he obliged.  We listened to the history lesson for about 45 minutes and then moved on to downtown for the parade.  I understand food was provided for free at that function.  I think it was great that Tio Kleberg took the time to be there with his wife and share in our heritage.  He and his brother, Tres, and his sister, Sally, were in the parade.  Tio drove one of those large King Ranch hunting jeeps.  My brother, Gaston, was the 1960 Class president of King High School and he and several of his classmates represented their class on a float which won first place.
It was an exciting trip down memory lane.

Norma L. Lopez (Alvarez)