QEPD Amando Villarreal, Jr. 1923-2004
Amando Villarreal, Jr., 81, died peacefully in his sleep October 27, 2004 in Houston.
A good planner, he wrote this obituary:
Despite leading a life of relentless mediocrity, I do relish two triumphs. The first is marrying Elsa Salinas Hickey 55 years ago. Valedictorian of her 1949 class in Laredo's San Agustín Parochial High School, she was also Junior-Senior Prom Queen in 1948 and 1949. Her superior genes produced intelligent, good-looking children, my descendants, my daughter Marielsa V. Bailey and her son Robert F. Bailey, Jr.; my son Patrick G. Villarreal, his daughter Emily Isabella Villarreal by his present wife Elizabeth Gables, his twin sons Jonathan C. and James C. Villarreal by his former wife Alisa Aber; son Joseph M. Villarreal, his son Joseph M. Villarreal by his wife Joyce Ashley Calvert. I have no great-grandchildren.
My second triumph is not selling a single square inch of the 25 sequare miles at Oilton which my only sibling Pepe (José María) and I jointly inherited from our deceased parents Amando Villarreal, Sr., and Cristina García Guerra. My father's mother, Tomasa Vela Mendiola, could trace part of her ancestry to Captain Tomás Sanchez who founded Laredo in 1755, but accumulated no wealth. Mother could trace her inherited wealth to colonist Isidro Gutierrez de Lara who in the 1700s obtained a Spanish land grant centered on the only natural springs in arid South Texas, Los Ojuelos.
Isidro's kin, María Petra Gutierrez, married José Ignacio Guerra, who led a small band of coonists to settle Los Ojuelos. By 1830, the Comanches had been driven off. María Petra and José Ignacio had three sons, Dionicio, Juan, and José María Guerra Gutierrez, who led the settlement to thrive during many decades until the springs went dry. Brothers Eusebio and José María García (my maternal grandfather) married Dionicio's daughters and increased the boundaries of the original grant manifold. My parents were able to hold onto the 25 square mileswhich José María did not will to his other four children.
Many sacrifices had to be made by each generation to gain and retain possession of this land. In my case, Elsa and I had to exile ourselves to Houston for the past 50 years, while my brother Pepe and wife María faced the enemy alone in Laredo, preserving our heritage. My saying thanks is such an insignificant reward for what they have done for me and continued doing to my dying day.
Thank you, too, Elsa and my children, for putting up with my self-centered eccentricities. During my lifetime I tried to pay all my obligations, but I died a great debtor. I would like to list by name all my creditors, some still alive, others already departed, but they would fill volumes. Such creditors favored me with so many gifts: a helping hand, a word of encouragement, a sign of trust, a tender memory; in short, all elements of the greatest gift I could possibly receive, love. I ask forgiveness of those still living if I didn't adequately articulate my gratitude for your friendship. You must know who I am addressing. Thank you, my dearest friends.
No flowers and no donations in my memory. You have donated more than enough to me during my lifetime. Per my instructions, you be spared any eulogies, especially poetry. Y'all come, hear?
