Del Rio News Herald

Judge Sergio Gonzalez aged along side of many of our local people who were born and raised here in Del Rio. I say aged because he was a legend in his own right as he lived his life.

His life was like dough with yeast. He aged beautifully with time!

I had the honor and privilege of knowing him well and of having been his student for many years. I say student because on a daily basis he came to the Del Rio National Bank on the 3rd floor at about 3 p.m. I would have his coffee ready and we would talk or rather, he would talk.

For many years, he came on his own and then as his legs began to weaken. He was brought by his driver or by his son, Joey (now Judge Joey Gonzalez).

He always wanted to know about how my business was developing and if I had used any of his advice in the execution of some of my transactions. There were times that his advice would sting and other times, it would encourage me, but always, always his manner was gentle, loving and very comfortable just like it feels when you put on an old shoe!

Today, I want to pay tribute to the most humble and loving human being that Del Rio has had the privilege of courting. I want to celebrate a heart warming moment with you.

Judge Sergio Gonzalez was a man of wisdom, integrity and most importantly, he was a man who was very loyal to Val Verde County. He loved the idea of being County Judge. He loved the idea that he was the first American of Hispanic heritage to become a County Judge during a time when discrimination was doing well and was very healthy!!!

This county embraced him completely. His interest was the promotion of County activities and the preservation of historical and cultural issues and events.

Before I carry on, let us go back to January 1941 to a Cantina on the corner of Chapoy and Andrade Street in the Barrio of San Felipe that was owned by Catarino Garcia. This Cantina still stands and is a two story rock building that has had a long history of inhabitants and its share of “tall tales!”

Carlos Muraira Sotelo (my daddy to be.) was there with Sergio Gonzalez and Jose Zertuche (my father in-law to be). He was sharing how very much he wanted to marry the most beautiful girl in Del Rio by the name of Rosalinda Guardado Rodriguez, granddaughter of Doña Emilia Guardado owner of a grocery store on the corner of Andrade and Cisneros Street across the street from Chago ‘La Rolle.’

“No tengo la lana para pagar por la boda y sin dinero, ni afuerzas!” declared Carlos to his two compadres to be! (I don’t have any money to pay for the wedding.)

Sergio and Jose both promised to get the money he needed for the wedding reception and for the dowry. They told him to go ask for her hand in marriage. Both men accompanied Carlos to see Doña Emilia to ask for Rosalinda’s hand in marriage.

Doña Emilia was a stern and a very observant woman whom I believe was born ahead of her time. She did not ask Carlos to sit down because she wanted to know why Carlos’s pants were ‘high water!!”

Well, all eyes were on Carlos as he proceeded to answer the matriarch’s question. He told her that he only owned one suit.

He lived at 401 Wernett Street and he had to walk about three miles to where she lived. He told that as he was passing by

Cleto Rodriguez’s store, his wife, Clelia, threw out a bucket full of water into the street at the same time that he was passing and she had not noticed him until he was drenched in water.

Since he had no other suit he knew that he would be dry by the time he reached San Felipe, but as he got to Greenwood Park he noticed that his pants were almost at his ankles and by the time he reached Max Stool’s El Remate Store, they had climbed a little bit higher.

Carlos said that he was so determined to go thru this difficult endeavor that by the time he reached La Placita he had decided that he needed help from Fortino Guzman owner of the local laundry and dry cleaners across from La Placita Brown.

Fortino told Carlos to unzip his pants and lower them a few inches and he strung a rope around his waist to keep them from falling but made the crutch area come down almost to his knees. The pants were still high water, but not as bad. What added insult to injury was the pants were lowered so much that he looked just like a “Pachuco.”

The whole time that he was asking to marry Rosalinda he kept tugging at his pants for fear that they would fall off and his underwear was not in the best condition, either. Yes, those were the times when poverty was not unusual, but it was not acceptable!

Sergio Gonzalez and Jose Zertuche assured Doña Emilia that Carlos was a man of honor and that he would not be in “povertyville” his whole life. In fact, he was going to get a job at the base and that the newly weds would temporarily live with her until he got his job. Sergio Gonzalez did all the talking while Jose Zertuche listened and supported Sergio.

Doña Emilia was not a happy camper, but she knew that she had to agree. Sergio Gonzalez said he would sponsor the couple at their wedding ceremony as the Primeros Padrinos (First Witnesses) y asi fue. Ninfa and Sergio Gonzalez fueron los Primeros Padrinos y Norma Zertuche was the flower girl at the wedding

The two faithful amigos put their money together to help Carlos Muraira Sotelo pay for a lovely wedding and reception and Sergio lent Carlos his car so that he could take Rosalinda on a two-day honeymoon to Eagle Pass, Texas on January 11, 1941.

Esperanza Zertuche wife of Jose packed a lunch for them to take on their trip another gesture of love and friendship.

In all of their imagination did it ever occur to the three men that their gesture of friendship and the high water pants would some day be written by me in the local newspaper for all to know the details of love, marriage, poverty and honor.

Judge Sergio Gonzalez is the one person who took my hand and helped me to make my health insurance business a success by introducing me to all the county judges in the area who needed health insurance for their employees and who eventually purchased it from me.

Jose and Esperanza Zertuche not only became my favorite in-laws but I was their favorite ‘God Child.’ Until their deaths my reverence, respect and love was shown by my addressing them always as, MADRINA AND PADRINO; two words in the Spanish language that are used only honorably.

Carlos and Rosalinda became my mom and my daddy.

Thank you for your favor and attention. God bless you and always do things with honor and integrity because you never know when things will meet up with you in the future.

For comments please

e-mail me at:

dszertuche(at)hotmail.com

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Serving Del Rio and Val Verde County since 1929

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