Ruben Jaurigue Ibarra

Ruben Jaurigue Ibarra was born on November 21, 1934, in the small rural town of Temecapulin, in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. He was the second oldest of 6 children. He was the oldest brother of four boys and two girls. They were all born not in a hospital but in their home. His parents were Cresenciano and Mercedes Ibarra. They owned a ranch in the country and lived in a modest dwelling in town. Ranch life was hard work. You had to protect the livestock from coyotes, and his family utilized dogs to assist. This was when my dad learned to love dogs and would always have at least one around wherever he lived for the rest of his life. The family also ran an adjacent small store where they sold snacks, pork freshly butchered, and assorted items useful to townsfolk. The Ibarra family was also the local dairy and daily supplied fresh milk to the community.

My father attended school locally and was able to receive the equivalent of an 6th grade education. To attend higher levels would require going to the big city, which was not an option when you worked on a ranch. He had a happy childhood. He enjoyed taking the cows out to pasture and returning them back to the coral. He took great pleasure in bathing in the natural hot springs of his town. One of his lasting experiences was learning how to butcher and cut up pigs for their meat. He favorite foods were sangre de puerco and

chicharrónes. He played soccer and baseball with local boys and kids from other towns. He filled his time with hard work mixed with frolic and shenanigans. In his formative years he developed a dual personality. One of a serious stoic and the other of a mischievous

jokester. He grew up with his cousin and best friend, Moises, and together they raised hell in their small town.

By the age of 20 my father was an accomplished rancher and had mastered all the skills necessary including lassoing and horsemanship. To most people, living the life of a rancher in a remote region is romantic and idyllic but my father wanted much more. He wanted to leave the ranch and strike out on his own. My grandfather (his father) was against any such ideas, but my grandmother was supportive and conspired to help him leave. One day my grandfather woke up and just like that my father was gone.

My father lawfully immigrated to the United States in the mid 1950’s. He came to San Bernardino, California to live with his uncle, his mother's brother. His uncle gave him one year and at the end of that time he would be on his own. My father made the best use of

that time. His first job was working in the booming citrus industry. He picked oranges and saved his money. Later he got a job in construction and was involved in many building projects throughout the county.

It was at this time that he got his own place and met my mother. Her name was Mary Julia Ortega, the only child of Irene Hinejosa. They met in an ice cream shop. My mother was shy and kind. My father was charming and determined. Against her mother’s wishes they courted until they married in the early 1960’s. They moved into their home on 5th Street and lived there for many years. Attached to their home fronting the street was a commercial building which they operated as a small mom & pop store. They called it Irene’s Market. During this time my father was hired to work at Kaiser Steel in Fontana until his retirement in the mid 1980’s.

My mother’s dream was to have a family. My parents attempted to have children, but my mother had complications resulting in a hysterectomy. She was unable to have children, and this broke her heart. My father provided her with comfort and support. In time they began the process of adoption and in the 1969 they brought me into their home. I was given the honor of being named after him. I was given the name Ruben Ortega Ibarra. In 1972 they adopted my brother and gave him the name Cresenciano Ortega Ibarra.

Growing up I saw my father as a strong, quiet, hardworking, and fiercely self-reliant person. He stressed a good education. He did not insist that my brother and I be fluent in Spanish but rather that we master the English language. Nor did he expect us to follow in his footsteps. He made it very clear that he wanted us to do more than run a small store or work in a factory. He understood that education and strong communication skills were essential for achieving success in this country. He wanted us to have the educational opportunities he never had. A lesson I never forgot. With the modest income they received from the store and his job at Kaiser my parents saved and sent my brother and I to private

school. It was during this time that he became a naturalized U.S. citizen in which he was immensely proud.

My father was the disciplinarian and I feared him immensely. But he was also my rock, and he made me feel secure and safe. He had the wisdom to recognize the troubled youth that lived next door. I thought they were “cool” and I wanted to hang out with them, but he

forbade it. At that time, I didn’t understand and I resented him for it. In time I came to realize it was he was protecting my brother and I from the harmful influences of gangs. I was blessed to have a father that was not only present but engaged in our lives. If he wasn’t working his 12-hour shifts at the steel mill, then he was sleeping or doing various improvement projects in our backyard. I always knew where I could find him.

He was there at my high school graduation, my graduation from college, my marriage, and the birth of my children. It was an honor to name my son after him. I gave my son the name Ruben Justinian Ibarra, III. I witnessed another side to my father after Justin was born. I saw his tender and jovial side. Justin became the apple of his eye and there was nothing he wouldn’t do for him.

My father was never lazy or idly. He was always busy with some task. Most men would take it easy or golf after retirement but not my father. He took on a new job working as custodian for the Rialto School District. He worked for their Head Start program. And at the

same time, he worked for a furniture dealer delivering and picking up various household items. He did this until he was well into his 70’s. Always full of energy. Always ready to work.

My father never left my mother side when she became sick. During her decline he waited on her night and day and made her feel loved and never alone. She died in December of 1999. He was never the same. He lost the love of his life. He never dated again and

remained single for the rest of his life.

My father had a bit of temper and always said what was on his mind. If he was upset, he would let you know it. But once it was said it was never brought up again. He never held a grudge, and he was always ready to move on.

My father enjoyed his coffee, westerns, and war movies. He paid attention to world events and had no problem expressing his opinions. He is largely responsible for my love of history and my interest in politics. In recent years we had many discussions about social trends, and he felt the world was going crazy with its reckless abandon of family values in favor of far-left ideologies.

As my father entered his 80’s he was no longer able to assist in moving furniture or work as a janitor. But that didn’t slow him down. He made time twice a week to volunteer at the Immaculate Conception Church in Colton where he assisted in handing out food to the community. This he did until he could no longer drive. With anyone he encountered if they needed a car ride, some minor maintenance, or monetary assistance, my father was always there to help.

When I worked locally, he would pick me up from my office once a week and we would have lunch together. We would catch up on our week, discuss politics, my work, or our family. In his later years he always made time to be with his family. Family was everything to him. I went through a dark time of rebellion not once but twice. Resulting in my removal from society for a season. My father was deeply disappointed, but he never forsook me. I did not deserve his compassion and support but that’s what he provided. He gave me the means to recover from my mistakes so that I could rebuild my life. He lived long enough to see me become a success again and this was a source of great joy to him. My father never verbalized the words “I love you”. He was not one to show emotions. But he demonstrated love every single day that he lived. His actions spoke very loudly of the love he had for his family and friends. Everyone present here today is testament to that.

My father began his decline a few years ago and it was very hard to witness. He was always so proud and independent. Never asking for help or admitting weakness. But the onset of Alzheimer’s and the weakening of his body made it necessary for him to accept our

assistance. He looked to my brother and I, his sons. One of the lasting honors of my life was to have been there in his waning years. For so long he looked out for me. He encouraged me. He assisted me. Now it was my turn. My wife and I brought him into our home in 2024 and along with my brother we made him feel safe, loved, and never alone. Every day we made sure he had his coffee, his pan, and his Spanish shows. He was a challenge, but he was a great joy. I got to know him like never before. He told me funny stories of his youth and young adulthood that I never would have imagined. He was completely transparent and vulnerable, and I loved him for that.

He went home to be with God and my mother on January 6, 2026. Just a few months after turning 91. He went quietly and in his sleep a few days after suffering a bad fall. I found him so peaceful early that morning with a smile on his face, hands and face still very warm. He was content and ready to enter glory.

I celebrate the life of my father with the ones he loved. I share with you the man I knew him to be. A man of courage and determination. Not afraid to pursue his dreams and love. Always generous and always kind. He came from the greatest generation and left an

amazing legacy to all those he touched. The world today is a far gloomier place without him, but I will take what he taught me and do my best to be a fraction of the man he was.

Thank you Apa, for everything!

R.O. Ibarra

January 15, 2026

Rialto, CA