Merced Preciado

husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, died March 14, 2015. He was preceded in

death by his parents Senovio Preciado, Natalia Andrade de Preciado, four sisters, three

brothers, and beloved daughter Ramona Preciado.

He is survived by Maria Hinojos Preciado, his faithful wife of 63 years.

Besides his wife, Merced leaves behind six daughters and three sons; Gloria Montez of El Paso,

Olga Sierra of Cielo Dorado Estates, Gavina Martinez of Killeen, Texas, Carlos Preciado of Las

Cruces, Virginia Vielma of La Union, Lupe Preciado, Esq., of Albuquerque, Natalia Dominguez

of Chamberino, Corina Preciado of Santa Teresa and Xavier Preciado of La Union, along with

22 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.

He also leaves us with cherished memories of “El Forringo," his prized white 1964 Ford Galaxie,

his love of boxing, baseball, Mexican soccer, his devotion to La Virgen de San Juan, and his

masterful storytelling of the struggles, adventures, and wonderment of his youth.

Merced Preciado, our heroic father with seemingly super human strength, was born September

13, 1927, in Union de San Antonio, Jalisco, Mexico. It was here that he would develop his

legendary work ethic and the simple elegance and honorable manner in which he lived his life.

From an early age he was required to work sunrise to sundown at his parents’ bakery. At eight

years old he was sweeping floors, hauling water, delivering fresh baked bread over cobblestone

streets to local stores, outworking everyone his age and most men, all the while being given just

enough money to buy a few pieces of hard candy. And still he found time and energy to learn to

play trumpet and excel on the town’s soccer team. But there were other struggles to be faced.

His father, a Cristero soldier in the Cristero Rebellion against the anti-Catholic and anticlerical

Mexican government of the day, was forced to permanently flee from his family taking refuge in

a neighboring village. Still a young boy himself, Merced assumed the duties and responsibilities

of a grown man. Throughout his entire life he stepped up and took care of business.

At the age of 15, he left all he’d ever known behind and headed north to Juarez where he

worked as his brother’s shoemaker assistant. After a few months, at the behest of his mother,

he returned home to help with the family business. However, his time in Juarez had awakened

his dreams to the promise of America. He came to the United States at the age of 21 (1948) as

part of the Bracero program and immediately found work in the crop fields of the Mesilla Valley,

quickly establishing himself as a top field hand and leader of men. He led by example, always.

More than once he got a house call from local farm owners attempting to lure him away from his

current boss. The days were long and the work was hard, but he was happy. There, beside the

gurgle of spring waters in the acequias and among the peaceful tranquility of nature’s summer

bounty, he found his calling: working the land filled his soul with contentment.

But it wasn’t until he laid eyes on Maria Hinojos, a striking 22 year old beauty from Vado, New

Mexico, that he realized true happiness. He proposed almost immediately. They married

January 18, 1952, settled in La Union, and then the kids just kept coming… Needing health

insurance and a higher salary to sustain a growing family he left the fields and worked for Burns

Construction and Mountain Pass Cannery for the next couple decades. During those years he

took on a second job plowing and seeding the many crop fields in the area. He’d say it was for

the extra money, but just maybe it was actually for the peace of mind that the work brought him.

Aside from his wife and family, it was working on the farm that truly fulfilled him. In our collective

memories he will always be that lonely figure on a tractor plowing a field in the distance against

a glorious New Mexico sunset… alone with his thoughts, at peace, working God’s good earth.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 19, 2015 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at

Hillcrest Funeral Home-West with a vigil to begin at 7:00 p.m. Mass of Christian Buria

l will be Friday, March 20, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Refuge in La Union, NM. Interment will

follow at Memory Gardens of the Valley Cemetery.