Guadalupe Olivarez

Our father was born on April 6th 1931 to Mama Minga and

his biological father, Mr. Montoya. At a very young age his mother

handed him over to his grandparents, Cesario and Maria Olivarez,

whom he loved dearly. When he was 15 years old grandpa

Cesario passed away. He honored the man who raised him by

taking on the last name “Olivarez”. When Grandpa Olivarez was

on his deathbed, minutes before he died he pronounced a

blessing upon my father; a continuing blessing legacy down to his

children.

The fear of the Lord was placed on my father prior to

marrying my mother; and just before he married her he got a

tattoo of Jesus hanging on the cross on his right arm, between his

shoulder and elbow.

Even though his parents were very poor they raised and

treated him as a prince and kinda spoiled him. He did not like

school, so they would let him hide in a barrel when the truant

officer would come asking for him. His education was very limited;

to about a third grade level. Although he lacked in schooling he

made up for it with a photographic memory. He made a good

living in the construction trades but specifically as a journeyman

plumber.

Our dad’s biological mother later met our step-grandfather

Everett and had 9 children with him, 5 boys and 4 girls. Grandpa

Everett was a Frenchman. Our father loved the Everett family

very much and they loved him just the same. The Everett clan

stayed in Texas working for the big farm owners.

In time, his half brothers would start a “tex-mex” band, our

father loved tex-mex ranchera, mariachi, and country music. He

would always sing the song “Your cheatin heart” by Hank Williams

in the car. And every time we went to visit in Texas they would

play for him.

My father grew up to be a very handsome young man and

he had his choice of any girl he wanted. He picked the most

beautiful woman in Levelland Texas, Leonor Solis, to be his wife.

Nine months later Cesario (Sassy) was born in 1950, then

Maryann in 1952, Barbara Sue in 1953, and Guadalupe (Pita) in

1955. During these 5 years our grandpa Solis (our mom’s dad)

kept telling our father that California was the land of opportunity.

From 1950- 1955 my father had developed skills in the homebuilding

trades and built a little house in Levelland Texas.

Eventually he and my mother got the nerve to branch out

into California. On a scary adventure with 4 toddlers in tow. The

first time, they only lasted 9 months in california before they went

back to Texas; they probably got home-sick. Then after a few

months in Texas they went right back to California, and stayed for

good. During these 2 stays we lived in Santa Ana, Pasadena,

Pacoima, North Hollywood, Burbank, and Sun Valley. Somehow

by God’s good grace we ended up more inland in a place called

Mira Loma in Riverside county. In a very rural town, on an acre of

land with fruit trees, gardens, cows, beef animals, hundreds of

chickens, rabbits, pigs, 4 horses, and lots of trees to climb. It was

a perfect place to raise a family, it was home.

In 1958 the youngest, Joseph was born. Cesario was very

happy about that after being stuck with 3 sisters for 8 years.

Our father was a strong disciplinarian, and believed in

spanking his children. When we would visit in Texas all 5 of us

kids would sit quietly and behave, knowing that if we didn’t, our

father would give us “the look”, warning us. As time went on the

older children started working in the Chino, Colton auctions and

the Llamerada drive-in selling goods in El Monte. We were a

surviving tight-nit family. My parents lived in Miraloma up into the

1970’s.

In 1969, Sassy became a believer of Jesus Christ, and that

through Jesus’s name and his name only can a man be saved.

He shared this new information with his immediate family and

they all responded in light manner and became Christians.

Eventually dropping off the Roman Catholic upbringing by the

wayside and started worshipping together in the name of our

Blessed Savior Jesus.

Our father was a simple man, who commanded respect and

good behavior from all his children. A real cute quirk about our

dad was that he loved to be kissed on the top of his head with

greetings and goodbyes (I felt like tattooing a set of lips on his

head). He was shy and very respectful (but we all know he was

quite ornery). He was kinda precious and cute once you

understood him. A real deep love proceeded from him, he was a

mystery; one would have to work for and search out to know his

heart. Our dad was real, deep, and profound; and because of this,

the reality he lived in, and all those who loved him, experienced

God in ways you can’t imagine or explain. I think heaven is really

going to enjoy Guadalupe Olivarez, we will all see him again

soon.

P.S. He roared like a lion but was a gentle as a lamb. Our dad

was one awesome man.

This is how I remember my father- Cesario Olivarez