Jose Mares was born on August 5th, 1922 in Copales in the municipality of Valle de Santiago, Guanajuato, Mexico, to Callentano and Anita Mares. When he was in his early 20s, he immigrated to the United States and has lived in Riverside since then.
In 1952 he married Margarita de Lara in Mexicali, Mexico, and they had five sons and five daughters. His wife died in 1990, and four of his sons have died — Ramon Mares in 1967, Raul Mares in 1972, Jose Mares Jr. in 1982 and Emilio Mares in 2017. His surviving children are son Carlos Mares of Riverside and daughters Alicia Mares de Rodriguez, Armida Mares de Sandoval, Anita Mares, Maria Isabel Mares and Rosa Maria Mares de Jaquez, all of Riverside. He also has 26 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
He has always had a backyard vegetable garden and is known for his gardening techniques, including grafting of fruit trees, according to his family. He is a member of the Seventh-day Adventist church and enjoys reading his daily devotional. He also enjoys reading the newspaper and having conversations with family and friends.
