Julio M. Palomino

Julio Montes Palomino, “Dad,” was born on May 22, 1917 on a small farmhouse near present-day Bolsa Chica Street in Westminster, California. He was the eldest of twelve children born to Jesus Palomino and Luisa Montes. His family lived in Westminster until he was about three years old. They then moved back to his father’s ranch in Mexico, lovingly named “La Coronita.” During his childhood, he worked hard on the farm to help his family thrive, tending to animals on the farm and helping to raise his younger brothers and sisters.

As the years passed by, the family endured economic hardship and Dad was forced to look for work beyond the ranch. As a teenager in the 1930’s, Dad traveled back and forth over the border to find any work to help support his family. At one point, he worked in Calexico, irrigating lettuce fields for twenty-five cents a day. He also worked long, hard days in various agricultural camps in Arizona, the Imperial Valley and Northern California. He would take any job he could to help support his parents and his brothers and sisters.

At about the age of twenty, Dad found steady work in the canneries of Orange County and decided to settle in Westminster once again, where he moved in with his uncle, Antonio Palomino and his family. Later during WWII, Dad worked in the Long Beach shipyard for several years. It was during this time in the early 1940’s that he courted and married his first wife, Dolores Rivera, “Mom,” also from Westminster. They married and settled in Westminster in a small house on Olive Street. There they lived for the next several years and had four children, Julio Jr., Yolanda, Louise, and Robert.

In the early 1950’s, the young family moved to a farmhouse on Bolsa Street in Westminster, near present-day “Little Saigon.” During these years, Julio worked as a truck driver at a refinery in Long Beach. In 1954, the family packed up again and moved into their home in Stanton in the Crow Village neighborhood. There the family began to grow again and four more children were born, Cynthia, George, Angelina and Alfred. In 1960, the family moved once again to Tenth Street in Westminster, where daughters Eva and Lisa were born.

Dad always worked hard to provide a good life for his family. He joined the Laborers’ Unions and worked for fifteen years for Pro Construction, where he was employed to do various construction projects. He then joined the Teamsters’ Union and was employed for several years as a working truck driver for Jezowski and Markel until he retired at the age of 65. Dad always did his best to put food on the table and provide a nice home for his wife and ten children.

In 1976, the family suffered a tragedy when Mom became ill with cancer and passed away. Although Mom’s death took an emotional toll on all us, we remained a close-knit family and Dad continued to keep the family together. In 1978, Dad married his second wife, Maria Palomino, and remained married to her for 34 years until his death.

Dad loved taking his large family on short vacations during the summer. He would take us on long road trips to Mexicali to visit our grandmother and relatives. We remember the excitement of sitting in the car parked on a barge while we crossed the Colorado River. We recall the hot summer days running in and out of my grandmother’s small adobe house with dirt floors and sleeping outside under the stars. It was so hot during these days, that our Abuelita, Mom, and aunts would cook outdoors. Excited children would be given steaming, buttered homemade tortillas off the grill. To us small children, it seemed like a different world where we could run around and play in the endless fields on the ranch, swim in small streams, and play from sunup to sundown. We would play with our cousins, while Dad and his brothers listened to music, ate and reminisced about the good ole days.

Dad also loved taking family camping vacations to Ensenada, Mexico. Almost every summer, his children and grandchildren would pile into a caravan of cars to make the drive to Punta Banda, Baja California, to enjoy summer weekends camping on the bluffs of La Jolla Beach Camp. Numerous 4th of July weekends were spent lighting booming fireworks, lounging on the beach, listening to favorite songs, singing, enjoying great food, and creating countless memories. We also enjoyed the trek to La Bufadora to see the famous geyser along the shore, eat fresh seafood, and shop for Mexican souvenirs.

Faith was a very important part of Dad’s life. He was an active member of Blessed Sacrament Church, in Westminster, where he served as a lector for the Spanish ministry, sang during Sunday mass, and volunteered his time for many church functions. He was a faithful member of the Guadalupe Club and participated in many church activities and fundraisers. Every May, he would be responsible for cooking the carnitas for the church festival, which fed hundreds of people at the spring festival annually. It was hard work, but he enjoyed volunteering his time with other fellow church members. He also loved attending the many dances hosted by the Guadalupe Club. He would dance and sing at these events, especially when his son’s band, Jay and the Latin Sounds, played for these celebrations.

Family gatherings were always important to Dad. He was always present for Baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations, birthdays and graduations for his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He enjoyed our large family parties and always insisted that there be ice cream with the birthday cake! His faithful presence at our family celebrations firmly rooted the belief that family came first.

Over the last four years, Dad suffered from health issues that left him in a wheelchair. More recently, he suffered a stroke that led to illness that caused his passing. On July 13, 2011, he was surrounded by his wife, children, grandchildren and great-children who prayed over him, shared their favorite memories about him, and listened to his favorite Mexican music. He passed peacefully at his home surrounded by his loving family at the age of 94. Dad left behind a grand legacy that taught his children that family, faith, and hard work are important elements in life, and we are ever grateful and better people for these life-long lessons. We will miss you, Dad. May you rest in peace with the Lord.