Rodolfo Guerra Cabrera

Rudy was born in Pesqueria, Mexico on April 4, 1931. He was the sixth of seven children.

Rudy married the love of his life, Maria, on December 31, 1950. After his marriage and the birth of four children, he immigrated to the United States because he wanted to seek a better life for his family.

In 1955, he obtained a work visa to work in a Meat Packing facility as a butcher in Harlingen, Texas. This was due to a chance encounter with a stranger he was speaking with on a train. This gentleman told him that his brother owned a slaughterhouse and was looking for reliable workers.

In 1957, Rudy decided to seek a better opportunity out west despite being offered a substantial raise to remain in Texas.

In 1958, Fresno was the destination where he found himself working alongside Japanese immigrants. He was paid extra because he knew how to drive.

After the Fresno foray, he and his wife relocated to where other family members had established themselves, Beaumont, California, with five children in tow.

After several odd jobs in the area, he took a position at the Rusty Lantern Restaurant working as a dishwasher. The owner, Mr. Bert Moyer, saw potential in his new employee and he was allowed to apprentice alongside the head chef, known affectionately as Teddy. Rudy learned from Teddy's tutelage and upon Teddy’s retirement, became the head chef for the Rusty Lantern. During his tenure at the restaurant, (25 years), he prepared meals for such famous stars as Jack LaLanne, John Wayne, Don Drysdale and Danny Thomas, to name a few. Up until the end, he still knew how to prepare Jack LaLanne’s lamb chops and potato skins.

Rudy also was the head chef at Mimi’s Cherry Valley Inn Restaurant for over a decade. He had many acquaintances from his side hustle as a traveling butcher. He was often requested by his clients due to the efficiency and skills that he learned as a twelve year old child in Monterey, Mexico. He was bestowed the title of Master Butcher working at the Rastro (slaughterhouse) Municipal by the age of 14. Rudy was not afforded the opportunity to have a formal education due to financial hardships as he was expected to contribute financially to his parent’s needs.

Upon his well deserved retirement he enjoyed spending quality time with his beloved wife, Maria, and the many grandchildren and great grandchildren he was blessed to have lived to see.

To the children of extended family, he was affectionately known as “Papa Judy”- a playful mispronunciation that lovingly stuck with him through the years.

He became a United States citizen in 2000.

His love of baseball never waned from his early days of being a minor league baseball player in Mexico and Texas. As a pitcher, he recorded a no hitter and a one-hitter. He once played a baseball game against a team from a Mexican prison, where he recognized several friends who were incarcerated at the time.

His work ethic was passed on to his children, on their summer breaks from school, during the harvest season in California and Oregon. Strawberries, apricots, and citrus were some of the produce that was gathered by the Cabrera clan.

He was a decent horseshoe player, and played a solid game of poker. He was an above average billiards player, a skillful orator of Mexican history, and could spin a yarn like no other. He loved gambling in Las Vegas, his last being a month before his passing. He had plans for another trip.

Rodolfo was preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Maria, and his daughter, Silvia. He was also preceded in death by his parents, Arcadio and Severa and all of his siblings, Domitila, Gonzalo, Emilia, Arcadio, Maria de los Angeles, and Jose.

He is survived by his sons Ramiro (Becky), Rudy (Sue), Oscar, Juan, Severo (Angela), and Mario (Domenica) and by his daughter, Elisa Barr (Mark). He leaves behind 16 grandchildren, 29 great grandchildren, and 4 great, great grandchildren, many loving nieces, nephews, Godchildren and friends.

Services will be Sunday, April 13 at Weaver Mortuary, 1177 Beaumont Ave., Beaumont, CA. Viewing and memorial service will begin at 8:00 a.m. A graveside service at Stewart Sunnyslope Cemetery, 40 S. Pennsylvania, Beaumont, CA, will follow the memorial service. A reception of light refreshments will follow the burial at Weaver’s Mortuary Gathering Hall.