Adela Gonzales Valenzuela

Adela grew up in a farming family. Adela and her siblings, Jody, Romona, Nora all worked hard and played hard on the farm. I asked Grandma Adela about her young childhood and she said they had fun but there was always a lot of chores to do. Grandma Adela say she liked going school. She liked learning but had to work to help the family. Grandma Adela had to grow up early because her mother left the family and she had to care for Romona and Nora. The family was close working together praying together and traveling to work farms all over.

Adela met Frank L. Valenzuela in the cotton field working. Picking cotton was hard work my grandpa told me. Grandma could pick cotton as good as a man. The young couple began meeting at the daces around Kaufman Texas. Grandma Adela’s sister Nora was also dating grandpa’s brother Emilio. They had a great time together all four of them. Adela and Frank married on November 3, 1934 and Nora and Emilio married years later. Adela and Frank were married until his passing in 2002 for 68 years. Now they are in Heaven and I bet they are renewing their vows of love to last forever.

The newlyweds worked with grandpa’s family in the fields. Grandma Adela now had a new mother in great grandma Lucia (grandpa’s mother). Together grandma Adela and Great grandma Lucia worked the fields and kept the home for grandpa’s father Martin and brothers. Grandpa told me when he wanted to get a home for themselves, Grandma Adela did not want to leave her new momma. The young couple were migrant farmers all over the United States picking the field. I asked what they picked and she said everything cotton, cherries, apples, potatoes and everything.

Adela and Frank started their family. They had Pauline than Margaret after that was Mary and Bessie and then Frank and Tillie. A large family that settled down as share croppers in Chidress, Texas. Farming the land and growing the family. Grandma Adela worked along with grandpa in the fields and maintained a small farm at home. Grandma Adela worked the horse, drove a tractor and planted a garden, the whole family pitched in.

Grandma Adela was a good shot with a gun once killing a rattle snake that was about to bite my mother, Mary. Adela my hero if not for her I might not be here.

Grandma Adela’s family moved to Dallas in the early 1950’s to better their lives and to make it better for the kids. They first lived with Adela’s brother Jody and his wife Luisa. The family lived in Little Mexico part of Dallas in homes on Caroline St., Noble, Lemmon Ave, and Oak Grove. Adela and Frank bought their first home a fixer upper on Lafayette St. Many happy times were had in these houses. Parties, Weddings, baby showers and holidays were always celebrated in their home. Everyone was always welcomed. Adela and Frank sold the Lafayette house and moved to Irving Texas. Adela and Frank moved from a dirt floor farm house to a custom built home in the suburbs, where the tradition continues.

Grandma Adela was a devout catholic, a member of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Little Mexico, The Cathedral Santvario de Guadalupe in Downtown Dallas and finally Saint Luck’s Catholic Church in Irving Texas. Grandma Adela prayed daily for everyone. She believed in the power of prayer. Prayers comforted her in hard times and she prayed for thanks during the good times. She was a faithful believer in Christ. Grandma worked many jobs during her life time and was good at all of them. She was a migrant farmer a share cropper, in her early work life. After moving to Dallas she used her sewing skills to get a job with Berner and Son Millinery, making women’s hats. Before she retired in 1981 her job was take the new hat designs and make the proto type and then the other hat makers would use her hat to make the product. Grandma also was wife to one, mother to six, Tia to many and grandma to everyone.

In her retirement years 1981 to present, 39 years. She traveled some, once going to Jerusalem to see the holy land. She and grandpa visited family all over specially those family members in Amarillo Texas and Chidress Texas. Grandma enjoyed her retirement years spending it celebrating birthdays, graduations, weddings, holidays with family and friends. Grandma really enjoyed her birthday parties in Amarillo and Dallas, they were legendary.

Grandma and grandpa helped many people throughout their lives and indeed were helped by many later in life. Tia Tillie has lived with grandma since she moved to Irving. Family members took time to help her. Tia Pauline moved in until she died in 2017. Mary my mother moved in for a while to help. My brother Marty moved in and helped for a while. Tio frank and Olga spent nights to care for grandma. Tia Margaret and Tio Carmen visited to help and care for the house. Tia Bessie visited from Amarillo as often as she could to help. Grandma’s grandchildren visited and helped when asked with chores and projects. Nicol, Chrissy, Tonya, Marie were care givers and took special loving care of grandma. Caring for her in later years was a total team effort. Grandma thanked everyone while she was alive, but would want it mentioned now to that you all and to the professional care givers especially Susanna who with my sister Marie was there with grandma when she passed to Heaven.

Grandma lived a long life a happy fulfilled life. Her belief in God and her love of family and friends made it a meaningful life.

Grandma will be remembered for her grace her strength her beauty and her love for everyone. She will be missed God bless grandma.