Mary V. Alcorta

In honor

Of my mom

Maria Vela Escalera Alcorta

Wow, can just feel the “warmth” in this room, the splendor of the red poinsettias, the lights gleaming, and the true Gift of Christmas Jesus Christ! A very Wise Woman once said that if someone dies before Christmas that was because Jesus needed a Gift too! This is one of the holiest times of the year with Joy, Love, & Peace ALL which my mom gave throughout her life!

Arnulfo & Cecila were proud parents of a gorgeous baby girl named Maria Vela born on October 4, 1927 she was raised along with her two brothers Arnulfo & Raymond in Fowerlton, Texas she also had a stepbrother and sister Carlos & Aurora.

Raised around land of ranches surrounding her like the Zela Ranch in towns like Jourdanton, Pleasanton, Hindes, Charlotte, & Cotulla, Texas! Maria loved things like Watermelon, Strawberry ice cream, butterfingers, her roses, Sunday morning newspaper, garage sales, Vegas, gambling, she made her own clothes and her half-sister Eva’s by hand!

Close friends of her described as Happy, Joyful, Joking, Friendly, Outgoing, & she talked to everyone! Still, in business she was all business a very shrewd, to the point, but always fair and just. One person mentioned that, “She was not a woman to be persuaded” once she made up her mind on something that was it! She was exact with her money always determined to pay everything to the penny never less or more and she was always adamant about making sure people were paid on time and in full! I say that is a smart business woman!

She was an entrepreneur of many things like catering, packing companies, child care services, working alongside clergy in the Catholic Church, I personally thought she could call the Pope she worked with so many, but two of her favorites were working on a dairy farm on West Ave & Blanco called the Townsend’s and a successful roofing/carpenter company owned by Miguel B. Alcorta, impressive for someone who had a limited education to just the 4th grade.

As Maria Vela grew up in Fowelton and surrounding small towns she started to attend dances in Charlotte, Texas many commented she was one of the prettiest girls and all the guys wanted to talk to her. It was mentioned she could have had any guy if she wanted. Yes there is a love story of true commitment here.

One of those dances in Charlotte at St. Rosa Lima’s Catholic Church a young boy named Miguel B. Alcorta first laid eyes on Maria that was 72 years ago.

During the days Maria would go to the fields picking fruits & vegetables and as she climbed into the back of the trucks with the other girls and boys there was that young boy Miguel who watched and wanted to get to know her.

You see back in those days you were NOT allowed at all to talk to the girls they were never alone always chaperoned by their mother, sisters, and if they had brothers well they were protected. The only time to even see them would be at these dances. Maria had a secret weapon a spy, a messenger, her half-sister Eva her very own counter intelligence.

As I mentioned my mom was gorgeous and there was another young dashing handsome boy named Refugio Ortiz Escalera also known as “Cuco” my future dad. This young boy was the quiet reserved one, proud, very confident. On several occasions at the dances in Charlotte she would be with Cuco inside while Eva would go outside where Miguel would be telling him information you see Eva liked Miguel for Maria she did not like Cuco. Miguel was also dashing and he had another two beautiful girls as well that he was talking to.

Miguel knew that Maria was also interested in him because he could steal her away if other boys were talking to her every time. These are small towns and everyone knew each other, Miguel knew Cuco and they were friends, and one of those girls that Miguel liked was Odelfia also a friend of Maria. As fate would have it Refugio & Maria married, later Odelfia married Miguel.

Both couples had children my parents there were (5) Mary Alice, Jesse, Irene, Louie, and me Gina. Miguel & Odelfia had (4) beautiful girls Asalia, Alicia, Amelia, & Angie.

After 22 years of marriage my mother got divorced and after 21 years Miguel lost his first wife to illness. As fate would have it Maria was walking in, Miguel was walking out at a gas station at the end of the street I live on today they recognized each other and several years later they were married on November 9th, 1973 and just celebrated 39 years of marriage.

My mom went by many titles Tia Maria, Don Maria, La Meda Meda, and as she would say ..”Yo Soy Maria Vela..” she was very proud of all her titles.

When it came to her children she was proud, she was tough, she made us strong, she instilled a strong work regiment, she would tell me …”Don’t ever give up & Keep on Keeping on..”. And yes my mother had that look like all mothers do but then what got our attention was when she would say…”Oyes, media, port de biuen, oyetes, or as I would get ..”Ay Gina..” but my mother had my back such as when my brother Louie would come home from leave in the Army and we would be wrestling through the house she would say ..” Louie you are going to hurt her, no I am not mom, and we would continue and as my brother was about to get me good.. mom Louie is hurting me and she would get after him..”

The things mothers do for their children or participate in when my sister Mary Alice had pollo she would go and pray and wait by her side as they placed in a tank back in those days for pollo, my brother Jesse would go in detail about College & NFL football my mother would just listen he would just say ‘’mom yell for the ones in burnt orange and the guys with the blue star on their helmets, he would bring her butterfingers, and they would fight over the Sunday newspaper, my mother loved watching Luche Libre for of those who do not know that was a Mexican version of wrestling and my brother would say mom that is fake no it not Jesse they were fun to watch together, my sister Irene had many challenges in life but anytime & every time my mother would travel to Mineral Wells, Texas to help her, my brother Louie she was so proud of your military career but more than that she was proud of the four boys you have and she waited to see you.

The last conversation I had with my mom was Thanksgiving morning outside at the nursing home at this time she was not speaking, opening her eyes, or even acknowledging much. We were there together in front of another loving mother the mother of Jesus. By that Grace she opened her gorgeous eyes, acknowledge me Time stood still

and spoke to me in that loving voice I wish I could hear right now and she said she loved me. I was always wondering if she was proud of what I had become and what I did in life so I asked her and she said smiled and she said ..I am proud of you..”

My mother went too rest on December 20, 2012 at 12:45 but never alone she had one of her true loves next to her Miguel B. Alcorta who day after day spent hours next to her side. Bobo from all of the Escalera children thank you for taking care of our mom for 39 years!

In closing I want to play a song by Ramon Ayala it was one of my mom’s favorites I would call her when I heard it and she would say ..Gina are you on the Southside in a cantina you better get home right now…

Mom..I know you are home right now, tell dad and Irene Merry Christmas I know this Christmas they got the best gift of all!!

Playing…”Un Puena de Tierra”