FOLKS News

The incredulous news that his smile was forever gone from this earth reached me in Florida. Although I hadn't physically seen him in a while, I was always happy to hear from him in a private message or social media. Joe Steven seemed to always face life head on, never taking the easy road, never compromising his adventure to appease his critics. He was the baby of his family. His parents were Oralia "Nena" Davila and Joe "Chema" Martinez. Nena was the daughter of Domingo Davila and Rosa Thompson. So Joe Steven and I shared the same great grandparents, Guillermo Thompson and Maria Crisanta Chavez. Please keep the Salinas, Martinez and Davila family in your prayers. To honor his memory, pass along a smile when the world expects your anger. Rest in peace little cousin.

The photo is of Juan Chavez Thompson, son of Guillermo Thompson and Maria Crisanta Chavez. He was also the birth father of Richard Thompson, my father. Biologically, he was my grandfather, but I didn't know him very well. We would visit him once a year in Victoria, Texas at the home he and his second wife owned. My siblings and I thought it was so cool that he lived on Thompson Street. He and his second wife, Julia, didn't have children of their own. In the earlier year...s I remember visiting them was fun because they had a nice yard to play in, but the set back was having to use the outhouse and the shower was in the kitchen. Today I found his WWII draft card that offered some information taken while he was married to my father's mother, Santos Anzaldua. If you scroll down to the photo of my padrino, Pete C Thompson, you will see these two brothers looked very much alike. (Photo courtesy the Oralia Thompson Barrios collection) See more

ISO: The family of JULIAN y Ysabel Aguirre Recently, my Tio Tony shared this image of a painting of Julian with my brother Tracy. Julian was a younger brother of my Welito Ruperto. Years ago I was able to track down this brother to California. Sadly, he'd passed away in 1985, 8 yrs before my Welito passed away. Julian and Ysabel had the following children: Steve Aguirre, Jennie Bishop, Frank Aguirre, Danny Aguirre, Angie Clark, and Tony Aguirre. Ruperto and Julian were 2 sons of Pedro Aguirre and Paula Garza. The brothers were 13 and 11, respectively, when their mother passed away. Two years later their father remarried and the brothers left home and came to Texas.

Pete Chavez Thompson. He was a brother to my dad's dad. This made Pete my dad's uncle. But growing up dad called him Compadre because Pete and his bride, Fernanda, were my God parents. To me they were always Padrino and Madrina. They were also parents of Mary Lou, Pete Jr, Tom, and Joseph. Padrino was very dedicated to his mother, Maria Chavez Thompson. He visited her daily. He always made sure she was not in need. I can still hear his laugh, picture his smile, see him sitting on the bench outside waving to passersby. They say love heals and his love definitely made the world brighter.