Adelaida Anguiano

Adelaida (Lala) Bermea Anguiano, 89, died on Saturday November 21, 2015 at the Heartland Healthcare Facility in Austin Tx. Adelaida was born in Menard Tx on December 22, 1925 and promptly took her place as the eldest child of Rodolfo and Sostenez Bermea.

Lala grew up in Menard, but moved to Junction upon her marriage to Juan Anguiano, Jr. in 1945. For the next 64 years, she and Juan cultivated a life that centered around raising 'los muchachos', their 3 boys, Ervey, Eloy and Ernesto. Early in their marriage, they lived on Julian Street in the adjunct formerly known as 'Little Mexico' (Southeast Junction). In 1968, when the construction of Interstate 10 cut through their community, they were among several families that were displaced. Juan and Lala moved their belongings and residence to 'town' on North 10th Street, where they lived until Juan's health forced them to make changes.
Throughout their life, Juan and Lala were a true example of resiliency, in their personal life as well as their business life. Together, they 'etched out' a lifetime out of activities like sheep & goat shearing throughout Texas, migrating to field work or selling goats out of the back of their pickup in parts of Colorado and Idaho. They were a team, and were incredibly resourceful in their efforts to earn a living. The couple knew no boundaries and drawing unemployment was never even a consideration. Instead, they sought out work, never waited for work to come to them. If necessary, they would pack up the boys, recruit several other 'unemployed' Junction families and migrate to various parts of America's GREAT SOUTHWEST. Consequently, It was not unusual to find some of Junction's families living on a farmer's horse barn or a grain silo for months at a time. They were there for 'la temporada', the duration of 'la papa', harvest time, potato picking. Lala would come off the field after a full day of 'stooping', get out of her potato picking rig, and change into her 'delantar' (apron) to cook meals for the family. Drawing on whatever business acumen she could, she would then become Juan's bookkeeper in handling 'dia de pago,' payday Saturday in Monte Vista, Colorado. Even then, always taking particular care to collect and pay 'el seguro social' (social security) for all the crew. Then just as abruptly, she would switch over to becoming a full time cook for Juan's shearing crew....all the while covering for Dad's ineptness at speaking English. She was his chief interpreter. As graceful a woman as she was, singeing her hair over an open fire, hauling 5 gallon pails of water up a ladder to a covered flat bed truck, washing multiple heavy cast iron skillets, boiling water to wash clothes on a scrub board, on hot 100+ degree days were duties that she willingly embraced as a mother and wife.

Lala took extreme pride in everything she did. Her family didn't have much, but what they had was enhanced just by her touch. If the family was living on the John W. Dutton ranch's horse stalls in Colorado, by golly, THEY WERE THE CLEANEST HORSE STALLS WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI! All swore that even the dirt floor and the #10 sized wash tub for our Saturday bath were somehow 'sanitized'.

That was who she was. Always making the best from nothing and ALWAYS ending the day by lulling the entire family to sleep with the 'whispering' of her nightly praying in the dark. E-V-ER-Y-O-N-E had to be included! Indeed, she was also our moral compass. Today, it's hard to see that kind of spirit buried. Some people will say that 'if she would've lived back in the day...their mother could have lived out of the back of a covered wagon'. We don't have to imagine it....OUR MOTHER DID....and MANY of her generation were no different. Even as a young mother, she was destined to be one of the many strong, grand 'damas' that have come out of Kimble County, Little Mexico, 'El Barrio'. She leaves us now, to take her place next to Juan, but she leaves behind her family legacy of her 3 'boys', 12 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren. She is also survived by her sisters, Amelia Rodriguez (Nampa, Idaho), and Mary Lydia Abilez (Killeen, Tx) as well as her brother Jesus Bermea (Del Rio, Tx). Along with Juan, she was also preceded in death by brothers, Edmundo Bermea and Jose Bermea and sister, Alicia Gonzalez.
The family would like to thank all the 'angels' disguised as doctors and nurses for the incredible work that they do to look after our elderly. Especially at the Hill Country Healthcare Facility, Junction Tx and the Heartland Healthcare Facility, Austin. There are no words....

Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:00 AM, Saturday, November 28, 2015 at St. Theresas Catholic Church with Father Albert Ezeanya as Celebrant. Recitation of the Holy Rosary will be held 7:00 PM, Friday, November 27, 2015 at Kimble Funeral Home with visitation to follow.

Arrangements are under the direction and personal care of the professionals at Kimble Funeral Home, (325) 446-3076

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