Jose Maria Gonzalez
Birth and Early Life: Jose Maria was born April 22, 1899, in Salinas Victoria, Nuevo Leon Mexico to Elfega Morales Arrambide de Gonzalez and Jose Maria Gonzalez Gutierrez de Lara. He was the of 11 children of which 9 had survived infancy or early childhood. He resided with his family in a large hacienda next to the town church, Iglesia Parochial de Nuestra Senora De Guadalupe, across from the main plaza (La Plaza Principal). The family resided at this location until 1915 when the family was forced to vacate the home so that one of the factions in the Mexican Revolution could use the home as a command station. Later, the home was destroyed by cannons used in the fighting that took place in Salinas Victoria, and the surrounding areas, where there were casualties and injured soldiers. On December 25, 1912, Jose Maria’s father died while in Monterrey. Jose Maria’s father was in the business of transporting goods and passengers and may have been involved handling some cargo at the time. On July 19, 1915, Jose Maria and his sister Maclovia, having left Salinas Victoria seeking safety, crossed the footbridge into Laredo, Texas, where Agustin Gonzalez, their paternal uncle, received them.
Education and Career: Little is known about Jose Maria’s education. It is known that he was adventurous and left home to work as a miner and as a merchant marine. He also traveled to New York City, jumping trains to go see the subways. During his work as a miner, he was involved in a traumatic mining accident. When he was a merchant marine, he was in a shipwreck that was also traumatic. These events were considered to have affected him mentally. Juvenal’s wife related an event when Jose Maria was shocked with an outpouring of water hopefully so that he could relive the shipwreck experience and snap out of his mental state. At one point, his brother, Juvenal set him up as the proprietor of a “tendajo” (small store), but he could not manage it successfully. Years later Jose Maria was taken to Mexico City for psychiatric evaluation by his brother, Juvenal. While there, Jose Maria had brain surgery. Unfortunately, the outcome was that thereafter, Jose Maria had limited mental capacity, was childlike, and needed daily supervision. It is speculated that he may have had a lobotomy.
Family Life and Marriage: Jose Maria was able to cross the bridge into the US, in 1915 as a refugee of the Mexican Revolution but was never able to obtain permanent residency because of his medical condition. He returned to Salinas Victoria and thereafter, was taken care of by extended family under the direction of and with the financial support of his brother, Juvenal. It is known that he lived a pleasant life with extended family, assisting with chores or as instructed and that he traveled by train to Laredo occasionally to see his brother Juvenal. Jose Maria and his brother, Juvenal and occasionally, his daughter, would meet at the Plaza Hidalgo in Nuevo Laredo. When Jose Maria died in 1966, as stories were shared, his Elena, Juvenal’s daughter remembered that a family related a story when Jose Maria had innocently told a customer that a fly had fallen into the milk, not recognizing, that this might be unacceptable to the customer. Jose Maria never married or had children.
Accomplishments and Recognitions: Jose Maria did extensive traveling in Mexico, the US, and worldwide. He made it as far as China when he was a Merchant Marine. Unknowingly, he may have opened the eyes of his family to see the world and helped generate a global perspective among family members.
Death and Burial Information. Jose Maria died in 1966 in Salinas Victoria at the age of 67. The home was the site of the funeral service which included the viewing and a wake with family and friends by the coffin through the night. The following day the coffin was carried through rocky streets to the cemetery, by friends and family including his brother, Juvenal. Jose Maria was laid to rest at the cemetery, El Panteon Municipal. In addition to local family and friends, Juvenal, his wife, and his daughter attended the funeral.