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FROM THE EDITOR Lines of descent PUBLISHER Sandra Castillo EDITOR Karen Gleason WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS Xochitl Arteaga Harold D. Becker Willie Braudaway Karen Gleason Alicia Jimenez ADVERTISING Xochitl Arteaga Alicia Jimenez Ashley Lopez PRODUCTION Jorge Alarcon

Roland Cardenas Antonio Morales EDITORIAL karen.gleason@delrionewsherald.com 830-775-1551, Ext. 247 ADVERTISING ashley.lopez@delrionewsherald.com 830-775-1551, Ext. 250 STORY IDEAS karen.gleason@delrionewsherald.com

2205 North Bedell Avenue • Del Rio, TX 78840 delrionewsherald.com Del Rio Grande is published by the Del Rio News-Herald.

No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without written permission of the publisher. Editorial content does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher of this magazine.

Editorial and advertising does not constitute advice but is considered informative.

Ever since we began this Grande adventure, we’ve wanted to feature some of the “heritage families” of Val Verde County, families whose ancestors settled in this rugged, beautiful country.

We take our first look at a descendant of one of those heritage families, F.H. “Tuffy” Whitehead, in this issue of the magazine, but rest assured that we will be writing about the area’s other “first families” in issues to come.

This month’s issue also includes a fascinating look at the work Willie Braudaway is doing helping Del Rioans uncover their own individual ancestries.

I visited with Willie at the Family History Center at the LDS Church to talk to her about writing an article about her work, and she suggested that rather than talk to me about what she does, she show me by examining my own family pool.

Since I was adopted when I was six weeks old, I provided her with the names of my biological parents, a Lakota (Sioux) woman named Carlene Swan and a man of mostly German descent named Arnold Schneider.

I am the second of the six children Carlene and Arnie had together and the only one that was given up for adoption and not given my father’s surname. Instead, Carlene gave me the birth name Pearl Swan.

When I was adopted, my new parents named me Karen Elizabeth, which is still my legal name today.

Using my bio parents’ names and probable dates of birth, Willie was quickly able to trace my mother’s family tree.

It turns out that I am descended from a man named Paul Swan, who lived in the 1840-1900 time frame and who was himself descended from several Lakota chiefs named White Swan, one of whom defended the Lakota homeland and way of life at the Battle of the Greasy Grass, which whites call the Battle of the Little Bighorn or Custer’s Last Stand.

My adoptive parents had always been candid about my Native background, but seeing it in black and white on Willie’s computer added another dimension to that understanding.

In her article, Willie talks about helping Dolly Calderon, a member of another of Del Rio’s heritage families, the Calderons, dig deep into her ancestry.

I was also given the privilege of visiting and photographing the lovely south Del Rio home of Elaine and Martin Wardlaw. I appreciate their hospitality in opening their home to Grande and its readers.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Grande, and we also hope it will serve as an inspiration for you to look into your own unique family history.

Mitákuye oyásin!

(We are all related!)

Karen Gleason

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CONTENTS 8

CALENDAR Keep busy this month at these local events.

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HERITAGE FAMILY F.H. “Tuffy” Whitehead descends from one of first ranching families.

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HISTORIC CLUB

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SHRIMP TACOS Luscious, light fare to welcome spring.

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FINDING MY FAMILY Del Rioan Willie Braudaway will help track your ancestors.

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WARM WELCOME Elaine and Martin Wardlaw’s house embodies laid-back style.

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CLOSET CONFIDENTIAL Jimena Maria Ramón looks ahead to the future while honoring the past.

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HAUTE HERITAGE

Ciudad Acuña’s Corona Club caters to hungry, thirsty visitors.

HERITAGE PICKS

Whitehead Museum is the backdrop for these chic finds.

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Look for these antique and vintage finds at Del Rio shops.

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CHAMOCHELA Recreate this popular Mexican drink at home.

LAST LOOK Writer/photographer Brian Argabright wraps up the issue.

ON THE COVER: F. H. “Tuffy” Whitehead, a member of one of Val Verde County’s original ranching families, stands with Baby Jack, a quarter horse bred and born on the family’s ranch. Whitehead’s daughters, Clay Sewalt and Amy Perry, say their dad is happiest standing in a sheep pen or sitting in the saddle. • Photo by KAREN GLEASON

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MARCH CALENDAR

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Helping Del Rio Grow!

Keep busy this month at these fun local events 3 MARKET AT THE MUSEUM • Original Landscape Designs • We Beat Any Price In Town • Tree Trimming • Retaining Walls • Rock Work • Concrete Pavers • Grounds Maintenance • Carpet Grass • Sprinkler Systems We are so • Shade Trees grateful to • Fruit Trees • Top Soil be part of this • Seasonal Color wonderful • Granite Gravel community!

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8 MURAL BIKE TOUR CASA DE LA CULTURA 302 CANTU ST. • 5:30 P.M. – 7 P.M. Meet up at the Casa 5:30 p.m. and B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Bike). There will be 12 mural stops with a brief history of each mural. The ride will be about three miles. All ages of riders are welcome.

9 SAN FELIPE CREEK CLEANUP CASA DE LA CULTURA 302 CANTU ST. • 10 A.M. – 11 A.M. Get your Brownie points in this month by volunteering to pick up trash along the San Felipe Creek for an hour. Volunteers will meet at the Casa and be sent to public areas and parks in the vicinity.

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F.H. “Tuffy� Whitehead strikes a familiar pose, holding a rope as he has on hundreds of roundups. Whitehead still lives on the Wagon Wheel Ranch west of Del Rio, where he moved after he and his wife Carol married in 1961.

Heritage Family F.H. “Tuffy” Whitehead’s family has ranched here for more than a century Story by KAREN GLEASON; Photos by KAREN GLEASON and contributed by CLAY SEWALT and AMY PERRY

F

.H. “Tuffy” Whitehead greets me warmly at the door of the spacious home that serves as the headquarters of his Wagon Wheel Ranch, located about a mile off U.S. Highway 90 in the rugged and unforgiving brushlands west of Del Rio. Whitehead’s daughters, Clay Whitehead Sewalt and Amy Whitehead Perry and Clay and Rusty Sewalt’s daughter Remington join us in the living room as I prepare to talk to Whitehead about some of his memories and experiences as the scion of one of Val Verde County’s first ranching families.

Whitehead was born on Dec. 9, 1935. After graduating from college in Austin, he came home to work on the family ranch.

He is the son of F.H. “Tuff” Whitehead and Winnie Lou Miers Whitehead. Tuff Whitehead was one of the seven children of Walter E. Whitehead and Mary “Belle” Martin Whitehead.

According to the local history book “La Hacienda,” Walter E. Whitehead – Tuffy’s grandfather – and Will F. Whitehead were the sons of George Washington Whitehead, who came to Texas in 1836.

The “La Hacienda” author wrote, “(George W. Whitehead) fought in the Civil War in the 1860s while his wife, Rachel Jane, ‘kept the home fires burning.’ With the help of her two small boys, she ran the ranch.”

Rachel Jane and George Whitehead came to Val Verde County after the Civil War. George Whitehead settled in the area around Loma Alta, and the original ranchlands to which he staked his claim numbered in the hundreds of thousands of acres.

His descendants still ranch in Val Verde County – Tuffy’s daughters, Clay Whitehead Sewalt and Amy Whitehead Perry run their spreads with their husbands, the fifth

generation of Whiteheads to do so.

Tuffy, Clay and Amy are members of one branch of the large Whitehead family tree. There are others, and many of them are also members of other local “first families of ranching,” including the Wardlaws, Browns and Davises.

Tuffy’s father was born in 1905. Both Tuffy’s father’s family, the Whiteheads, and his mother’s family, the Mierses, were foundation ranch families in the area.

Whitehead’s father and mother were married in 1929.

Tuffy and Carol married in 1961.

I asked Whitehead of his earliest memories of the country he has called home all his long life.

“We lived at our headquarters ranch, which was north of the Loma Alta store. My grandfather on my mother’s side lived below Loma Alta, and he lived to be within six weeks of 100 years old, so we treasured his memories and his work.

“Nobody loved to work any more than he did, and his name was R. L. ‘Bob’ Miers. He was named after (the Civil War general) Robert E. Lee. His daddy came back from the war and said he’d never met a finer man than Robert E. Lee. His daddy settled north and east of here. My mother and daddy married in 1929, and on their ranch, they ranched pretty much sheep and goats and cattle,” Whitehead said.

“I asked my grandfather once why he’d settled here in this Loma Alta country, and he said, ‘Boy, we settled here when we found water.’ So that was the big thing. We drilled several water wells after that, and that’s where we lived.

“My dad, F.H. ‘Tuff’ Whitehead, was given about 10,000 acres, and there was an indebtedness on it that he had to pay for, and after that, he said he wanted to try and double whatever he had been given. That was his ambition, and he worked hard to do that, and he accomplished that mission,” Whitehead said.

He told stories of a female relative who “rounded up all

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the country” with a child on the saddle in front of her and one on the saddle behind her.

Amy Whitehead Perry remembers sitting on the saddle in front of her dad during a similar roundup decades later.

“I think my daddy has always been happiest standing in a sheep pen or sitting on the back of a horse or with the grandkids,” she said.

Whitehead said his own earliest memories of living in the “Loma Alta country” are “of living in a bunkhouse up at the headquarters ranch.”

“We had a three-room bunkhouse there, and that’s where we lived, and after I got about four or five years old, my mother and father built a rock home there on the ranch, and they put a larger home, and mother said I would wander around that house looking for her, and I’d say, ‘Where is you, mother?’ and she’d say, ‘I’m in here,’ and I’d say, ‘Where’s that?’ ‘Here in the study.’ ‘Where’s that?’ The house seemed that big to me.

“Later, Amy and Jim got married, and they’ve built a rock home where they live out of the stone that’s on their ranch. Clay and Rusty have a rock home where they live, and it’s from the native rock from that ranch,” Whitehead said.

Whitehead’s daughters recall that he learned to speak Spanish before he spoke English, and when he finally went to the little schoolhouse where all the family members went to school, he was made to learn English so he could attend “regular” school.

Whitehead and his wife Carol moved into the home where he still lives after they were married in 1961.

“My father bought this section house from the railroad and moved it over here to this location, and when Carol and I got married, I brought her over here to this house, and I told her we could leave this house just the way it is or tear it down and build us a three-by-three, because that was just about the amount of money we had then, and she looked around and said she wanted it just the way it was. So we took paintbrushes out, and one of these doors, we found where it had been painted 13 times,” Whitehead recalled.

From top: One of the hallmarks of Tuffy’s Whitehead’s ranching career has been the production of extremely highquality fine-wool sheep, a career he embarked on while still a young man. Here, a teenage Whitehead shows off the confirmation and wool of a champion Rambouillet ram at a long-ago stock show.

Whitehead’s father, F.H. “Tuff” Whitehead, to right of horse, and one of his sisters, Topsy Whitehead Taylor, in white shirt, and some of his brothers and their camp cook working livestock from a wagon.

Sacks of wool are stacked in the bed of an old pickup truck on their way to the wool house in Del Rio.

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Rounding up on the Whitehead Ranch in the early 20th Century.

In the days before pickups and fourwheelers, rounding up was done from the back of a horse.

Tuffy’s father, F.H. “Tuff” Whitehead and his brothers, Charlie, W.R. “Lee,” Willie B., and L.D. “Son.”

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Tuffy Whitehead, center, surrounded by his four grandchildren. From left, Reece Perry, Remington Sewalt, Alex Perry and Cole Perry, at the Whitehead’s Wagon Wheel Ranch.

Several rooms and a porch were added to the house later.

Both sides of Whitehead’s family ranched.

Walter Whitehead, Whitehead’s grandfather, had seven children.

“He ranched about 100,000 acres up there around Loma Alta, and that’s where the headquarters ranch still is. It’s called the ‘Open A’ or the headquarters ranch,” Sewalt said.

“So the brothers had about 150,000 acres between them, and they had to ranch it just like you saw there in the picture, with a wagon, going through it and making camps,” she said.

The ranches were eventually divided between seven siblings, and each of them got about 10,000 acres.

Whitehead, too, said he followed his father’s example of doubling the land he had inherited.

“That’s what I’ve worked on. That’s been my goal since I started,” he said.

Whitehead said he began working the ranch when he was married, in 1961. Several years later, when his father died after a series of strokes, Whitehead became responsible for the entire spread.

The ranch where Whitehead now lives, and where he has lived for the past six decades, is called the Wagon Wheel Ranch.

“The old wagon wheel tracks from the Chihuahua Trail, from Chihuahua to San Antonio, come through this ranch, hence the name. When you look at an aerial view of the ranch, you can still

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see them,” Sewalt said.

“We’ve been fortunate enough to add on to our ranch, just about the same thing my father did, doubled the size, and it’s just through the help of the good Lord and my kids, my family, that’s what’s brought us through everything,” Whitehead said.

Asked what his hopes are for his grandchildren, which will be the sixth generation of Whiteheads to come up out of Val Verde County, Whitehead said, “I’d love to see for them continue the same way, but I leave it to them to develop and do what they want. Cole and Reece and Alex, those are my three oldest grandkids, one of them’s going to law school, one of them’s trying to be an accountant and the other is in her third year at A&M. They’re seeking their own goals.

“Whether those boys will want to come back and ranch part of it and then do their accounting and law, I don’t know, but I want them to develop their thoughts and ideas what they can do. I just think each generation needs to seek its own goals and look to the good Lord for guidance and direction, and I think that’s one of our main deals, is having the good Lord help us all the way,” Whitehead said.

I asked Whitehead what has been the most important thing to him about living the ranching lifestyle.

“The most important thing to me is family. I just don’t think

Sheep graze outside the main ranch house at Tuffy Whitehead’s Wagon Wheel Ranch west of Del Rio.

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there’s anything that can beat it. If you can have your family close and united and helping each other, I think it’s just the best thing there is,” he said.

“I always told my girls I only wanted them to be able to do three things: love the good Lord, to put on their spurs and boots and help me round up and to come back in the house and put on their high heels and a dress and go dancing,” Whitehead said with a brilliant smile.

“That was a gift that Mother and Daddy gave us, and I don’t think I realized how much a gift it was until I got older. I feel, and I know my sister Amy does too, is that I feel just as comfortable going to that bunkhouse and eating with a tortilla as I do knowing what fork to use on a nicelyset table. That is a true gift,” Sewalt said.

I asked Whitehead how he wanted to be remembered and he said Clay and Amy had once asked him what words he wanted engraved on his tombstone, and he told me what he had told his daughters: “I just want it to say, ‘Here lies a sheep man.’” •

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Three generations of Ciudad Acuña family provide hospitality Story by XOCHITL ARTEAGA; Photos by XOCHITL ARTEAGA and GERARDO GARZA

T

hree generations of the Garza family in Ciudad Acuña, Coah., Mexico have been opening the doors of their restaurant and club for business people, students, tourists and anyone else looking for a relaxing respite from everyday life.

Corona Club owner Jaime Garza said the name of the bar came about one day while he and his friends were having some “Coronitas,” beers, in the pool at the ranch.

“We were all talking about the club, and we said, ‘Corona Club would be a good name,’ and that’s where the name of the bar comes from.”

“The main reason I chose the business was because my dad built this building in the 1920s. It was a restaurant and bar called the Toltec Café,” said Corona Club owner Jaime Garza, the second-generation owner of the establishment.

“The Corona Club opened its doors in 1989. The bar was always a success, with a concept different from the other bars. We played country music when the others were rock or other types of music,” Garza recalled.

Garza and his brother, Ricardo Garza Gomez, were partners in the Corona Club and from the day the bar first opened its doors, involved themselves in the communities of Ciudad Acuña and its Texas sister city across the Rio Grande, Del Rio, as sponsors of popular community events.

“We sponsored events such as rodeos, bull riding like the George Paul Memorial and Dalé Gas, and any other events that took place in Del Rio and Acuña, always supporting the community. Sponsoring events was always a success for the bar because people would come to see us, and we always gave them very special treatment. In the 20 years that I have been in charge of the business, I have made many friendships on both sides of the border,” Garza said.

The Corona Club and its management also became heavily involved in concert promotions.

“After my brother Ricardo passed away, I began to promote concerts in the bar, and for many years, we brought in artists like Pat Green, Robert

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“

The main reason I chose the business was because my dad built it in the 1920’s it was a restaurant and bar called Toltec Cafe.

“

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Earl Keen, Radney Foster, Charlie Robinson and Cross Canadian Ragweed, among others. George Strait was one of the most famous musicians who came to visit the bar,” Garza said.

Garza said another interesting aspect of owning and managing the Corona Club has been its use as a set piece for some the film industry.

“I remember we were approached in the 1990s to participate on a film called ‘El Mariachi.’ On that occasion, they used the waiters we had as extras, as well as people from the city. The weapons they used, they borrowed from the police. I got to see how they filmed ‘Mariachi’ here and how they killed my waiters.

“That movie went to the Sundance Film Festival in Colorado, and Columbia gave them another contract to make another movie called ‘Desperado.’ This movie had more recognized artists such as Salma Hayek, Antonio Banderas, Danny Trejo and others,” Garza recalled.

“Many of the artists that they used as extras or doubles were not famous then, but now I see other movies, and they are famous. I remember that they asked me to be an extra in the movie, and the day I was going to film my part was that they had to kill me. I had an inconvenience at the office at work, so I was never killed,” Garza recalled with a laugh.

He noted actors from many films have visited the bar, even when filming was done elsewhere in the area.

“There have been actors from ‘Como Agua Para Chocolate’ (Like Water for Chocolate), ‘Family Jones,’ ‘Lonesome Dove,’ and ‘Dallas’ have visited my bar. The actor who played Bobby on Dallas once gave me a picture and said, ‘Jaime, you close the bar too early,’ and the sun was already coming out, and he was still in here drinking,” Garza smiled.

“One day, the chamber of commerce called me and asked if I could go pick up the actor Dennis Hopper, so I asked them who gave them my name, and they told me that I was the reference and that the actor Robert Duvall had sent (Hopper). I headed to the Ramada in Del Rio to welcome him. I brought him to Acuña and took him to some locations he wanted to see for a movie.

“That night I took him to dinner at Manuel’s, and there, after he smiled, I then realized who I was sitting with, Dennis Hopper. I never did ask him for an autograph,” Garza said.

Garza said the Corona Club has evolved since it first opened its doors, changing to meet the demands of differing clientele and sometimes, to roll with the punches dealt by changing political and social climates.

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“The bar has always depended on tourism very strongly. A lot of the population went for long periods to study outside the city, like in Monterrey and Saltillo. So then we depended on students coming for spring break and holidays and tourists to survive,” Garza said.

“We suffered for a time around 2010, when the Department of Immigration sent bulletins, alerts, for students of the universities not to come to Mexico, to the border areas. They then went to other places like Cancun, Acapulco and Mazatlan. People got scared and stopped coming here. That was the lowest phase of the business,” Garza recalled.

But business has definitely rebounded.

“Nowadays, Acuña has different universities and the inhabitants of the city are now studying here more than ever, so on weekends, they go out to have fun, and that’s where the clientele begins to grow,” Garza said.

“What I like most about being a club owner and manager, as I mentioned before, was the people I’ve met and the friendships I’ve made in the business. Now that I have retired, my nephew, Gerardo, is the one who administers the club. I know he does it with the same passion as me, since it is a family business, and he is our third generation in the business,” Garza said.

Not that Garza has withdrawn entirely.

The elder Garza said he is “completely dedicated” to the family livestock business and other endeavors.

Gerardo Garza said he has spent almost his entire life in and around the Club.

“I practically grew up here, helping my dad and uncle Jaime behind the bar or at the door, watching how people had fun. It has been an honor for me to manage this bar. I was very proud when the opportunity was given to me, since it’s something of a tradition in our family.

“First it was my grandfather, then my father and my uncle, and now me, so the business has always been managed by the same family. Our businesses in this building have been serving the community for almost 100 years,” Gerardo Garza said.

And it’s not only the family members with longevity at the club.

“Most of my workers have been with me for many years. They are always at the forefront of what the client asks for. If there

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encourage us to continue providing the best possible service is something they do not know, the client tells them, and they and maintaining our clientele,” Garza said. learn it,” Gerardo Garza said.

Garza said one of the business’ most difficult periods was in He noted that club staff also spend time researching the the late 2000s, when questions arose about the security and popular drinks of the moment. safety of civilians venturing into Acuña from Texas.

“Normally, it is the customer who asks for the new drinks, “One of the drawbacks for the business was when the city but my people are smart, they ask what the drink consists of, lost control. We lost customer, and the tourists stopped how to make it and then they learn how to do it. coming. The business changed a lot.

“Valencia and Carlos are the bartenders I inherited, since “The good thing is that we were able they have worked here since my uncle to adjust and endure. Security has been Jaime was in charge of the business. I recovered in the state and in the city. think they have been in this business for First it was my People go out to have fun, and tourism more than 30 years. It’s one of the things grandfather, then is coming back. As my uncle commented, that has made the bar successful, is the my father and my the influence of people who are already treatment of people, that it is an honest uncle, and now here studying or working in town are our place and always taking care of the new clientele. clientele,” Garza said. me, so the business “We also see that we are recovering the Like his uncle and his father and has always been confidence of the Americans, and so, little grandfather before him, Gerardo Garza managed by the by little, they are returning. We never said what he loves most about managing same family. closed a single day in spite of everything the bar is the relationships he has forged. that happened, and we were able to “What I love most is giving great survive,” Gerardo Garza said. service to my clients, meeting new people The Corona Club is known for a variety and having the satisfaction that I am of drinks and foods, but is perhaps most famous for its providing a good quality product. clamato and chamochela and for its tacos de camaron.

“We know of many people who met here and married here, Hours at the Corona Club are 1 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday who have families here. Above all, we give them a place where through Saturday and 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the restaurant; and they can have a good time. We like to see the happiness of from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday. • our customers, and sometimes we like to have a little fun and we ourselves are customers of the bar. This also helps

“

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Chamochela Recipe by XOCHITL ARTEAGA - CORONA CLUB; photo by GERARDO GARZA

M

ichelada, the Mexican beer cocktail has different variations, but the varieties all depend on a precise balance of sometimes wacky and particular ingredients.

The michelada is one of the most popular drinks in Mexico. It is a beer-based cocktail made with lime, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and tomato or Clamato juice, all served over ice in a glass with a salted rim.

There are dozens of riffs on this base, which depends not only on which part of the country you’re in, but also who’s serving it. Here is a recipe I came across from the Corona Club in Ciudad Acuña, Coah., Mexico, called Chamochela.

It is so refreshing and regardless of the variety, they go down so easily that you can hit the bottom of the glass in about 20 seconds if you’re not paying attention.

Ingredients • 2 oz of liquid chamoy • 8 oz of Clamato juice • 2 tsps. of Tajin spice • 1 lime • 1 Corona beer

Method • Using a mason jar, run lime across rim of mug, dip mug in Tajín spice mix to coat evenly.

• Add plenty of ice, chamoy, clamato and more Tajin, mix well, and add the Corona beer.

• Garnish with tamarindo candy (Tarugo) and enjoy!

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Shrimp

Tacos

“Tacos de Camaron”

Recipe by XOCHITL ARTEAGA; Photo by GERARDO GARZA

I

simply couldn’t find the words to explain how delicious these tacos are. These shrimp tacos have a little kick of chipotle and flavor that is just amazing. Tacos are always a hit, and these easy shrimp tacos are a great change from your traditional beef tacos. These light tacos are the perfect change from heavy winter fare.

Ingredients • 6 large shrimp • 7 oz. of manchego cheese • 1 Tbsp. of parmesan cheese • 1 oz. cilantro cream • 1 oz. chipotle cream • 1 oz of garlic cream • 2 flour tortillas • Salt and pepper

Method • The easiest way to make these is to buy your shrimp already peeled and deveined. If you buy them this way, the recipe will be super easy and fast to make. If you can’t get them this way, you can still do it yourself.

• It is very important when cooking the shrimp that you don’t crowd your pan. Give your shrimp some room. You want the shrimp to cook nicely, evenly and develop some color and flavor.

• Cut the shrimps into chunks and grill on a pan with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Once cooked and pink, you can remove them from the heat.

• In a blender, combine heavy cream, (2) chipotle peppers, salt and pepper to taste. Repeat the same process for garlic and cilantro (separately). Add the creams to the same pan as the shrimp and heat.

• After three to four minutes, the cream sauce will begin to thicken and reduce. Now you can add the shrimps, manchego and parmesan cheese.

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GRANDE / MARCH 2019

27

Finding My Family Del Rioan helps others discover their ancestors Story by WILLIE BRAUDAWAY; Photos by KAREN GLEASON

Family History Consultant Willie Braudaway, right, reviews some of Del Rioan Dolly Calderon’s ancestors, one of whom was a German, William Draeger, who settled in Del Rio and whose name appears on the first Del Rio census of 1870.

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D

“

“I just love putting families together.”

“

olly Calderon came into the Family History Center a few months ago looking for her great-great grandparents. All she knew was that her great-grandfather’s death certificate said their names were Julius Draeger and Lucy Lichte, and they were from Germany. Could I help her?

As a Family History Consultant since 2009, I thought I might be able to help Dolly Calderon in her quest. This is what I love to do. I love adding people to the Family Tree at familysearch.org and creating family relationships. These relationships are confirmed by searching for documents and then attaching them to all who are named within to prove who they were, when they were, where they were and who they were with. Sometimes you discover interesting connections.

For Dolly, I suggested she create a free FamilySearch account and then add herself into the Family Tree along with her parents and grandparents. We discovered Dolly had some interesting connections in her tree.

First was that Dolly has roots to Del Rio’s origins. Her great-grandfather, William Draeger, is listed in the first (San Felipe) Del Rio census of 1870. Then she told me her mother’s father was the illustrious Santos Garza, the “Father of San Felipe Schools.” Now that’s an historic heritage!

According to his naturalization records in 1918, William Draeger, born near Berlin, Prussia, German Empire, arrived in Galveston in 1859 at the age of 10 aboard the Vesa out of Bremen, Germany. A decade later, 20-year-old William is listed in the 1870 U.S. Census in the household of A. O. Strickland in San Felipe, Kinney County, working with cattle.

A few households down the road is his future wife, 15-year-old Josefa Ramires with her family.

Dolly’s tree demonstrates the homily, “Be careful what you say; you might be talking to someone’s cousin!” As we added aunts, uncles and cousins to her great-grandfather’s line, I began to see more and more interesting connections.

Recognizing that this is a work-in-progress, we discovered William Draeger (1849-1930) and Josefa Ramirez (1856-1920) had the following children to whom some of you readers may be related. In the interest of privacy, the only living person named below is Dolly.

Rafaela Draeger (1873-1958) married John Montague Wilson. Rafaela Wilson died in San Antonio. It appears that none of the Wilson children stayed in Del Rio – John Henry, Mary Elizabeth (married William Newman, then Daniel Leahy), William James (married Estela Canales), Henry, Thomas Franklin (married Ethel Hasselmeier), Albert Prouty (married Maria Lujan), Alma Esther (married Fred Burleson), Agnes and Ella (married William Howard).

Charles Henry Draeger (1875-1957) married Delfina Valderas. He died in Houston as did most of his children. It appears that none of these 10 Draeger children stayed in Del Rio, either – Charley, Julius (married Irene Torres), Adeline (married Fortino Godinez), Irene, Josephine, George Henry, Alphonso (married Della San Miguel), Arthur Rudolf (married Jean San Miguel), Olga and Roseline. There are more records and details to add to this branch; I have already seen some issues that need clarifying.

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Del Rioan Michelle Parish looks up information on her ancestors in the Family History Center at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1315 Kings Way. The Family History Center is open to the public Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Joseph Draeger (1876-1924) married Guadalupe Cadena and then Maria Calvetti. He died in Del Rio but his daughter Julia Draeger (married Alonzo Cadena) died in California. One more daughter, Annie Peggy, and a son, Andrew, are still unaccountable as to their possible spouses and deaths.

William S Draeger Jr (1882-1966) married Georgia Calvetti. He died in California as did five of his nine children – Henry, Reuben (married Narcisa Paredes), Lucy Carrie (married Max Almaguer), Fred Louis (married Natividad Villareal) and Joseph Ralph (married Ruth Quintana.) One young daughter – Georgia Anna – died at age 2 in Eagle Pass. However, three of his children died in Del Rio – Ernest Julius (married Rosalia Rosas), William (married Felicitas Rivero) and Adela (married Armando Cardenas and David Cardwell). Are there any descendants still here?

Lucy Draeger (1884-1955) married Joseph Martinez (Dolly’s grandparents). She died in Del Rio. Dolly’s father, Joseph Frederick married Elida Garza (Santos Garza’s daughter). He died in Del Rio. His brother,

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Richard, married Marie Rita Vargas and died in Bell County. We know there are current Del Rio descendants – Dolly’s folks.

Caroline Grace Draeger (1886-1957) married Oscar Nathaniel Thomas. She died in Amarillo. Her daughter, Grace (married Victor Hemmen), died in Seattle, and one son, Oscar Albert Thomas (married Rosemary Fellows), died in Del Rio. Two daughters and one more son were born after 1920 and could be living still. Are there any descendants still here?

Julius M Draeger (1889-1958) married Herlinda Payan. They died in El Paso. One daughter was born after 1920 and could be living still.

Josephine Draeger (1890-1961) married Edward Watkins. She died in Eagle Pass. An infant son died in Eagle Pass and a daughter, Besse Watkins (married Andrew Spillman) died in El Paso. Two more sons and one daughter were born after 1920 and could be living still.

Albert Draeger (1892-1959) married Maria Soledad Rivero. He died in San Antonio as did his daughters,

Virginia Rivero (married Charles Shaver) and Patricia Josephine (married Robert Cox).

Mary Pauline Draeger (1895-1949) married Floryan Leon Centilli. She died in Del Rio. Four of their children – William Draeger (married Frances Lancaster Watkins), Florine Carrie (married Bennie Brown), Floryan Leon Jr (married Mildred Willinger) and Gerald Wayne – were buried in Medina, Fort Worth, Hays, and Tyler respectively. Two sons died in Del Rio – Frank Robert (married Elizabeth Wulf) and Harold Alfred (died at age 2). Two more sons were born after 1920 and may be living still. Are there any descendants in Del Rio? After looking at this list, some readers may be wondering if one of these lines belongs to them. Anyone can see William Draeger’s descendants on familysearch. org by creating a free account. Once there, click on Tree and then Find. You can now Discover Your Deceased Ancestors with Find by ID. William Draeger’s ID is L2LCK9T. Click on his hyperlinked name, and a summary card pops up. You can click on Person to see William’s vital details, spouse, children, and parents and the sources that prove them. Or click on his Tree to see everyone else related to him.

So, was I able to help Dolly find her great-great grandparents, Julius and Lucy Draeger? Not yet. They were from Prussia and are harder for me to locate definitively.

Nevertheless, we are not giving up. Plus, we haven’t even touched Lucy’s mother or Dolly’s paternal great-grandfather Joseph S Martinez. Then there are her maternal grandparents, Santos Salas Garza and Maria de Jesus Galindo. Are any of you related to them?

I am ready and willing to help anyone discover their ancestors, whether they be in Del Rio or anywhere else in the world.

The Family History Center at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1315 Kings Way) is open to all on Wednesdays 6:30-8:30 p.m.; Fridays 1:30-4:30 p.m.; and most Saturdays 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Or just call Willie Braudaway at 830734-2701 to set up an appointment. I just love putting families together! •

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Heritage Picks Bring some old-timey vibes into your living space with these antique and vintage finds.

This antique clock, with its intricate, whimsical accents is one of many antique and vintage timepieces that can be found at Casa Bella.

Indulge your grown up tea-party tendencies with this antique Japanese teapot, cup and saucer, edged in 24-karat gold and part of a larger set.

Find it at Casa Bella.

Let this two-handled round vintage twig basket corral your collectibles, from balls of yarn to errant cat toys. Pick up one or half a dozen at Sammy’s House Antique & Vintage Store.

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Use this vintage oil lamp to add a little character to any room. One of several different styles of old lamps available from Sammy’s House Antique & Vintage Store.

A vintage camping lantern adds the decorative touch to your outdoor-themed man- or womancave. Casa Bella has several of these.

This antique Singer treadle sewing machine, dating from the 1800s, is in working order. Check it out at Sammy’s House Antique & Vintage Store.

This antique wood coffee grinder is the perfect accent piece for that serious java lover. Pick it up at Sammy’s House Antique & Vintage Store, 601 E. Gibbs St., owned

by Samantha and Johnny Wheeler.

Add a splash of color to your vintage look with these Mexican aqua beads with longhorn silvertone pendant from Casa Bella, 211 S. Main St., owned and operated

by Felisa Martinez.

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Warm Welcome Wardlaw home radiates ranch-house style

Story and photos by KAREN GLEASON

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F

“

I love this house because of the location, the privacy.

“

rom the outside, the home of Elaine and Martin Wardlaw on south Del Rio’s Meadow Lane circle gives the impression of reserve and remove, as it is set far back from the street proper and reached by a curved drive that rises to meet the house.

But first impressions can be misleading, and the home’s warm, welcoming atmosphere becomes apparent the second a visitor steps inside the front door. The home is filled with a plethora of artifacts from the Wardlaws’ life as members of some of the area’s founding ranch families.

Elaine and Martin have lived in the Meadow Lane house since September 1988. Martin’s parents, C.W. “Dink” and Mary Ellen Brule Wardlaw, built the house in 1957.

“Then Martin’s mother decided she wanted to downsize, and they were going to move to San Angelo because his sister was there. I love this house because of the location, the privacy,” Elaine said.

Elaine said she didn’t follow any particular design formula when decorating the house.

“We have never bought new furniture, ever. The only new furniture I ever bought was when Martin broke his collarbone, and I had to go buy a recliner so that he would be able to sleep. Everything in the house is family heirlooms and ‘attic antiques’ that we just found in different places and put together,” she said.

The first room inside the house is one that some of the Wardlaws’ friends have dubbed the “Indian Room.”

“They call it that because I have a lot of Indian things in here, but they’re mixed in with a lot of cowboy things, too, and items from the ranch,” Elaine

said.

Hanging near a window is an oil painting of a grizzled Mexican cowboy.

“This man’s name is Silverio Hernandez,

Opposite: Afternoon light floods in through the windows of the Wardlaws’ main living room, replete with comfortable seating and a full cowhide area rug.

Above: A bear skin rests on an antique piano, which belonged to Elaine’s grandmother, Eleanor “Mommy” Beidler.

Clay and wool figurines that belonged to Martin Wardlaw’s mother, Mary Ellen Brule Wardlaw.

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A portion of what some of Elaine Wardlaw’s friends call the “Indian Room.” At left is a black bear Martin Wardlaw shot while on vacation in Alaska.

On the wall at the right is a commissioned oil portrait of Silverio “Meco” Hernandez, the Wardlaws’ long-time ranch manager.

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but everybody knew him as ‘Meco.’ He worked for the Whiteheads and Wardlaws, and then he got out of his retirement to come and work for Martin when Martin came back to ranch. And Meco was out there on the ranch, riding horseback when he was 80 years old,” Elaine said.

The Indian Room also boasts a displayed pair of leather chaps Martin often wore while working the old Wardlaw Ranch in central Val Verde County and a stuffed black bear Martin shot while on a family trip to Alaska.

A piano, which takes up one corner of the Indian Room, belonged to Elaine’s grandmother, Eleanor “Mommy” Beidler.

“It was in kind of bad shape, because it had been deserted at the ranch for a while after Grandmother got sick, but they had it redone and gave it to Martin and me,” Elaine said.

The shelves of the room are full of books on ranching, agriculture and history, and family mementos abound, like a set of clay and wool figurines that belonged to Martin Wardlaw’s mother.

Themes set in the Indian Room continue through the rest of the Wardlaw home.

In the next room stands a wooden roll top desk that was the Wardlaws’ first wedding anniversary gift to each other.

“We bought that for ourselves in Kerrville,

and we thought it cost a fortune, but I guess it wasn’t that bad, really,” Elaine said.

On the desk is a framed photo of a beaming young man in an Army Air Corps uniform.

“That’s my daddy. He grew up in Sanderson, Texas, and he used to sit horseback while they were rounding up and watch the Army Air Corps, which had a nearby landing strip that they would practice on. He always said, ‘I really want to fly,’ so his mother signed for him to go in early, before the war, and by the time the war started, he was an instructor pilot at 18 or 19 years old.

“He flew the P-47 Thunderbolt on I-don’tknow-how-many missions, then returned to Texas to ranch afterward. I think he probably would have stayed in and been a career military man, but he was the oldest child, and his father had died before he had gone into the military. His family had the big Kerr Mercantile Store in Sanderson and the ranch, so he stayed to help with all that,” Elaine said.

The area of the roll top desk also boasts a mounted Texas longhorn bull’s head and several paintings of longhorn cattle from the Wardlaw Ranch.

“We’ve just always loved them, and they’re so hardy. They do so well, and we still have some cattle with a little bit of Longhorn in

Elaine Wardlaw moved into the house on Meadow Lane with her husband Martin Wardlaw in 1988. The house formerly belonged to Martin Wardlaw’s parents.

Bottom, left to right: A small portion of the Wardlaws’ collection of stirrups and spurs, many of which were retired after years of service; a stained glass window from the old Sacred Heart Catholic Church, sold to raise funds for church renovations; and a part of Martin Wardlaw’s framed badge collection.

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37

them, just because they’re so much hardier and can make it out in that country, but Martin just always loved them,” Elaine said.

The paintings were created by Texas artist L.O.E. McNeely, who also painted the portrait of Meco.

The massive dining room table in the Wardlaw home still plays host to family gatherings. Elaine said she found the table at an estate sale in San Angelo.

“We needed a really big table, and our other table wasn’t quite this big.

Sometimes we still have to attach other tables to the end and put extra chairs.

We’ve had so many people here that we’ve used every table in the house. We still eat here a lot,” Elaine said.

Martin recently hung a shadow box in the dining room displaying his collection of old western and Texas badges.

“He’s always loved badges, and he has collected several, and then he saw this case to display them in. He wants to fill it up,” she said.

The Wardlaws’ large kitchen is made inviting by swaths of turquoise and indigo-colored tile and a central island that invites lingering and conversation, especially when there is a plate of Elaine’s “ranger cookies” to be nibbled.

Above the kitchen sink is a colorful rectangle of stained glass that came from the old Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

“Martin and I were one of the last ones to get married in the old church, in July 1968, and when they built the new church, for some unknown reason, they didn’t use all the stained glass, so Father Jim, when they were doing some remodeling, found all this glass up in the attic . . . and these stained glass panels were sold as a fundraiser for the church,” she said.

The Wardlaws’ family room, just off the kitchen, is one of the most welcoming and open in the entire house.

After Martin and Elaine moved into the house, the room had to be reroofed, and at the time, they added

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A Longhorn bull mount dominates a wall over an antique rolltop desk that was Elaine and Martin Wardlaw’s first anniversary gift to each other.

The spacious Wardlaw kitchen, warmed by colorful tile and a center island that invites conversation and community.

two skylights that bring bright, natural light flooding into the space.

The room features a cowhide covering the floor and sturdy antique wicker furniture.

“When we redid the kitchen, we painted it. There are a lot of pieces to it, and it’s really sturdy, good stuff,” she said.

The room also boasts an antique bentwood rocking chair.

“Martin’s father was famous for just buying truckloads of stuff if he just saw something, and once he bought a truckload of these rockers. They’re all over the ranches, at every ranch. We’ve got three or four out at the ranch. I don’t know how old these are, but they are strong. They use green wood when they make them,” Elaine said. •

A pair of leather chaps on display in the “Indian Room.”

Cowboy, Indian and animal themes can be found throughout the Wardlaw home.

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CLOSET CONFIDENTIAL

Jimena

Ramón Story and photos by KAREN GLEASON

Editor’s note: When I mentioned to my friend Elsa Reyes that I was looking for stylish, confident and articulate individuals to feature in Grande’s ‘Closet Confidential’ section, she immediately suggested her friend Jimena Maria Ramón, an up-and-coming jewelry designer who also happened to be the granddaughter of the late Jesus Maria Ramón Valdez, a business, tourism and political icon from Ciudad Acuña, Coah., Mexico, our sister city across the Rio Grande.

When I met Jimena, I found her to be everything Elsa had advertised and then some: a beautiful and engaging young woman who is passionate about her craft.

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“

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This look is very classic, but it also has a pop of something extra.

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Origins: Jimena María Ramón was born in Eagle Pass, Texas, along with many of her 50 cousins.

She lived for 12 years on Brinkley Circle in south Del Rio in the home of her parents, Ana Lorena Ramón and her father, Claudio Fabian Ramón.

She said some of her best memories of childhood are of growing up in Del Rio. “I just love south Del Rio in the fall. I went to Sacred Heart for pre-K to eighth grade, and I have a lot of good memories of Sacred Heart. I just love the smalltown feel of Del Rio, and I remember fall days, where it’s kind of cool, but the sun is out, really nice days,” Ramón said.

Family Heritage: “On my dad’s side, my grandfather was Jesus Maria Ramón Valdez, and my grandmother Ana Maria del Carmen Aguirre. My grandfather was very well-known for his business interests, for establishing Amistad Industries. He was also very, very rooted in ranching,

“Another turtleneck, a little more casual. I would pair this with white jeans to go out to lunch with friends or family members. During the day, there’s always a lot of activity, so this is something that would take me across several different functions.”

“My father and mother gave me this Rolex Datejust watch when I was 15 years old.

It wasn’t a time when women weren’t wearing big watches, but it has a lot of symbolic meaning to me.”

“This is a cuff from my Origen collection.

Each of the pieces in the collection has a different name, so this is the Montserrat bracelet.”

“

“

“I received this Louis Vuitton Mon Monogram tote with my initials from my parents around the time I was starting my jewelry business, and I remember carrying everything for the business around it.”

I would pair this with white jeans to go out to lunch with friends or family members.

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“This is one of the tweed blazers that belonged to my grandfather, Jesus Maria Ramón Valdez, that I had altered to fit me. They literally had to take the entire piece apart and reconstruct it. I wear it a lot, especially on days when I need that little extra boost of confidence. It’s like he’s there with me.”

“We designed these brass earrings, literally, based off a branch that fell off a tree and we scaled it down to size. These are the Origen earrings, and they are amazing. The leaves are all done by hand.”

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“This fox stole was my grandmother’s, and I remember how my mom would look in fur. It puts me in mind of embracing classic looks, the whole Jackie O vibe.”

land development, tourism, politics.

“He was the mayor of Ciudad Acuña several times, he ran for governor (of the state of Coahuila), he was a state senator and a congressman. He was always very, very involved in development in Acuña as well as in Del Rio. He loved Del Rio, and he knew no borders. For him, it wasn’t like, I’m in Acuña and you’re in Del Rio, and he taught us all to view it the same way. It’s all just one place and to enjoy it.

“On my mom’s side, it’s Reginaldo Ramon, my mother’s dad, and my grandmother is Maria Isabel Ramon. My dad was also very well-known. He had a very thriving customs brokerage business, and he was also very involved in ranching and business.”

Branching Out: After school in Del Rio and Ciudad Acuña, Ramón attended college at St. Edward’s University in Austin where she studied public relations, marketing and advertising.

A chance visit to an artisanal jewelry maker kindled a love of jewelry making, which she quickly developed into JMRMexico, a company that creates one-of-a-kind contemporary jewelry.

“There’s not really one person or demographic I design for. This is jewelry that any woman can wear, at any time in her life for any occasion. We want each piece to tell a story, and we want that story to be her own. I would imagine someone buying a piece for herself and later passing it on to her daughter or a niece,” Ramon said.

Ramon’s jewelry has been featured in several major publications in Mexico, including Harper’s Bazaar and Vanidades.

Del Rioans who want to shop her jewelry can find it online at www.jmrmexico.com. •

“My parents gave me this retro Chanel purse when I graduated from St. Edward’s, so it’s a very symbolic piece for me. I’ve always been drawn to the Chanel brand because of the Gabrielle Chanel story.”

“This white suit, paired with a JMR t-shirt, is something I might wear to an interview or a business meeting.”

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HAUTE HERITAGE

Here: Felicia models a silk floral blouse, with denim scalloped bottom jeans. Sadie models a floral blouse, with chunky fuchsia necklace with matching bracelet There: Turquoise beaded necklace, vintage inspired graphic tee, and light washed denim bell bottom jeans.

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Photos by HAROLD BECKER 4TH LEAF PHOTOGRAPHY

Styled by ASHLEY LOPEZ

Wardrobe by BUFFALO GIRLS

Models FELICIA OCHOA & SADIE SALCIDO

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Here: Sadie models a dusty pink floral embroidered tee shirt dress, with Yellow statement earrings.

There: Sheer Sarape inspired blouse paired with turquoise earrings and matching necklace to highlight the color combos for this look. Colorful floral combos.

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Here: Felicia models a silk blouse with custom floral stitch work, paired with side stitched embellished jeans and beautiful bold coral earrings.

There: Sadie models a colorful floral blouse with head scarf to pair.

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Here: Sadie wears a Sheer lightweight Sarape inspired top paired with Turquoise jewelry and dark denim jeans.

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TOYOTA of Del Rio

Ram Country

Congratulations to our Khoury Group Eagle Award recipients.

They earned Top Sales Professional for 2018.

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Last Look Welcome back -

As you’ve surmised by now, this month’s Del Rio Grande is all about heritage, or to be more precise, where we came from and what makes us who we are.

When I say “we” I am talking not just about Del Rio as a community, with familiar names such as Whitehead (Isn’t there a museum named that?) and Wardlaw (another name familiar to longtime residents of this community), but also how we can find out more about where we came from and who are ancestors were.

Willie Braudaway has been helping people do that for years, and no doubt she’s shared the same excitement in discovery as the folks she’s assisted.

My mother’s family is from the Chihuahua part of Del Rio. Ware, Wernett and Dignowity streets is where many of them called home and while the owners of those houses have changed, I can still drive through those streets and remember growing up visiting various aunts and uncles who were always welcoming to me even if I wasn’t completely sure how they were related to me. My mother, Nancy, and sister, Adriana, have done their best to educate me as to how we were all related, but I would probably need a whiteboard the size of a billboard to actually write it out and connect the dots.

The names Becerra, Fuentes, Carrillo and so many more are all part of my heritage in one way or another and while it still surprises people to learn that, I’ve never shied away from that side of my family.

Of course, for many folks living in Del Rio, tracing your heritage can lead you across the border into Mexico. It does for me as well as my mother’s parents came from Mexico as did many of the elders in the family. They came to the United States and became productive members of the community, working hard and providing the groundwork for so many of us to succeed and thrive.

The Grande staff gave us a peek at the heritage that’s made the Corona Club in Mexico an institution for decades. We also got to learn more about the lovely and talented Jimena Maria Ramon, whose heritage is tied to Acuña’s political scene and whose jewelry will no doubt be used as keepsakes to be passed down from one generation to another.

Thanks for reading, Brian Argabright Grande Writer/Photographer 54

GRANDE / MARCH 2019

Clockwise from top: - Grande contributor Xochitl Arteaga interviews Gerardo Garza and his uncle Jaime Garza.

- Grande photographer Harold Becker photographs this month’s fashion shoot.

- Everybody smile! Felicia Ochoa, Advertising Director Ashley Lopez, Sadie Salcido and Production Manager Roland Cardenas on site at the fashion shoot.

- Amy Whitehead Perry right adds Grande Editor Karen Gleason to the wall of fame at the Wagon Wheel Ranch.

GRANDE / MARCH 2019

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GRANDE / MARCH 2019

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