This is the starting point of a family saga… I was born in Guadalupe, Nuevo León, Mexico. My parents were Miguel de la Torre Valdez and Socorro Mercado Valades. They were both born in the state of Durango and started a family there. In the late 1950’s they immigrated to Monterrey, Mexico. Here, Don Miguel worked in a paper factory and Doña Socorrito (later, Abuelita Coco) raised the family. Let’s learn a little bit more about them…
As to my wife, Rosario, we met in 1978 at her sister Mona’s quinceañera party. Her family came from the state of San Luis Potosí. Don Benjamin Rodriguez and la señora Francisca (Panchita) Oliva married there and many years later moved to Monterrey in search of a better life for their kids.
Learn more details ahead…
La Familia de la Torre Mercado
The de la Torre Mercado family comes from Durango state, Mexico. It is known that our mother and father met in the town of Regocijo. Here, they met and married. It may have been an arranged marriage since our mom married quite young (14 years old). This dates back to 1924.
As the children came, our parents dedicated their time to life in the country. By all accounts, our father was involved in a lumber mill, he also planted crops and, for a time, was the town manager or accountant (I remember seeing a ledger book as a child that my father used to account for the business of the town they had lived in.
By the 50’s, a couple of our sisters had moved to Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, to work as nannys or house-keepers. They encouraged our parents to move the family to the city which, by all accounts, offered more opportunities for the children.
In 1958, I was born in a Social Security Clinic in Monterrey. I was child #14 and the youngest of the boys. Three years later, my sister Patricia would make #15. She was the baby of the family and the youngest of the girls. Word is that our mom was pregnant a total of 19 times. Three were miscarriages and one brother died as a very young boy.
La Familia Rodriguez Oliva
The Rodriguez Oliva family comes from Villa de laPaz in San Luis Potosi state. Our parents met at a local dance (ranch party) and later married in a ranch near Villa de la Paz.Once married, they moved to the Rancho de las Trojes where they worked at farming. Around 1960, the family relocated to Guadalajara, Jalisco where Don Benjamin worked as a laborer in the construction of roads. We lived there for a couple of years until we moved to Monterrey, Nevo Leon; looking for new fortune. Once in Monterrey, Don Benjamin continued to work on the roads adn soon found work in ‘El Ranchito’ where he did some farming until he found his calling in sales for a Furniture store in Monterrey. He was a good sales representative until his retirement in the mid 80’s.
Nuestros Padres:
Familia de la Torre Mercado
Our parents were Miguel de la Torre Valadez and Maria del Socorro Valdes. Miguel’s parents were Pedro de la Torre & Patrocinia Valadez. Socorro’s parents were Anacleto Mercado & Cleotilde Valdes
Familia Rodriguez Oliva
Our parents were Benjamin Rodriguez Morales and Francisca Oliva Gaitan. Benjamin’s parents were Altagracia Morales & Maximino Rodriguez. Francisca’s parents were Vicente Oliva & Dolores Gaitan.