The Story of Santos & Virginia Perez

    Santos Perez and Virginia Hernandez were married in a civil ceremony on February 6, 1946 in La Feria, Texas. (They renewed their vows in the Catholic Church in the early 1950's.) Santos had recently been discharged from the army after serving in Europe during World War II. During his time overseas, he and Virginia had written many letters to each other and their friendship had developed into a more serious relationship.
     After they married, Santos worked at a local packing shed, making wooden crates that held produce. They lived with Santos' parents, but, like all young couples, they wished for a home of their own. Santos' parents, Eugenio and Amalia, lived on Villareal Street in La Feria, and also owned the property next to their home. A building was located on the front section of the property, which Eugenio rented to the operator of a beauty shop.
     Soon after their marriage, Santos and Virginia purchased the property and hired a contractor to build a house on the back section of the lot. By April, only two months after they were married, Santos and Virginia moved into their new home. They were so anxious to move in that they didn't even wait for the windows to be completed. The beauty shop was eventually moved and, over the years, Santos added to the house, doing the work on his own.

In November 1946, the couples' first child, Noe, was born. Virginia was a devoted mother and Santos was the picture of the doting father. He was emphatic that Virginia give the baby her undivided attention during the day. He told her to leave her housework till later and give all her time to Noe. He even brought dinner home with him in the evenings so that Virginia wouldn't have to take time out to cook. During the evening and night, Santos tended to Noe while Virginia caught up on the household chores. It wasn't long before baby Noe became accustomed to having constant attention, and would settle for no less.
A year and a half later, the second child, Gloria, was born. According to Virginia, it was then that Santos realized that his ideas of child rearing would have to change. Over the next several years, more children followed, and Santos and Virginia learned to balance child care and their

Virginia and baby Noe

other responsibilities.

    Raising a large family in the 1950's was certainly a challenge. Disposable diapers were an idea not yeat developed, not to mention automatic washers and dryers. Virginia did her laundry on a used Maytag wringer washer. This machine had to be filled by hand with water and, as the couple didn't have a hot water hearter, the process was even more dedious. Santos would build a fire early in the morning, heating several tubs of water over it. Then, each tub would be poured into the machine. When the laundry was finished, the machine would be drained of the water using a hose located on its bottom. The wet clothes were hung on an outside line to dry. Fortunately, Virginia's mother-in-law was always willing to lend a hand, and helped greatly with chores and the children's care. Santos was still the devoted father and, at his own insistance, assumed the role of primary care giver upon his return from work each day.
     The finances needed to maintain a large family were another challenge. Santos worked at a packing shed during fruit season, and picked cotton during cotton season, with Virginia at times working with him. To supplement their inclome throughout the 1950's and early 1960's, Santos and Virginia traveled throughout the country as migrant farm workers. Their trips generally were during the summer months, following seasonal crops such as cucumbers, tomatoes, cherries, and strawberries. They traveled to several states, including Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. They took the children with them on these trips and, if work was still available into the fall, the children began school in whatever state in which they were living. After the school day ended, the children would help with the harvesting. The last of these trips was taken to Michigan in the summer of 1964. Even with the hard work that this job entailed, the family always was together, and even today, stories are still told about those time.
     Most of the stories are of happy memories, however, one trip in the early 1950's held a not so happy incident, indicative of the times. The family was on its way to El Campo to work in the harvest of cotton, when they stopped at a restaurant in the town of Edna. Upon entering the restaurant, Santos and Virginia were told that only Anglos were served in this establishment. They were asked to leave the premises immediately. They and the children left without even so much as a drink of water or use of the restroom facilities. They were simply a hardworking family, asking nothing of anyone except the opportunity to earn an honest wage to support their children. To be subjected to such unconscionable treatment, was, at the least, unacceptable. Santos and Virginia seemed to veiw this incident as an ordinary sign of the era, but it is difficult to comprehend the prejudice of that time.

Although frills were virtually nonexistant, Santos and Virginia took pride in the fact that they could provide for their family, even though it was sometimes difficult. There was always plenty to eat and Santos' mother was an excellent seamstress who took pleasure in sewing dress after dress for her little granddaughters. Even though finances seldom allowed for extras, Santos managed to make the money stretch. When television became the new rage, the children would go to neighbors' homes to watch. Santos told Virginia that he wouldn't have his children doing such a thing. Virginia answered that there really wasn't much he could do, since a television of their own was beyond their means.
Soon after, Santos told her that he had business in Harlingen. Virginia was puzzled, but her busy day didn't allow her time to dwell on it. That evening, Santos returned with a brand new television. He had taken a bus to Sears Department Store in Harlingen, purchased the set, and carried it home on the bus. He said that his children were

Virginia & Santos with daughter, Elia

going to have their own television, no matter what. Christmas and birthdays, although not extravagant, always brought a gift to each child. Family picnics and similar outings were always an enjoyable and economical form of entertainment.
     The time came, however, when the Rio Grande Valley no longer offered employment opportunities with wage sufficient for a large family. Santos' sister, Elida, and her family had moved to Texas City. They reported that jobs were more abundant and the pay was higher than in the valley. In 1963, Santos and Virginia made the decision to relocate to Texas City, also. The family stayed at Elida's home for a few months, which was a difficult time. With their eight children and Elida's five sons, space was dear. Santos rented an apartment, which still provided only a minimum of space.
     Only three years or so had passed since Hurricane Carla devastated the Gulf Coast, and houses were selling at low prices. A friend mentioned to Santos that a house next to his was for sale. Although the house was small, much smaller in fact, than their house in La Feria, Santos and Virginia purchased it almost immediately. As Virginia recalled years later, she was so desperate to have her own house again that she never really thought much about the size of her new home. So, in 1964, Santos, Virginia, and the children moved into the the little house.

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