Memories of Audrey Sotomayor Benick

        Back in the early 1900s a young German-Irish girl, Ophie Gerfers, graduated from Teachers Normal School and decided she would like to go to Nursing School. Her parents thought this would be a good idea to get her mind off of a young man she had met. It did not work out. She kept saying to herself, "He's for me." This young man worked in the onion fields and would come to town, and after she was introduced to him she said, "He's for me, I want him." So her Nursing School went out the window. Her parents thought she would forget about him, if she devoted her time to Nursing School, but it didn't happen. Luis Almaguer Sotomayor was a Mexican citizen and if she got serious with him and married him she would lose her citizenship. They went to Eagle Pass and got married. She did lose her citizenship and had to apply to regain it. They were my Mama and Papa.

We lived in Eagle Pass. His mother, my "Abuelita," (Little Grandmother) lived with us.

Papa was always interested in the restaurant business and loved to cook. He owned several restaurants (cafes). Of course in time Mama got pregnant and "little Audrey" was born. Later they came to San Antonio where Audrey's little brother, Allen, was born. Then back to Eagle Pass when in due time Leo Nore was born. Then a little later Dora came along. It was time to think about where I would go to school. I spoke only Spanish and they wanted me to learn English, so they sent me to live with my maternal grandmother "Mimmy" for a year before enrolling in school.

Mimmy had two daughters - Vera, 7 and Jessie Mae, 17, still living at home. We got along fine. A year later my family came to San Antonio where we established a residence a few blocks from Mimmy. It wasn't long after this that my youngest sister, Thelma, was born. We moved around a few times still in the same school district.

My Abuelita moved along with us. She loved plants and flowers. We had to get a special truck to bring her plants to San Antonio as she would live with us for awhile. My Uncle Antero (my father's brother) moved to Wichita, Kansas, where he eventually married a young lady who had a son. Antero was not well and eventually contracted tuberculosis and my Abuelita went to Kansas to take care of him. He died and so did she.

Mimmy and my grandfather (Charles Gerfers) purchased some property at Sutherland Springs, Texas, and all the grandchildren went there for weekends. This property originally belonged to the family of the Rev. Glenn Murray, who was at one time associated with the Harlandale Presbyterian church. He and his family later went to the Belgian Congo as Presbyterian missionaries.

During the early 1930s Rev. Charles D. Bates was recruiting for children to attend his Sunday School. They had a panel truck with benches in the back for people to sit on. They used this truck to pick us children up and take us to Sunday School and Church and return us home, which was very helpful as we did not have a car or other means of transportation. At this time the Church was located at South Flores and Hart Ave.

In the early 1930s the Rev. P. B. Hill (a minister of First Presbyterian Church) was preaching and the call came to join the church, and that was when I joined.

Easter Morning of 1934 a tragedy happened. We had an accident with a train on the way to church, which killed four children - three from the family of Cloyd Book, and another young girl. It was a very sad day in the events of the church. There were four lives spared - the driver H. L. Thompson, another teenage girl, my sister Thelma, and myself (Audrey).

In 1936, I was married to Clyde Benick Sr. in the Manse of Rev. C. D. Bates with family and friends attending. In the early 1940s three children were born and attended church faithfully. Eventually all were baptized and were all married in the church. These were Beverly, Clyde Jr., and Dianne Benick.

I now have eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren and another due in Sept.

Audrey Benick

4619 Duquesne Dr.

San Antonio, TX 78229-5029

March 10, 2005

  Audrey with Joyce, first grandchild - Sept. '64