Growing A Garden

'I finally understand how my father felt about me.
He is a piece of me, just as I was a piece of my own dad.'
Jason F Wright
"The Wednesday Letters"

More people are getting their hands dirty to grow their own vegetable gardens. Why would one want to grow a garden? The obvious answers are to
a) improve your health,
b) simple home economics,
c) learn new skills and
d) for the sheer joy it brings in an outdoor setting.

My dear cousin, Linda Louise Korenke, lives in Idaho Falls. Her father, Patrick A Tafoya, passed away on April 10, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. She wrote me of her visit to him before his passing away. She was happy she was able to see him before he lost his fight to cancer. She sent me his obituary in the Denver Post via electronic mail. I thought I would post it on my blog in remembrance of him. I never met him but I felt I knew him. His mother (Jesusita Garcia) and my paternal grandmother (Mathilde Garcia) were sisters.
PHOTO: Jesusita Garcia-Tafoya, b.1894 d.1945

The very end of the obituary gave me a pleasant view of Patrick who loved 'growing a garden'. I believe he loved gardening for the sheer joy it brought to him. My father (his first cousin) was the same way.


PHOTO: Matilde Garcia, b.1898 d.1964

Patrick was the 5th child born to John B. Tafoya and Jesusita Garcia. Before Patrick was 18 he joined the war program training school in Salt Lake City, Utah taking night classes to finish high school. He was employed by the Ogden Air Depot in Hill Field Utah for almost 2 years prior to induction into the Army. He served in the US Army from 1945 to 1946 and in the US Air Force from 1946 to 1952 being stationed in Germany and Japan. He was a propeller specialist and a maintenance mechanic.

PHOTO: Patrick A Tafoya, b.1926 d.2009


Patrick married Beverly Jean Martinson in 1945 and born to this union are:

Patrick Jay Tafoya, Paul Anthony Tafoya, Linda Louise Korenke, Sallee Loretta DeLange, Michaela Dae Meyers (Boots), Raymond Lawrence Tafoya, Theresa Mary Wilson, Gilbert John Tafoya, Barbara Joan Tafoya, Gloria Jean Denney. Patrick and Beverly lived mostly in Idaho where Pat worked as a laborer on the railroad, in the Monsanto mine, and Georgetown mine. They later divorced in 1963.

Pat moved to Denver where he had his last son Edward James Tafoya (Henry) with Ophelia Trujillo. He raised Henry with Felipa Barrera.

Patrick worked as an ambulance driver and at the Denver Mint for 28 years. These 28 years plus his military years were added together making a total of 34 years working for the government.

Patrick was preceded in death by his parents, siblings Chlorinda Tafoya, Charles Tafoya, Joe Tafoya, Sam Tafoya, Johnny Tafoya, Gilbert Tafoya, Elsie Abeyta and Jean Pate and 2 children; an infant Gilbert John and Michaela Meyers (Boots). He is survived by one brother Benjamin Tafoya, and two sisters Evangelina Montoya and Eleanor Montoya. Also surviving are 8 children, 34 Grandchildren and 22 Great Grandchildren.

Pat enjoyed enjoyed reading history and war books, playing with electric trains with his sons, collecting coins,
Growing a Garden;
and after retirement hanging out with his friends and sister Eleanor at the VFW and the American Legion.

Twenty-five years ago today:

Friday,
April 27, 1984

All sorts of goodies were brought into the office today for two special events. It was the last day for David Vigil (he was transferring to Business Marketing/BSC-Business Service Center in San Francisco). It was also the birthday of Barbara Pauley.

After work it was 'Happy Hour' time as the celebrations continued at Maya Azteca, a restaurant in Downtown Oakland. I had a couple of margaritas that got me reasonably "tipsy". I bid farewell to David.
"I'll call you in a couple of weeks to go bicycling," David said as he dangled his margarita glass with the salt on the rim.
"Okay, you better!"
"And I'll put in a good word for you at the BSC so you can get into the department, too," David said as he continued to effeminately sip his margarita.

I drove Helen to my parents' house for dinner after 'Happy Hour'. Tony was making a 'tortellini pasta' dinner for us. Both of my parents were working. I also gave Steve Gaster a ride to his Alameda home.
"You know, Steve might be a possible roommate for you," Helen suggested.
"Yeah, maybe," I said as I did some second-guessing that living alone might be better.

After the 'tortellini pasta' dinner we watched PAPILLON, the movie (Tony, Helen and I). At 11PM I telephoned Chris Cordellos but there was no answer. After all, it was a Friday night. I went to bed.