With Tejano pride and deep roots in Bosque County, Del Bosque family recognized and remembered during Hispanic Heritage month Sept. 15-Oct. 15

For more than three centuries, European Spaniards and their descendants – other than Native American groups – were the dominant peoples of Texas. From the beginning of the 16th and well into the 19th century, the Spanish who came to Mexico and Texas as soldiers, settlers and priests, changed New World history, the native peoples and the land in Mexico and Texas.

During the annually celebrated National Hispanic Heritage Month Sept. 15-Oct. 15, people of the United States recognize the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture, and achievements. And because Texas was once part of Mexico and Spain, as well as the long border with Mexico, that influence is very strong in the Lone Star State.

Truly independent and self reliant, Tejanos – Texans of Mexican descent – built the first roads, towns and ranches in Texas, one hundred and fifty years before the Battle of the Alamo. They created the first society, religion and culture in Texas, forming the first civil governments, laws and ranching economy with Corriente cattle. Tejanos leave a rich legacy and heritage that defines the Lone Star State.

When son of a wealthy Spanish family, Pantaleon Del Bosque Guerra stepped off the Spanish merchant ship that had taken him to the Mexican coast in the early 1800s, he could not know his lineage would eventually find a home in the Central Texas county that contains part of his surname, that of Bosque County.

At a Beeville family reunion in 1981, around 500 descendants celebrated their family ties. Even though he was educated, being a vaquero – rounding up wild cattle and horses which were sold to the United States Army and used in the Civil War – was the only occupation he could find. His Tejano descendants would continue in his footsteps regarding work ethic, pride of family and sense of community.

Pantaleon married Maria Felicitad Gonzales Trevino with whom he had nine children. Having learned the horse riding and ranching skills from his father Pantaleon, their son Genaro, became employed with the ranching Dobie Family, who owned thousands of acres across Texas, including a stretch on land in the South Texas brush country of Live Oak County.

The Dobies were kind people, more interested in a person's work ethic than the color of their skin; hiring only the best ranch hands this side of the Mississippi. During the 30 years in which he worked on the ranch, Genaro grew close to the Dobie family, particularly the Dobie's son, J. Frank Dobie. Dobie (1888-1964) was a rancher but was also a famous author, teacher, folklorist and historian.

Frank Dobie wrote about Genaro's skill as a rancher and even dedicated his 1952 book, “The Mustangs,” to the kind-hearted Del Bosque who always kept the ranch in check. According to Dobie, Genaro had a “mano” – a gift – as a cowboy. In a 1962 memoir that appeared in True West magazine, Dobie wrote of Genaro: "His intelligence, energy, cow sense, and sense of responsibility would have made him a first-class manager of a big outfit."

Unfortunately, due to his Hispanic heritage, even the Dobie’s could not promote Genaro to manager, and he remained a vaquero. But because of his 30 long, hard years of dedication, even losing an eye on the job, Mrs Dobie deeded him a parcel of land near Mathis in San Patricio County.

During his time in South Texas, Genaro married Emilia Gonzales and the couple raised a family of 10 children together. One of their sons, Juan Manuel Del Bosque fell in love with a young girl six years his junior Jesusa Martinez while working the cotton fields in South Texas.

They went on to have nine children of their own, five of whom reside in Bosque County, with many people knowing Yolanda Del Bosque and Daniel Del Bosque personally through their work and community commitment. Family and friendship have deep roots in the Del Bosque heritage, as do work ethic, pride of family and service to community and country.

Yolanda and Daniel are well-known and loved citizens in their hometown of Clifton. Yolanda was the municipal judge’s clerk for many, many years until she retired, and a truck driver for Lhoist, Daniel is known for his great smile and sociability, but also his dedication as a Clifton Volunteer Fire Fighter for eight years, a local veteran and motor cycling enthusiast.

Daniel proudly shows his grandfather Genaro’s death certificate, confirming his lineage to Pantaleon Del Bosque. He also lovingly shows a photos of his father Juan in his army uniform holding the same horse as his grandfather.

Before going into the army, Juan farmed for his father Genaro. Juan enlisted in May 1942 and as a mess sergeant of the 36^th tank battalion, he went on to be part of battles in the Ardennes in Belgium, the Rhine land and Central Europe. He was decorated many times for his service receiving the American Theater Campaign medal, fame campaign medal with three bronze stars, good conduct medal and World War II victory medal. He was honorably discharged in Nov. 1944.

Daniel always wanted to be like his father and enlisted at 17 years of age in 1975. Daniel was a gunner in the First Armored Division of the 52nd Infantry. Daniel sees his own military service as a reflection of his dad’s journey from base camp in Fort Poke in Louisiana to Germany. Like his father, Daniel too was honorably discharged from service in Fort Louis, Washington.

The last couple of months of his service took Daniel to Alaska in the last 1979 Operation Jack Frost – a cold weather training for U.S. Army and Marines. Even though his few months in Alaska caused residual damage to his feet because of frostbite, Daniel would not trade his time in the service for the world. And until recently, he never claimed disability because of his damaged feet, and always worked.

Showing their strong duty to their country, 11 Del Bosque nephews and nieces have joined the military at some time in their lives, including Daniel’s namesake and Yolanda’s son “Little” Daniel, who received two purple hearts during his deployment in Iraq in 2005 as a Military Policeman. At one time, all three of Yolanda’s children John Dale Segovia, Daniel and Paul Wade Fowler were deployed “I was a mess” she said of that time. Both Daniels received a Quilt of Valor from local quilter Debbie Stubbs.

The Juan Del Bosque family moved to Dublin in 1963, when dad got a job at the turkey hatchery thanks to his cousin. Mom Jesusa learned English thanks to the soap opera The Young and Restless and through her work at the Walls Sewing Factory. Later, mom and dad both became custodians at the Dublin school.

Volunteering in their community and their church was a major part of the family’s focus, with Juan helping build the Dublin Baptist Church. The whole family was part of the annual live Nativity, mowed the church’s lawn and cleaned the church.

Being a military man, Dad was very disciplined, demanded cleanliness, not accepting laziness. With a large family to raise, he was also a frugal man. Seasonal farm work took the family to the nation’s both coasts. But young Daniel never saw themselves as migrant workers.

“It was hard work, but we always had fun dinners with everybody,” Daniel said. “It was mostly beans and potatoes, eaten under the shade trees; but no luxury of Cokes and stuff.”

Daniel remembers getting smaller bag to pick the remnants off the cotton plants during cotton harvest in the early 60s near Mathis and Beeville. A year younger, Yolanda got to ride on the cotton bags. When the growing season was over, the family came back to Grandma Emilia’s in Mathis.

Later, the whole family was in Florida in 1969-70, living in a camp, picking oranges and strawberries. It was the girls’ job to make the burrito breakfasts, while the boys sharpened the hoes. Then in 1970-71 the family went to California to pick oranges and tomatoes. The youngest helped carry the buckets of ripe fruit. Sister Beatrice eloped there and has lived in California ever since.

Wanting to avoid uprooting the family for months, Dad Juan took a job at the turkey hatchery in Clifton when the Dublin facility relocated in 1971. He additionally hauled cotton and peanuts, while Mom cleaned homes and made tamales to add to the family’s income. When Daniel came home from his military service days, he and his brothers started the Bosque County Softball League. Their team was called “La Familia,” showing their family pride.

Hispanics were among the original Texans, and today are the biggest ethnic group in Texas. The 2020 census recorded 11.4 million Hispanics – 40.2 percent of the Texas population. Twenty-four counties especially in the border counties like Starr, Webb, Maverick, Zapata, Zavala and Hidalgo are predominantly Hispanic or have a Hispanic majority. Texas is one of six states where non-Hispanic whites make up a large part of the population, joining California, Hawaii, Maryland, Nevada and New Mexico.

Spanish Heritage month embraces the state’s diversity with the TexMex cuisine, the celebration of Hispanic holidays like Dia De Muertos and Cinco de Mayo, colorful Tejano culture and Texas-born Hispanic entertainers like actresses Selena Gomez and Michelle Rodriguez, actress Eva Longoria, movie writer/director/producer Robert Rodriguez, and of course the Queen of Tejano music Selena Quintanilla-Perez. And there is a growing group of Hispanics in politic leadership.

“I am proud to be Hispanic,” Daniel said who feels Tejano first and Texan American next. “I always remembered my roots. I am Texan but still speak Spanish." And he loves to listen and “swop and slide” to Tejano music – the rhythms resonate in his soul.

Typically, Tejano combines Mexican Spanish vocal styles with dance rhythms from Czech and German genres – particularly polka or waltz. Contemporary bands like the Texas Tornadoes add rock and roll and blues influences.

Dad Juan passed away at 86 in 2006; he was buried at the Clifton Memorial Cemetery on FM 1991, alongside Emilio “Smokey,” a son who died in 2002. Whilst in a nursing home, Mom will be 92 years old this November. Last spring, Daniel treated her to a motorcycle ride, riding through the beautiful Central Texas countryside, while singing to Spanish songs.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Journal writer Rachael Reynolds documented part of the Del Bosque story in her 2002 article “Family traced from Spain to New World” in which she spoke with Manuel Ruiz, one of Pantaleon Del Bosque’s descendants living in Mathis, Texas.

Photos by SIMONE WICHERS-VOSS & courtesy of the DEL BOSQUE FAMILY

©2024 Southern Cross Creative, LLP. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.