Sentimos la partida de la señora madre de los buenos vegabajeños Victor y Juan Rivera González. Ella es parte de nuestra historia vegabajeña como fue su esposo que sirvieron a los presos cuando el Gobierno Municipal tenía la cárcel municipal bajo su cargo.

Nota escrita por su hijo, Victor Rivera González

A las 2:15 de la tarde (ayer)murio mi madre, Carmen Gonzalez Class. No es momento de extenderme en palabras. Estuve con ella hasta que expiro. Nunca la abandone. Papa Dios, abre las puertas del cielo para que entre, por su propio merito, mi queridisima madre e inspiracion de vida.

Nota escrita por su nieto, Víctor Rivera Nieves

Carmen Gonzalez Class. She used to say she was cousins with “El Gallito de Manati” (a famous Puerto Rican singer) and related to Juan “Igor” Gonzalez (a Major League Baseball MVP). I used to tease her whenever she said things like that.

I’ve lost people in my life before, but never someone so close to me. My grandma raised me when my mom and dad were working. She taught me everything about God and the holy trinity. She was a stout catholic who believed in doing good above all else.

She cured my illnesses with extra-fatty foods like Vienna sausages, corned beef, or rice and eggs. She taught me to fry eggs over-easy and cut them up into tiny pieces, salt them, and mix them with the white rice to make it super delicious… (I still do that today). She served me coffee and buttered soda crackers for breakfast, as a child 🙂

She thought “Nueba Yol” (New York) was ALL of the United States.

She ran and managed a candy store from her home, without ever going to school, and somehow taught herself math; because she could balance a checkbook like a certified public accountant.

When Jehova’s Witnesses came door to door to preach, she would invite them in, make them coffee, take their booklets, and tell them she loved the same Jesus they did. Once they left, she would tell me, “I think their hearts are in the right place, but they seem touched in the head”. 🙂

When my stomach or muscles ached, she would rub my back with “manteca de ubre” (Cow Udder Balm) until I felt better.

She did so much for me…but she was so much more than that…

Her parents came from the Canary Islands in Spain, and gave her up for adoption in Puerto Rico when she was very young.

She later married my grandfather, who used to be a jail warden, and she would cook for all the prisoners.

She had 2 sons, and adopted one daughter, took legal custody of another, and ran a temporary foster home for abandoned children. I had lots of temporary siblings and cousins and nephews and nieces. She treated all of them with love, respect, and discipline.

Without any education herself, her 2 sons, Victor Rivera-Gonzalez and Juan M. Rivera, became extremely successful lawyers and pillars in the community, because she stressed that education was the most important thing to focus on. Her grandchildren, Juan Rivera, Alia Sez, and myself, are doctors, judges, and lawyers. And there isn’t a second where I forget who made it all possible.

Her husband, my grandfather, died in 1981, a month after my birth, and she carried the whole family by herself after that.

Carmen Gonzalez Class. She said she was cousins with “El Gallito de Manati” and related to Juan “Igor” Gonzalez. I used to tease her whenever she said things like that. Today I realize that THEY would be honored to be related to her…I could not possibly be prouder that I am her descendant.

Abuelita, God Bless You…This is so hard for me right now…I can’t stop crying…I can’t stop hurting…but I know you’re at peace now, so I’ll try to be strong for you. Just like you were for the whole family for so many decades. Your work is done. If I can be a tenth of the person you were, the family will be in good hands! Te Amo mucho mi viejita!!!

Categorías:Historias, Vegabajeñismo