Natividad Hernandez - December 25, 1910-December 27, 2005

Heres a link to my grandfather's memorial page, with a nice note from one of my cousins.

Now, about Leon's:
For over 30 years, my grandfather went to Rockne, Texas every day for a beer, except Sundays when we all went over to his and Grandma's house. The regulars there at Leon's Country Store called him Mr. Nat, and he even had his own chair. Whenever someone was sitting there when he walked in, that person always got out of the chair for him. He loved that place, even at 95 years old. He had at least one beer a day, despite a heart attack 15 years ago and cancer 7 years ago. Sometimes he would drive himself, up to about 2 years ago, or had one of his children drive, or even someone else. He was always wearing his Leon's trucker hat, blue mesh and underbill, white front. I've always known him in that hat.

He had a farm when I was growing up, and I remember on Sundays my cousins and I would chase the chickens or harass the hens in the coop. We'd run around the fields, walk down to the country store, and set off firecrackers. We loved Sundays, and for me the best part was lunch when we all got there. Pot luck, and pot bellies afterward. Yum!

I'll miss him, and I'll miss everything he was about. He loved his family and his friends, and Sundays or holidays were our way of giving it back to him. I last saw him on Christmas Day, which was also his 95th birthday. All his family was there, all 6 living children, his 21 grandchildren and their children. We sang Las Mananitas and Happy Birthday, ate good food, and just enjoyed everyone's company. Every year, he cries when we sing to him, and I think it's because he missed his wife. We love him, and we'll miss him.