Tony Stanislaus Valdez states that he worked in his Dad's Butcher shop as he was growing up. During the Dust Bowl era when people were coming through Gallup from Kansas because of the great famine, Tony's family would share food from the meat market to feed these hungry people before they headed out to California. As he grew up, he washed dishes for fifty cents a week in a restaurants in Gallup. He also worked at K&M Drug Store for $100.00 a month. There were many different jobs that he tried. He was a hard worker and not afraid to do his best. He also worked for Melands Grocery delivering groceries. He went to Tuba City, north of Flagstaff, Arizona and there he hauled freight for the US Government. He worked for the W.D.A projects for $48.00 a month, He also did street work, worked at Banner Drug Store as a soda fountain clerk, and worked for Western Auto. He worked at Windgate Depot Fire Department. Besides the Fire Department he cooked and fed people in the fields and those who worked in the offices. When he was done cooking and feeding people at one o'clock, he would go back and work for the Fire Department. He received two checks for each job. In his later years he learned the art of herbs and it's healing results for many people in Gallup. People would come to his home for all types of ailments. He was always willing to help out and gave out good advice.
He retired at the age of 62 from Melands Tavern as a bartender. Here is where he learned how to speak Navajo. He was trilingual. He could speak English, Spanish and Navajo. The owner of the Tavern was Clyde Lopez. Later he and Emma Casados bootlegged until 1952 after retirement.
I remember he kept a nice and neat home with many original Native American Rugs. I loved eating his sheep-Herder bread, beans and chile. He always made everything taste so tasty. On his front room walls, he had pictures of his Dad, Procopio Valdez and his mother Vicenta Dominguez Valdez. He also had a picture of his grandmother Maria Feliz Ortega Dominguez. He would tell stories about the adventures in San Rafael New Mexico. This is where his mother, dad and grandparents lived before coming to Gallup. He said they would always keep a ladder next to the front door of there adobe home. They would use it to climb up to the roof, pull up the ladder and hide during the Apache raids.
My dad first marriage was to Mary Arnold and had Calvin Valdez. They divorced and later he married my mother Syria Chavez. She had me and my brother Stanley Richard Valdez. We were born in Gallup, New México. They also divorced when I was about 3yrs old. My dad would come pick us up at my Aunt Beatrice's house. I remember his red truck coming up the hill to pick my brother and me up. He always bought us ice-cream which was such a treat. Later as we grew, and in mid-school, he would give us money with each visit. We were now living in Albuquerque, New Mexico with my mother and step-dad. He paid $50.00 a month for child support. The best thing that I remember is that my dad always had a new car. Every two years he would trade off his car for a new one. So he would take my brother and me on vacation in the summer. We would have the best time visiting Uncle Bob and my cousins.
He retired at the age of 62 from Melands Tavern as a bartender. Here is where he learned how to speak Navajo. He was trilingual. He could speak English, Spanish and Navajo. The owner of the Tavern was Clyde Lopez. Later he and Emma Casados bootlegged until 1952 after retirement.
I remember he kept a nice and neat home with many original Native American Rugs. I loved eating his sheep-Herder bread, beans and chile. He always made everything taste so tasty. On his front room walls, he had pictures of his Dad, Procopio Valdez and his mother Vicenta Dominguez Valdez. He also had a picture of his grandmother Maria Feliz Ortega Dominguez. He would tell stories about the adventures in San Rafael New Mexico. This is where his mother, dad and grandparents lived before coming to Gallup. He said they would always keep a ladder next to the front door of there adobe home. They would use it to climb up to the roof, pull up the ladder and hide during the Apache raids.
My dad first marriage was to Mary Arnold and had Calvin Valdez. They divorced and later he married my mother Syria Chavez. She had me and my brother Stanley Richard Valdez. We were born in Gallup, New México. They also divorced when I was about 3yrs old. My dad would come pick us up at my Aunt Beatrice's house. I remember his red truck coming up the hill to pick my brother and me up. He always bought us ice-cream which was such a treat. Later as we grew, and in mid-school, he would give us money with each visit. We were now living in Albuquerque, New Mexico with my mother and step-dad. He paid $50.00 a month for child support. The best thing that I remember is that my dad always had a new car. Every two years he would trade off his car for a new one. So he would take my brother and me on vacation in the summer. We would have the best time visiting Uncle Bob and my cousins.
Tony Stanislaus Valdez states that he worked in his Dad's Butcher shop as he was growing up. During the Dust Bowl era when people were coming through Gallup from Kansas because of the great famine, Tony's family would share food from the meat market to feed these hungry people before they headed out to California. As he grew up, he washed dishes for fifty cents a week in a restaurants in Gallup. He also worked at K&M Drug Store for $100.00 a month. There were many different jobs that he tried. He was a hard worker and not afraid to do his best. He also worked for Melands Grocery delivering groceries. He went to Tuba City, north of Flagstaff, Arizona and there he hauled freight for the US Government. He worked for the W.D.A projects for $48.00 a month, He also did street work, worked at Banner Drug Store as a soda fountain clerk, and worked for Western Auto. He worked at Windgate Depot Fire Department. Besides the Fire Department he cooked and fed people in the fields and those who worked in the offices. When he was done cooking and feeding people at one o'clock, he would go back and work for the Fire Department. He received two checks for each job. In his later years he learned the art of herbs and it's healing results for many people in Gallup. People would come to his home for all types of ailments. He was always willing to help out and gave out good advice.
He retired at the age of 62 from Melands Tavern as a bartender. Here is where he learned how to speak Navajo. He was trilingual. He could speak English, Spanish and Navajo. The owner of the Tavern was Clyde Lopez. Later he and Emma Casados bootlegged until 1952 after retirement.
I remember he kept a nice and neat home with many original Native American Rugs. I loved eating his sheep-Herder bread, beans and chile. He always made everything taste so tasty. On his front room walls, he had pictures of his Dad, Procopio Valdez and his mother Vicenta Dominguez Valdez. He also had a picture of his grandmother Maria Feliz Ortega Dominguez. He would tell stories about the adventures in San Rafael New Mexico. This is where his mother, dad and grandparents lived before coming to Gallup. He said they would always keep a ladder next to the front door of there adobe home. They would use it to climb up to the roof, pull up the ladder and hide during the Apache raids.
My dad first marriage was to Mary Arnold and had Calvin Valdez. They divorced and later he married my mother Syria Chavez. She had me and my brother Stanley Richard Valdez. We were born in Gallup, New México. They also divorced when I was about 3yrs old. My dad would come pick us up at my Aunt Beatrice's house. I remember his red truck coming up the hill to pick my brother and me up. He always bought us ice-cream which was such a treat. Later as we grew, and in mid-school, he would give us money with each visit. We were now living in Albuquerque, New Mexico with my mother and step-dad. He paid $50.00 a month for child support. The best thing that I remember is that my dad always had a new car. Every two years he would trade off his car for a new one. So he would take my brother and me on vacation in the summer. We would have the best time visiting Uncle Bob and my cousins.
He retired at the age of 62 from Melands Tavern as a bartender. Here is where he learned how to speak Navajo. He was trilingual. He could speak English, Spanish and Navajo. The owner of the Tavern was Clyde Lopez. Later he and Emma Casados bootlegged until 1952 after retirement.
I remember he kept a nice and neat home with many original Native American Rugs. I loved eating his sheep-Herder bread, beans and chile. He always made everything taste so tasty. On his front room walls, he had pictures of his Dad, Procopio Valdez and his mother Vicenta Dominguez Valdez. He also had a picture of his grandmother Maria Feliz Ortega Dominguez. He would tell stories about the adventures in San Rafael New Mexico. This is where his mother, dad and grandparents lived before coming to Gallup. He said they would always keep a ladder next to the front door of there adobe home. They would use it to climb up to the roof, pull up the ladder and hide during the Apache raids.
My dad first marriage was to Mary Arnold and had Calvin Valdez. They divorced and later he married my mother Syria Chavez. She had me and my brother Stanley Richard Valdez. We were born in Gallup, New México. They also divorced when I was about 3yrs old. My dad would come pick us up at my Aunt Beatrice's house. I remember his red truck coming up the hill to pick my brother and me up. He always bought us ice-cream which was such a treat. Later as we grew, and in mid-school, he would give us money with each visit. We were now living in Albuquerque, New Mexico with my mother and step-dad. He paid $50.00 a month for child support. The best thing that I remember is that my dad always had a new car. Every two years he would trade off his car for a new one. So he would take my brother and me on vacation in the summer. We would have the best time visiting Uncle Bob and my cousins.
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