Uncertain Destiny
Stories and Memories of One
Family’s Journey in South Texas
Randy Krinsky
With contributions by
Rosa Nava Krinsky
Copyright © 2020 Randy Krinsky
All rights reserved
First Edition
Fulton Books, Inc.
Meadville, PA
Published by Fulton Books 2020
ISBN 978-1-64654-543-8 (paperback)
ISBN 978-1-64654-544-5 (digital)
Printed in the United States of America
Table of Contents
Our Family: From Rodriguez to Nava
Last Will and Testament of Salvador Rodriguez II (1749–1804)
Translation of the Last Will and Testament of Salvador Rodriguez II (1749–1804)47
Letter to Lord Governor Don Benito Armiñán, 181460
Letter to Lord Governor Don Benito Armiñán, 1814
The Flores Family, Juan Seguin, And the War for Texas Independence
A Brief History of Rockport
Family Anecdotes and Remembrances of Rockport
La Banderita
The Cove Drive-In
The Dances
Rudy’s Moneymaker
Puppy Love
Cecilio Rodolfo Mondragon’s Namesake
An Afternoon Snack for Rudy and Chavela
Fresh Corn Tortillas
Rockport’s Darkest Day
My Childhood Visits to Rockport
Traditional Family Recipes
Momma’s Faves!
Salsa Verde (Green Chili Sauce)
Cornbread Casserole
Rosa’s Cranberry Salad
Rosa’s Fideo Con Carne
Granny Smith Slaw
Clara’s Cranberry Bread
Fresh Green Fruit Salad
Sweets and Treats
Clara’s Strawberry-Fig Preserve
Candied Pears
Pan De Polvo
Apricot Cobbler
Traditional Cooking Tips from the Nava Kitchen
Name Index
Bibliography
Endnotes
Acknowledgments
If you would’ve asked me ten years ago if I could ever see myself writing a book, I would have laughed. It’s a daunting undertaking and yet one of the most fulfilling experiences you can ever have. Of course, none of this would have been possible had it not been for my mother, Rosa Nava Krinsky. It was her initial idea to expand a short essay I wrote for a scholarship into a book (I won the award, by the way). Without her help, input, guidance, and financing, I could never have written this.
To Courtney Stevens, my trusty intern, research assistant, good friend, and partner in all this. She was priceless in helping me locate and obtain the research I needed to finish this book. I never could’ve done it without her!
When writing this book, I remembered all the great experiences I had with my family in Rockport. Though they are no longer with us, I will be eternally grateful for the love and kindness of my uncle Hector Nava Sr. (he’d give you the shirt off his back if you needed it), my uncle Daniel Garcia (a great patriot, a great soldier, and a great man), and my uncle Felix “Lito” Garcia (a proud ship’s captain and a proud family man).
To Stela Moreno and everyone at Subject Matter Expert Translation LLC. Their help in transcribing and translating two-hundred-year old documents was invaluable! Also, many thanks to Cristela Cantú and Robert Tarín for their translation help too!
Writing a book about your family’s generational journey is a fun but challenging and costly task. I’m forever indebted to everyone who helped fund my research trips: Dr. Nancy Lopez, Dr. Aaron Gillette, Jason Rivas, Itzayana Lopez, Christine Barr, Claudia Preston, Roger Pollard, and my dear aunt Norma Garza!
A second shout-out to Courtney Stevens and Jason Rivas for their editorial assistance and ongoing support in helping see this dream through to the end. A special thank you to my talented graphic designer, Elaine Anita de Melo Gomes Soares.
Thanks to everyone else whose encouragement and support have allowed me to leave this work as a testament to my family and our legacy. To my dear father, Charles Victor Krinsky, I love you and miss you every day.
I dedicate this book to my grandparents, Rudy and Clara Nava, a pair of hardworking young kids who raised an incredible and beautiful family. We love you always!
The Journey Begins
The journey of Salvador Rodriguez and his family, my family, to Texas began years earlier in 1689 when a Spanish expedition located the destroyed French colony of Fort Saint Louis near what is today Inez, Texas. Spain had long claimed ownership of that territory as part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. However, the Spanish government had not tried in earnest to settle the area. That all changed after the discovery of Fort Saint Louis. Fearing encroachment by the French presence in neighboring Louisiana, Spain decided to colonize Texas and set up missions.
Due to resistance by the native tribes, Spain abandoned colonizing efforts for the better part of two decades, until 1716.1 Understanding that the French still posed a threat to Spanish land claims, Spanish authorities intended to strengthen their claim to Texas by stepping up settlement efforts and establishing several more missions and a presidio. The Spanish viceroy, Don Fernando de Alencastre, first duke of Linares, directed Martín de Alarcón, then governor of Coahuila y Tejas, to ultimately establish a mission in what is today San Antonio.2
Alarcón set out on an expedition and ended up near the banks of the San Antonio River. He met with a Franciscan priest, Fray Antonio de Olivares, and with the help of local Payaya Indians, construction began on the Misión de San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo), so named after Saint Anthony of Padua and the new viceroy of New Spain, Don Baltasar de Zúñiga y Guzmán, marquess of Valero.3,4 On May 1, 1718, Alarcón ceded ownership of the completed mission to