The oldest child was Juan Nava, born May 6, 1896. He died young at only twenty-one years of age on August 25, 1917. The oldest daughter, Tomasa, or Tomasita as she was known while young, was born the following year on September 17, 1897. She married Antonio Rinche, seventeen years her senior, and the couple raised a family. Antonio passed away in 1955, but Tomasa lived a long life, passing away on April 2, 1982, at the age of eighty-four.
Then came Josefa in 1898, Medarda in 1900, Virginia in 1901, Eugenio Jr. in 1903, Hortencia in 1905, and George in 1908.
Medarda, or Lola as she was known, was born June 4, 1900. She appeared different than her siblings. She was tall and light skinned, having more of a European look. It became known, though not widely, that her birth father was not Eugenio. As Jesusa and Eugenio were not married, she had seen another man at least on one occasion during those early years. Her father was a Rockport native, and his identity was generally known at the time, though his name had been lost to the years. Regardless, Lola was raised as the natural-born daughter of Eugenio.
Eugenio Jr. was born September 28, 1903, and lived as a local fisherman for all his life. He died young, on his twenty-sixth birthday, September 28, 1929, at home. His younger brother George found his body. The death certificate listed him as succumbing to consumption, which we know now as tuberculosis.
Hortencia, or Tencha, was born on June 1, 1905. In 1922, she married Gavino Tapia Garza, a truck driver. The couple had three sons—Osvaldo “Nito,” born 1923; Frank, born 1931; and Joe Henry, born 1942—and three daughters—Susie, born 1925; Esther, born 1926; and Beatriz, born 1936.
George Nava, the youngest of Eugenio and Jesusa’s children, was born July 17, 1908. He was married twice, the first to a woman named Francis and then, in 1945, to Helen Dominguez. Tragically, George committed suicide early in the morning on July 14, 1966. He shot himself in the temple with a .38-caliber revolver.
On February 13, 1925, the family’s matriarch, Jesusa, passed away. Eugenio would never remarry and spent the rest of his life in Rockport surrounded by his children and their families. He would die tragically on January 4, 1951, having been struck by a truck while crossing Highway 35 to visit the home of his eldest daughter, Tomasa. He was ninety years old.
When her mother passed, Lola went to live with her sister, Hortencia, and her husband, Gavino Garza. She soon met an older man named Cecilio Mondragon. The pair dated, and Lola got pregnant. On February 1, 1926, Medarda gave birth to Cecilio Rodolfo Nava, named after Mondragon, though everyone called him Rudy.
Medarda got pregnant with her son shortly after moving in with her sister’s family. Though she was seeing Mondragon, she was actually impregnated by her brother-in-law, Gavino Garza. Growing up, this soon became apparent to everyone else as Gavino’s sons—Osvaldo, Francisco, and Henry—all looked similar in appearance to Rudy. However, since Medarda was already in a relationship with plans to marry Mondragon, it was decided to tell him the child was his.
When young Rudy was two years old, Medarda and Cecilio Mondragon got married in Aransas County. The couple and child moved to Victoria, Texas. By 1930, however, Medarda’s relationship with Cecilio became strained. Eventually growing tired of Cecilio’s violent outbursts, she called her father, Eugenio, to pick her up; she was leaving. Medarda moved back in with her father in Rockport.
Rudy grew up in Rockport, worked hard, and met the young Clara Munoz. After distinguished service in World War II, fighting in Europe, the young couple had six children and settled in Alice, later returning to Rockport around 1950. They raised their children, who, in turn, each built their own families, making the Nava family eventually one of the largest in Rockport.
Hortencia’s family grew large, and everyone affectionately knew her as Tia Tencha. Gavino died on June 6, 1975, but Hortencia lived on until January 24, 1984, passing at the age of seventy-eight. Her older sister, Virginia, or Tia Nina, had a large family as well. She married young in 1919 to Gregorio Solis and had five sons and two daughters. Gregorio passed in 1964, but Virginia stayed with us longer, passing on September 8, 1986, at the age of eighty-five.
Medarda passed away on October 3, 1986, having been known and loved by her seven grandchildren, sixteen great-grandchildren, and, at the time, one great-great grandson, all in attendance for her memorial service. The home she lived in for over sixty years was moved, intact, to the land located directly behind the home of her son, Rudy.
Later in life, Rudy suffered heart problems and grew ill. His wife of sixty-four years, Clara, devoted her time to caring for him. However, it was Clara who passed first in 2007. Heartbroken and surrounded by family, Rudy passed the following year, joining his beloved Clara, whom Rudy had fondly nicknamed Miss Ellie, after the matriarch of the popular television series Dallas. After the passing of Rudy and Clara Nava, the family began to disperse, some relocating to San Antonio. However, the Navas remain a presence in the Rockport area.
Halloween, c. 1890s, Maria de Jesus Rodriguez (1870–1925), far right, dressed as a gypsy, with friends.
Nava home, Rockport, 1910. (L-to-R) George, Celso Eugenio, Medarda, Juan, Josefa, and a neighbor.
Nava sisters, Rockport, 1912. (L-to-R) Hortencia, 7; Medarda, 12; Virginia, 11; and Josefina, 14.
Medarda “Lola” Nava.
Cecilio Rodolfo “Rudy” Nava, as a young boy.
Cecilio Mondragon believed he was the father of Rudy Nava.
Clara Munoz, age 1.
Enrique Munoz, holding baby Clara, c. 1927.
Early Life in San Antonio
Before the arrival of the Isleños, there were roughly forty-five soldiers stationed in the Presidio de San Antonio de Béxar. About four families lived in the surrounding area, and an additional nine soldiers rotated among the area missions. The total civilian population for the unincorporated region was about two hundred people. The arrival of the Isleños added a further fifty-six persons to that community.
Once the Isleños arrived, Captain Juan Antonio Pérez de Almazán had to establish a way to keep civil order aside from the military community that already existed at the nearby presidio. On July 20, 1731, approximately five months after the Isleños’ arrival, Captain Almazán formed the first cabildo, or city council. He appointed the council’s first members, selecting the eldest and most respected of the Isleños, Don Juan Leal Goraz, as the first regidor, or councilman. This appointment made sense as Don Juan had been the leader of the Isleños throughout their journey from the Canary Islands. Captain Almazán selected the rest of the council: Juan Curbelo, second regidor; Antonio Santos, third regidor; Salvador Rodríguez, fourth regidor; Manuel de Niz, fifth regidor, and Juan Leal Jr., sixth regidor. Each regidor would be responsible for overseeing a different aspect of villa business. Curbelo would be in charge of the new jail to be constructed. Santos was responsible for official weights and measures. Rodríguez would supervise all warehouses and public buildings. Manuel de Niz would be responsible