SALUTE TO MELESTA NEGRETE
WHEREAS, Almighty God in His Infinite Wisdom has granted Melesia Negrete birth into eternity on September 4, 2010; and
WHEREAS, Melesia Negrete was born in Mexico during the Mexican Revolution and later lived through the bloodshed of the 1920s. As a young woman, she left her hometown to find work as a servant in the city of San Luis Potosi where she also found her future husband and they wed in 1945. Together, the couple witnessed the Cristero Rebellion, the violent uprising of peasants and religious groups against the government for Catholic persecution; and
WHEREAS, In 1949, Melesia Negrete along with her husband and young children, crossed the Rio Grande into Texas to work as migrant farm workers. For six years, they labored in the fields, migrating with the seasons from South Texas to Minnesota and back again. In 1955, Mrs. Negrete and her family moved to the South Chicago community where her husband found work at Republic Steel Corporation until 1979; and
WHEREAS, Melesia Negrete raised five children and tended to the house while her husband worked. Her four youngest children became performers in music and theatre. When her children became older she held several jobs as a cook, worker in a pickle factory and an onion packaging plant; and
WHEREAS, Melesia Negrete and her husband were legal residents for 47 years after getting the citizenship in 1996 at Navy Pier. They were the oldest among hundreds of new U.S. citizens. This was the most memorable and emotional event that took place during her life. But two weeks after obtaining her citizenship, her husband died of lung cancer. Mrs. Negrete enjoyed her rights as a citizen and voted for the first time in the 2008 presidential election; and
WHEREAS, Melesia Negrete was known for her quiet strength, love of gardening and cooking delicious Mexican mole. She is survived by her two daughters, Juanita Negrete Phillips and Santa Perez and six grandchildren; now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED That we,...
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