Maria del Carmen Gonzalez, or Carmen as we know her, was born on August 11, 1928. An entrepreneur, a traveler, and a lover of music and dancing, nothing could eclipse the storied love she shared with her husband and soulmate, Rodolfo. She brought a love for life into the world and she will be forever known for her spirited personality, her enduring faith in God, and her devotion to her beloved family whom she cherished with all her heart.Carmen was born in the Mexican state of San Luis Potisí. As a small child, she moved to Tampico, a port city on the Gulf of Mexico where she was raised. She was the only child of Juana Gonzalez, a single mother. Born into a country rebuilding from the Mexican Revolution, Carmen helped her mother to make ends meet. Together they took trips to El Molino (the mill) for corn flour to make tortillas to sell at the nearby marketplace. She loved spending time with family and told stories about her Uncle Roman’s farm where she fed pigs and cows, and learned to cook in the brick oven where bread was made for the people of El Mante village. There’s no doubt her culinary tastes were influenced by the tropical breezes of her childhood. She loved jaiba, pescado frito, frijolitos negros and mangoes.
Carmen graduated 8th grade from La Direccion General de Enseñanza Primaria en los Estados Y Territorios de la Republica in Ciudad Madero, a coastal city located in southeast Tamaulipas in 1942. Soon after, Carmen moved to Monterrey, in the state of Nuevo Leon. The old colonial city was prosperous from its silver mines, fine hotels and night clubs, and it dazzled with its art deco architecture. It symbolized new opportunities for Carmen and it’s where she spent her formative young adult years.
Carmen began working at the Companía Mantequera as the company’s main telephone switchboard operator for many years, which is where some say she learned the gift of connecting people (or, as some say, to control every conversation). Carmen loved going to the bull fights (las corridas de toros) with her godfather who was a journalist in Monterrey, as well as singing and dancing with her girlfriends from the Mantequera. One day she was noticed by someone from a local radio station and she was invited to sing a popular Mexican ballad live on the air. She says it was one of the most thrilling moments of her life, and she often wondered what her life would have been like as a performer. But what came next for her would truly change her life forever. Carmen and her girlfriends began mailing letters to U.S. military boys serving overseas in the Korean War. Carmen received a letter from a soldier introducing himself, but it was meant for a different Carmen.
Upon reading the letter from the soldier named Rodolfo, Carmen was smitten and she didn’t think twice about sending her own reply. One letter turned into two, which turned into four months of correspondence before the soldier came to Monterrey on a military pass in January 1954. The story goes that the only had a few hours to spend in the city when he arrived to surprise her at the Mantequera. But he missed her by mere moments when she had already left for the day. When she got home, Carmen received a call about a handsome solider that was waiting for her, so she rushed back immediately. They were soon united and it was love at first sight.
It was a beautiful friendship that quickly blossomed into an everlasting love. After Rodolfo’s discharge, he traveled from California frequently to visit Carmen, and in the time in-between they sent each other countless love letters. They pined for each other for nearly two years until in the Spring of 1956 they were married at the Catedral Metropilitana de Nuestra Señora de Monterrey. They began their new life together in Los Angeles, California, and soon after they brought Carmen’s mother, Juana, to live with them. Eager to adapt to her new life, Carmen began taking ESL classes. She was an excellent student and learned English quickly.
In the years to come, Carmen and Rodolfo were blessed with three children. In 1958 their son, Rodolfo Jr. (Rudy) was born. In 1963 they welcomed Lupe, their eldest daughter, and in 1967 came the baby of the family, Rita. They lived a charmed life in their quaint home on Court Street in Echo Park, near Dodger Stadium and Echo Park Lake. Every summer Carmen’s family of five plus Juana piled into the family station wagon, ready for adventures to their favorite vacation spots which included camping in Yosemite and the Sequoias. Their favorite campsite was always The Housekeeping Cabins in Curry Village.
Duringthe ‘70s and‘80s Carmen’s English skills, along with her charm and affable nature, came in handy when she became an Avon sales representative. At one time she was the #1 salesperson in Los Angeles and she received numerous plaques and pins for her excellent service and high sales. Her children’s teachers, as well as friends and family, looked forward to the fine gifts of cosmetics Carmen would bestow upon them year after year.
In 1977, Carmen and Rodolfo became small business operators. They opened a restaurant on Hope Street, which served Mexican cuisine to a mixed scene of locals and business professionals in the hustle and bustle of Downtown Los Angeles. Their son Rudy thought of the name for the restaurant: Doc Magoo. “Doctor” Magoo was nobody in particular but Rudy thought the name would go far in bringing Mexican flavors to an American crowd. It was truly a family affair, with relatives dropping by to wash dishes, bus tables and help in the kitchen. Visitors to the restaurant won’t forget the delicious aroma of carne asada, fresh hamburgers, and quesadillas. They were truly living the American Dream.
Carmen and Rodolfo cooked large batches of enchiladas, rice, beans and taquitos for fundraising events and school carnivals at Elysian Heights Elementary School. Carmen loved being involved with her children’s activities and often helped out at the 6th grade fundraising yard sales and many functions throughout the year. One of Carmen’s fondest memories was traveling as a chaperone with her eldest daughter Lupe’s 6th grade class on their school trip to Yosemite, San Francisco, and the State Capitol.
In the 1980s Carmen’s four grandchildren, Jimi, Rudy, Daryl, and Annie, were born. Her grandchildren had so much fun at “Grandma Carmen’s” house, jumping on beds and eating snacks, that they never wanted to leave. They still remember Carmen and Juana waving goodbye and slipping dollar bills into their pockets when it was time to go home. Carmen and “Abuelita” Juana cherished every minute of it. Upon retiring in 1997, Carmen and Rodolfo enjoyed gardening and traveling. They embarked on adventures to places like Rosarito, Puerto Nuevo, Acapulco, Tampico, Pueblo Viejo in Veracruz, Monterrey, and of course their favorite spots in San Francisco, SanDiego, Las Vegas, Solvang and Lompoc. Their favorite restaurant was The Castaway in Burbank.
They enjoyed many concerts together, especially when Rodolfo surprised Carmen with tickets to the Frank Sinatra concert for their anniversary and they sat together under the stars front and center at the Greek Theater. One of Carmen’s favorite memories was the time she met Juan Gabriel back stage after his concert and he gave her a kiss on the. Giddy as a schoolgirl, she cherished the souvenir photo and the wonderful memory. Having been quite social butterflies in their younger days, Carmen and Rodolfo’s love for each other never waned and they continued to dance through life every chance they got. Carmen’s children and grandchildren recall the way Rodolfo never let Christmas dinner go by without taking Carmen’s hand and asking for a dance. They twirled and swayed in each other’s arms, showing off their dance moves and their enduring love for one another.
In 2004, Carmen faced the tragedy of losing her beloved Rodolfo to cancer. She found solace after the loss of her true love by enjoying the company of her children and grandchildren. She also continued to enjoy road trips to her favorite spots including all the local beaches that brought back memories of her childhood in Tampico.
In her golden years, Carmen settled down in Pasadena with her daughter Rita and son in law, Harry. There she enjoyed the simpler things in life, such as playing Loteria with her family, and watching El Chavo and Dodgers games on TV. She loved to spend time with her friends at the Coffee Bean on Lake Avenue where she became quite the social butterfly once again. She enjoyed participating in many activities at the Senior Center and twice won 1 st place at the Halloween Costume Contest there. On Sundays she attended mass at St. Elizabeth Church in Altadena then enjoyed lunch at Lupita’s restaurant. Her favorite foods were Enchiladas, seafood, tamales, mango, chirimoya, conchas, and of course coffee cake. Carmen was always full of surprises, like the time she revealed that she knew palmistry and read her granddaughter Annie’s palm at Christmas. A lifelong lover of music, she enjoyed listening to albums from Pedro Infante, Trios Los Jaibos, Los Tres Aces, Tonya la Negra, Jorge Negrete, and Augustin Lara, as well as American talents like Nat King Cole, Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Kay Kyser, Duke Ellington, Louie Armstrong, Gene Krupa and The Andrews Sisters.
Carmen’s bedroom was adorned with pictures and statues of her favorite saints, to whom she looked to for guidance throughout her life. Her unwavering faith in God helped her to over come some of the greatest challenges of her life, and her belief that she would one day be reunited with her husband led her to live a devout life. Above all else, Carmen cherished her family. She often remarked at how she was blessed with an abundance of love and it was not hard to see how she lit up at the sight of all her loved ones gathered under one roof for the holidays or birthday parties.
On September 10, 2020 Carmen passed away peacefully in her home at the age of 92. Although she leaves behind a void that can never be filled, she will forever be remembered for her joyful smile, her sharp wit, and her love for her family. She never stopped dancing and singing, and the memory of Maria del Carmen will now shine brightly in the stars for all eternity.
