HomeMy WebLinkAboutBernal Family History
My parents Hijimo and Lily Bernal moved to Bryan in 1938, they moved here from
Rosebud Texas. They had seven children when they moved here. I was born here in
1939 and my brother Jesse and his twin brother Joseph were born in 1942. Unfortunately
Joseph died at two months old. Like most families my parents had been struggling to
fight the depression, so they moved to Bryan looking for a better life. My dad had many
mouths to feed so Mom helped however she could even though she had her hands full
with all of us. She still managed to work out of the house doing laundry for other people.
My two older sisters Janie and Lydia married shortly after the family moved to Bryan.
My older brother Fred joined the Navy and served during World War II , My brother
Felix moved to Houston., so our family was shrinking. My other sister Herm~linda
stayed behind and helped out by working at a laundry. My Dad eventually gotta job at
Texas A&M in food services, but times were still hard. As soon as my brothers Ernest
and Arthur became teenagers Mom would take them to chop cotton in the fields around
the Brazos Valley. During the summer we would go as far as Lubbock Texas to Chop
cotton and to Corpus Christi to pick cotton. Most of the time we started school late in
September because we were not back in time. When my brother were of age Ernest went
to work at Texas A&M in food services and Arthur went to work at The Memorial
Student Center. My mom went to work at the laundry at Texas A& M. The whole family
was employed at Texas A&M. My parents never dreamt that some day one of their
grandchildren would be a graduate of Texas A&M. My son Jose Grimaldo Jr was that
grandchild he received two degrees his BA and his MBA. Time did not allow them to
see it happen but I know they would have been proud. My parents were not educated but
they taught us to work and to be proud of our heritage for that I am very grateful.
By Mary Bernal-Grimaldo
September 2009