𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗚𝗔𝗟 𝗜𝗠𝗠𝗜𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗧, 𝗙𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔 𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗥𝗘𝗭, 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗦 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘, 𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗗𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗗𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗠

By Rene Torres

Felicitas Ramirez was not any different than the many of today who want to come to this country for a better life.  As a youngster she grew tired of the many stories she heard of the wonderful opportunities afforded in the United States.

So in 1912, Falicitas decided to take the journey from Huatuzco, Veracruz to the promised land.  Carrying only the necessities and risking her life—she safely crossed the river and made Brownsville her home—and before long found employment as a housemaid with a pioneer family in town.

After several years in Brownsville, she found love when she meets Miguel Izquierdo, a legal citizen of the United States born in Brownsville.  Miguel sold home-made candy, moving his portable display counter from street to street or wherever there was a demand for his candy.

Miguel expressed to Felicitas that he needed help with his business, so in 1919 they married.  She continued to make home-made candy until 1924, when a more lucrative trade attracted him.

There was more money in Tamales

In 1937, Bill Brewster of the Herald wrote their story, “He built a small, two-wheel cart and began selling tamales.  Each day while his wife worked at home cooking, Miguel wheeled his wagon to a location by the memorial fountain of the Market Square and hawked his wares.  The tamales were excellent and Miguel’s tamales prospered.  He soon became known to his customers as the “Tamale King.”

Business was thriving and the original wagon was inadequate.  Miguel saw the need to build a second one that resembled a small steamboat.  It was mounted on wheels and from its smokestack raised steam from the heated tamales.  From then on the her tamales were known as the  “Life Saving Tamales.”

Only seven years after their marriage, one day Miguel failed to show at Market Square.  The entrepreneur who had work so hard to build his business was dead.  Customers wondered if the “Life Saving Tamales” were a thing of the past.

But then after  Felicitas replaced the “King,” to continue the sale of tamales from the familiar little steamboat cart located at its usual place.

Because her responsibilities grew of now making and selling, she was forced to change her hours.  No longer was the wagon standing at the Market Square all day.  Her business hours were from 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

It was common for many of her customers to go by her house on Twelfth Street opposite the courthouse where they could also buy the fresh beef, pork or chicken tamales.

The once illegal immigrant that came to this county to live the American dream—with weary hands and fingers was still selling tamales in 1937.  Although she knew no English, Felicitas had found it necessary to learn enough to handle her trade, for the majority of her customers were English speaking who knew no Spanish.

Miguel set the foundation for a successful business, but Felicitas convinced the people, her customers, she had something they wanted.  The amazing thing is that part of their story occurred during the “Great Depression.”

Was Grover Cleveland thinking about Felicitas when he wrote “a truly American sentiment recognizes the dignity of labor and the fact that honor lies in honest toil?”