By Kim Hilsenbeck.
From birth to about age 17, Esther (Morales) Farias, 89, lived on a farm in eastern Hays County. Her father worked the land for the Schmeltekopf family.
“They grew corn and cotton, they had chickens and a horse,” Esther said.
She and her daughter, Gloria Romero, stopped by the Hays Free Press last week to pick up a Visitor’s Guide. Esther shared her story of the happy times spent on the farm. Esther remembered being with her family, playing with her siblings, taking lunch to her dad while he was working. They had a working well and a creek running through the property.
There were only a few buildings in Kyle at that time, including a store on Center St.— currently the convenience store at the corner of Center and Main St.
Esther (Morales) Farias, 89, visited her hometown of Kyle last week. She lived on a farm from 1925 until she was about 17. That’s when her father moved the family to New Braunfels to find work in the Mission Valley Mill. But Farias said she has many fond memories of Kyle. (Photo by Kim Hilsenbeck) |
Her family moved to New Braunfels when her aging father experienced health problems and found it more difficult to work the land.
“My dad, he was getting old, you know, and he could not work too much in the fields,” she said. “He had asthma.”
She also said her oldest brother got married and left her father alone on the farm.
So he packed up the remaining family members and headed toward where he could find work.
In those days, Mission Valley Mills in New Braunfels was flourishing. Esther worked there for most of her adult life, as did most of her siblings.
Her daughter, Gloria Romero, also worked there until the day it closed in 2003.
Born in 1925, she has lived away from Kyle longer than she ever lived in it. But fond memories linger and she thinks about the once-little town often.
When asked where she went to school, she said she and her 13 siblings weren’t allowed to attend school in those days.
They used to see the school bus.
“The bus stopped and picked up the white people,” she said. “We asked dad, ‘how come they don’t let us go?’ He said there was some problem and we couldn’t go.”
As she got older, she realized Hispanic children were not allowed because of segregation.
“They didn’t let Spanish people [in schools],” Esther said.
The house she lived in down off FM 150 is still standing. Not many in her original family are, however.
Her husband passed away in 2001. One brother and three sisters are still alive.
Though she never attended school, Esther spoke with confidence –and a Spanish accent.
The wife of the owner of the farm used to teach Esther and her siblings to read and speak English. At the mill, she learned more English.
Esther also cleaned houses for people at different points in her life.
She has another daughter and a son, Gloria’s siblings, who also live in the New Braunfels area. But she hears her mom talk about Kyle.
“She’s always talking about Kyle,” Gloria said.
“I was born here and I love this town,” Esther said. “If somebody in my family lived here, I don’t mind to come back here.”
