A Reunion....Begins.

It's been a long time since Rachel has seen many of her relatives. This past weekend WE flew to Houston for a family reunion. Ahhhh, Houston. Rachel was born in Galveston, a quick 30 minutes away. Many of her family members, on her mother's side, reside in Texas in the Houston area. It's a land that Rachel has a love hate relationship with: love = aunts, uncles, cousins, fond memories, Gulf waters of Mexico; hate = hot, humid, mosquitoes, roaches, and a bit too conservative.

The reunion was to reminisce and bring together a family that began it's most recent roots in the turn of the 20th century. It is a family where the children, sifting through the realities of life, were left with great love, pride, and admiration for their parents. Each child passed on their love for family to their children. Rachel's grandparent's union led to the creation of many new lives...Peeking into their family history and Bible, I have learned:

MURILLO, JESÚS (1895-1971). Jesús Murillo (aka "Grand Pa"), photographer and artist, one of six children of Ambrosio and Antonia (Urbina) Murillo, was born in 1895 in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico. His father was a leatherworker, and his mother came from a family of renowned local artists. Jesús learned to sketch as a young boy and at age twelve was apprenticed to a local architect, from whom he learned drafting.

We leave Seattle, toward an adventure.

At eighteen Jesus went to work for a local photographer, who taught him the skills that became his trade. In 1916, because of revolutionary turmoil in Mexico and in search of greater economic opportunities, Grand Pa moved to Laredo and worked for several different photography studios in the city. Beginning in 1917 he worked as a retoucher for Fox Studios in both San Antonio and Waco and earned additional income as a portrait painter.

While living in Waco, he met and married Jesusita Casárez (aka "Granny") in 1918. Rachel's grand mother also went by the name of Rita Morris and spent much of her childhood in a Galveston orphanage. Her origins and real name are unclear. They had six boys and five girls (one of whom was Rachel's mother, Ofelia, the others very dear aunts and uncles). In 1920 (the year Ofelia was born) the family moved to Houston, where Murillo worked at the Shirley Studio for a few months, until the family saved enough money to return to Morelia. They maintained correspondence with Frank Shirley over the next two years, and upon Shirley's insistence (and due to continued political turmoil in Mexico) Grand Pa and Granny Murillo, with daughters in tow, moved back to Houston in 1923.

Up, up, we flew with Rachel pondering the coming weekend.

After Shirley's death in 1927 Murillo opened his own studio, Murillo Studio, in downtown Houston. He also did film retouching and portrait oil painting for the Gray Studio.

We flew southeast over many majestic mountains.

As a hobby, he took his camera outdoors and photographed the growing city. His architectural training probably influenced him to document the construction of new office and commercial buildings. He also painted in his free time, mostly in watercolor and ink, and drew portraits of his children or familiar scenes from the community. Some of his paintings depicted the Madonna and Christ Child. He also painted Gulf Coast landscapes.

In 1930 the family moved to Galveston, where Murillo operated his studio at various locations. He continued photographing people and cityscapes as well as painting until his death. During his lifetime Murillo sold only his commercial work, the photographs taken in his studio or commissioned by patrons. His documentary photographs of Houston and Galveston and his paintings remained within the family or were given to friends.

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Granny was a woman of strength who was raised in an orphanage being cared for by nuns. She worked in the kitchen and learned to cook and bake like a master. They also taught her amazing sewing and needle work skills; she sewed and tailored many of her children's clothes (and wedding gowns) over the many years. All of these skills she brought to their union and influenced the lives of the eleven children she and Grand Pa raised.

Jesus and Jesse Murillo had eleven children, 26 grand children and many more great grandchildren. Many lives with twists and turns; and yet, a strong desire to come together and connect.

Jesus, Grand Pa is on the far left; Granny, Jesse, holds her youngest daughter, Lucretia.
Rachel's mother, Ofelia is the beautiful young woman with the legs in the front row.(Another of life's mysteries: How did Rachel miss out on so many of her mother's genes...Wonder, wonder, ponder, ponder).

Here's one grand daughter, Kim Murillo with her partner Deb. Kim and Deb also live in Seattle. Rachel and I were so surprised when we learned that we were all on the same airplane! Ohhh, the mysteries of the Universe--it gives me chills!

Welcome to Houston. We have landed. Stay tuned.