My Illustrious Great-Grandma Gregoria Allen Elizondo

My maternal Great-Grandmother was, Gregoria Elizondo,
Who I always knew as “Mamá Goya”.
According to her grandson, Javier Elizondo,
She was known throughout the neighborhood as a real character.
A second-generation German, her given name was Allen,
When she married Matias Elizondo in Laredo.

Primo Javier, who lived next door, remembers a specific incident when Mamá Goya
Was planting rosebuds one hot summer day,
Saying (in Spanish) Aye Virgincita de Guadalupe
Y todos los Santos del cielo, que se logre está hermosa plantita,
And in her next breath, “Y se no se logra,
Que Chinge Su Madre!”

As you imagine, early in my life, going to see Mamá Goya was never dull.
Always had sweet bread or Mexican candies for us,
Entertaining, for at times, she’d let it slip & cuss;
Plus she would tell us kids scary stories of axe murders in the neighborhood,
Bloody monsters attacking unsuspecting kids, of course, that never reached manhood.

I remember one day, playing outside, I fell and got banged up.
So, Mamá Goya convinced my Mom that I was in shock
Convincing Mom that I needed to be cured of “susto”.
Laying me on a table covered with a sheet in a dark room,
She’d pray over me with a candle & spitting holy water on my frightened self, who by now,
Really scared and homesick, now really praying this would end soon!

Bob Collazo, 01/04/22

It’s been so good re-connecting with my Elizondo side of my family, and of course, also looking forward to seeing Mamá Goya again, one glorious day.

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