Bertha P. Teague

Gone Fishing by way of the Casino Bertha Teague was born Bertha (Berta) Piñon Herrera in 1936 to Marcelino and Manuela Herrera in Nuevo Casa Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico. At least that was one of the stories she told along with her three birthdates. Bertha grew up all over the Southwest, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and in Mexico. She attended schools in each state but never stayed long enough to finish a school year as her parents followed work from place to place. She was a good student with excellent grades from the report cards she was able to keep. She completed her GED in Firebaugh adult school. Sometime around 1950-51 her family moved to a ranch in the Fabens area of Texas. Her Dad went to work for the foreman named Huey Teague. Huey had two children from a previous marriage, Mary Lynn and Jack. Bertha became their babysitter and their housekeeper. She was about 16 years old. By the time she was 18 in 1954 she and Huey went on a date to Las Cruzes New Mexico and came back husband and wife. Her Father was not happy about it, but a tense confrontation with Huey resolved the problem. Huey and his father-in-law had a relationship of mutual respect after that. I...[more]

View Full Online Obituary and Tributes

the meantime, they leased a restaurant/gas station in Eagles Pass. They ran it for about 2 years and decided to go back to Fabens and back to farming. In 1957 she gave birth to her first child Jim, in 1959 Linda Sue came along but it was on the heels of tragedy. Mary Lynn who was 11 died in an accident at home the month before Linda was born. This affected Bertha greatly because she had said that Mary Lynn was her daughter, Jack was her son, and she loved and raised them as her own. In that same time frame Bertha's beloved younger sister Romelia died from heart complications. With tragedy happening so close together Huey, Bertha along with her Mother and Father and 5 brothers left Texas for a better life in California. They settled in Mendota with Huey going to work for Coit Ranch. After a short while Bertha's Mother and Father and 5 brothers left for San Jose. Bertha would raise her children and work in the tomato machines and in the fields to make extra money for the family. From 1971 to 1975 Huey and Bertha leased another service station, this time a Mobil station in Mendota. Huey and Bertha closed the station, bought Cull Cantaloupe trucks, and ran them together for the next 18 years until Huey's Death in 1991. She tried to keep the trucking business going but had to sell them when the packing sheds closed, and the farmers began packing cantaloupes in the field. Bertha then went to work at Garjulio's tomato packing until her health forced her to stop working altogether. Bertha enjoyed painting, fishing and camping with Huey and going to the Casinos to "Feed the Indians" in other words to lose her money to them. Bertha attended Catholic Services at both Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Mendota and St. Joseph Church in Firebaugh. She had a special devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. She enjoyed her grandkids and kept going to the casinos and the canal banks until her health forced her to become bed bound. She was preceded by her Husband of 37 years Huey, her daughter Mary Lynn and son Jack, her parents Marcelino and Manuela and her sister Romelia and three of her brothers Marcelino jr., Manuel and Robert. She is survived by her son Jim (Jeanine), her daughter Linda (Raymond). six grandchildren, Jack jr., Michelle, Raymond Ben, Anthony, Christina, and Jason, 12 great-grandchildren and 11 great-great-grandchildren. Brothers Rudy Herrera (Rina) of San Jose and Gonzalo Herrera of San Diego. She will be deeply missed by everyone who knows her. She has gone fishing with Huey.