Birth date: Jul 7, 1943 Death date: Jan 2, 2020
Elmer Rodriguez, born July 7, 1943 passed away on Thursday, January 2, 2020 at the age of 76 years. Mr. Rodriguez is preceded in death by his Father, Amado Rodriguez; Mother, Eva Ybarra; Brother, Gregorio Rodriguez; and Sister Sar Read Obituary
When I was a child, my brother called me ‘Beep-Beep’ because I was always running and he said I reminded him of the Roadrunner ( Wiley Coyote’s antagonist on the Loony Tunes cartoons). This was always done in an affectionate manner, never out of meanness.
He was almost 10 years older than I and he had a job as a mechanic. He often came home on pay day and offered to take me out to eat. We usually went to a drive up place called ‘The Flame’, I’m not even sure where it was but I think it was somewhere on E. Southcross in south San Antonio. They served huge butterfly cut fried shrimp which I loved, we didn’t often have meals out, so this was a real treat! Sometimes we would go to the ‘First Mate’ on S.E. Military Drive for fried fish, which was also really good. Elmer didn’t care for chicken, so these were his favorite restaurants. I seldom eat red meat, and I don’t mind chicken but to this day, I too prefer fish.
Years passed, I grew up and enlisted in the U.S. Army. I came home on leave and he asked me to wear my uniform so he could introduce his little sister, the soldier, to his friends. The only uniform I had with me was fatigues and combat boots, but he didn’t care. So off we went, it was a little embarrassing wearing fatigues but it made him happy.
Elmer was my Mother’s first born child; after which she gave birth to four daughters, followed by two sons. I was the youngest of her daughters. I’m pretty sure she wanted me to be a boy because she had my sister’s ears pierced when they were infants but didn’t get mine done. At thirteen years, I decided I wanted my ears pierced too. It was a frightening proposition because it was before the days when you could go to a kiosk in the mall and have your ears pierced painlessly by a professional using a piercing gun. You had to be quite determined, to have your ears pierced back then! I’m sitting in my mother’s kitchen (terrified), waiting to have a sterilized pin pushed through my ear lobes when my brother walked in and sat in a chair next to mine; he took my hand and squeezed it tightly to take my mind off the pain I would feel from the pin. I don’t even remember who did the piercing, but I was no longer frightened and the ear piercing proceeded without issue. I don't often wear earrings because I find them uncomfortable, but the piercings are still there.
