In 1918, 15 men from the small border town of Porvenir, Texas, were killed just a few hundred yards from their homes. It took 100 years for the State of Texas to finally acknowledge this event with a proclamation and historical marker. However, several years after this, 14 of these men are still missing their certificates of death. For many, a death that happened over a century ago may be of little significance, but for the families and descendants of these men, these certificates are an important part of their history.
One of the victims, Longino Flores, was issued a Delayed Certificate of Death in 2019, yet we have been unable to get approvals for death records on the remaining men. After the death certificate was issued Longino Flores, a family member of Manuel Moralez attempted to get a death certificate issued for him and was denied without explanation.
We have recently submitted applications for delayed certificates of death for 13 of the victims of Porvenir to the Presidio County Probate Court. It is our hope that they are approved and that we can close this chapter, allowing them to finally rest in peace.
Unfortunately, dealing with Presidio County has not been easy. We have attempted to follow the statute as closely as it is written but have been given different or even incorrect information when inquiring with the county. There has been a lot of back and forth, and it seems that they are unfamiliar with Sec. 193.007 of Title 3 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, which has made it all the more difficult to get anything done. It took years just to be able to get the applications. The historical marker is in Presidio County; the ceremony was held at the Presidio County Courthouse. Why then, is it so difficult to issue these death certificates?
The story of Porvenir cannot be swept under the rug any longer. It caught the attention of media all over the United States. Even Hollywood picked it up, making a mention in “911: Lone Star.” But this isn’t about Porvenir; this is about a group of men who, over 100 years later, do not have a simple document afforded to anyone who dies in this country.
Yolanda Mesa
Oakland, California
Dear Editor,
While watching the devastating fires in California, I couldn’t help but wonder about the status of the fire hydrants in Marfa. After the Judd Architecture fire in 2021, I remember many fire hydrants were not working. The last The Sentinel reported in 2023, there were still some not working.
Is there an update on the number of fire hydrants still out of order?
Thank you,
Colby Martin
Marfa
Editor’s note: The Big Bend Sentinel has covered the issue of inoperable fire hydrants with several articles since the Judd Foundation Architecture Building fire in June 2021, when we reported that 11 hydrants were inoperable, including a key hydrant that delayed fire response. This week The Sentinel reached out to Marfa’s Public Utilities supervisor, Chuck Salgado, who is responsible for the actual repair of hydrants. He said his count currently shows three inoperable hydrants (and one with low-flow) set to be repaired in March, and that the out-of-service hydrants are “still overlapped by nearby hydrants in the immediate area.” Marfa Fire Chief Gary Mitschke, whose volunteer fire department routinely inspects the hydrants, said a report on a recent inspection is forthcoming.