More Cruz Fernandez Information

Cruz’s five daughters, tallest to shortest: Helen, Angie, Lorina, Rose Ann, and Chris 






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Cruz with law enforcement gun.







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At the dedication of the Cruz Fernandez Memorial on September 4, 1966 in Carlsbad U.S. Senator Joseph Montoya (D, NM) said,

You could not have chosen a more fitting memorial to this fine man.
Throughout a long and productive life, Cruz helped many people to help themselves because he knew from personal experience that was the only way to get ahead.

Fernandez was an outstanding athlete at Carlsbad High School and at the University of New Mexico and later became a leader of the Spanish-speaking community in Carlsbad.
In that capacity, Montoya said, he labored to improve relations between the Spanish-speaking and the “Anglos” and earned the love and respect of both groups.
Commenting on Fernandez’ permanent contribution to his community, Montoya said:

Prejudice between peoples is a disease of the mind which can be removed by the therapy of inter-communication and better understanding.
This is what New Mexico is proving to the rest of the nation,  and this is what Cruz Fernandez exemplified throughout his life.

Fernandez laid heavy emphasis on the importance of education as a means to self-improvement, Montoya recalled, and inspired many Spanish-speaking youngsters to continue and complete their education.
(Ted, Chris was but sixteen years old when her father Cruz passed away. She, the youngest of Cruz’s daughters, received her Bachelor of Science degree in January 1972 from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM)
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Ted, Cruz had the ability to help Spanish-speaking citizens when he did because:
Carlsbad, being near to Texas, was called “Little Texas” and Carlsbad harbored much of the prejudice and injustice found in Texas during those years. Cruz would not accept prejudice, discrimination, injustice, and intolerance toward Spanish-speaking Americans and stood up to combat it on their behalf.
By his unique background, abilities, experiences, education, and motivations, he was one of the few people in this area adequately prepared and more than willing to help others who needed a helping hand to find their way in an unjust society.
Of course, he knew the language.
He had two years of college.
He had knowledge and experience in law enforcement, a “helping profession.”
His law enforcement experience provided him with a knowledge of the legal system and other governmental agencies.
He was an outgoing person with many friends and he liked people.
He was a kind and generous person, who advocated “people in need” and the people of his community and culture.
As we have seen in both these posts, one of his core values was to help others.
(Ted, Erik wrote a school paper on Cruz in 2002. One of the events he cited was that Cruz’s parents could not afford athletic shoes for him, but that the parents of other players chipped in to fund shoes for him. In my experience, generous people often have been the recipients of others’ generosity. Perhaps this was an event that helped shape Cruz in his younger days?)
Senator Joseph Montoya