Heritage, 2011, Volume 2 Page: 34
39 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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19th-century Texas history is ongoing,
with several projects underway (see
Editor's Note below).
Rediscovering my family's heritage has
been life changing for me. It has been
exhilarating, overwhelming, rewarding,
and educational; the benefits have been
incalculable. I have been fortunate to
have my family's support in this far-
reaching mission. Without the help,
guidance, and encouragement of my
husband John, a founding board mem-
ber of the Friends organization, we
would never have accomplished so
much. Our five sons, their wives, and 11
grandchildren have all participated in
events related to the organization and
local historical celebrations, and they
have also contributed financially to the
Casa Navarro project. Another out-
come of organizing the Friends' group
is that many extended family members
and other descendants have been added
to the Navarro Family Heritage Book
of genealogy.
"At the ceremony com-
memorating the original
signers and their living
descendants, I was hum-
bled, honored, and filled
with emotion. It was
with great pride that I
called out 'here' after
Jose Antonio Navarro's
name was announced
during the roll call trib-
ute to each signer."
This past February, I attended the
celebration of the 175th anniversary of
Texas independence at the Washington-
on-the-Brazos historic site (note: see
story about this function on page 8). The
two-day event was beautiful and mean-
ingful to me; it was emotional to walk
the hallowed grounds of the great men
who had planned the future of Texas. At
the ceremony commemorating the orig-inal signers and their living descen-
dants, I was humbled, honored, and
filled with emotion. It was with great
pride that I called out "here" after Jos6
Antonio Navarro's name was announced
during the roll call tribute to each
signer. At that moment, I realized how
fortunate I was to be the great, great,
great-granddaughter of a true Texas
patriot.
Editor's Note: In order to fulfill the
ongoing goal of educating the public
about the life and times of Jose Antonio
Navarro, the Friends group initiated a
collaborative effort resulting in Navarro:
The Opera, a production tailored for
school-age children. UTSA Lyric Theater,
the Opera Guild of San Antonio, and the
Texas Historical Commission were also
involved; the opera is based on the book
Benito and the White Dove by Marj
Gurasich. The opera will have its world
premiere on September 24, 2011, on the
grounds of Casa Navarro.
The Texas Historical Foundation sup-
ported this opera project through a grant to
aid in the development and printing of
educational materials that will be used in
the classroom.Another collaborative public education
effort in which the Friends group was
involved resulted in the biography Josd
Antonio Navarro: In Search of the
American Dream in Nineteenth-
Century Texas, written by David
McDonald, and available through the
Texas State Historical Association Press.
Friends of Casa Navarro is donating cop-
ies of the book to school libraries with the
goal of having one in every Texas school
district.
Top: Jose Antonio Navarro descendants
of all ages had a place of honor at this
San Antonio Fiesta parade.
CASA NAVARRO is located at the
corner of South Laredo and West
Nueva streets in downtown San An-
tonio. The historic house features
period furnishings and personal
mementos in Jos6 Navarro's adobe
and limestone home, which dates
to the 1850s. While the property is
now closed for renovation, it is set
to re-open on November 1. Check
out www.visitcasanavarro.com or
call 210-226-4801 for additional
information.34 TEXASHERITAGE I Volume 2 2011
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Texas Historical Foundation. Heritage, 2011, Volume 2, periodical, 2011; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth254221/m1/36/: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Historical Foundation.