Severa and Chon Chavez

 A story by Mary Holguin

Chon Chaves, my great grandfather, was captured by Indians as a young boy. He learned how to make his own shoes from them.

Great grand grandmother Severa was a midwife and a herb healer (curandera) . People went to her for medical advice, like they would a medical doctor. She helped deliver most of her grand children.

Chon was a goat farmer and Severa made cheese from the goat milk. She sold cheese and milk ,and also baked bread for sale.

My Grandma Luz (daughter of Severa and Chon) told a story of her parents.

One morning Chon got up early to go work and started to eat the beans Severa had left him for breakfast. As he was eating them, he knew something different; they were crunchy. That evening he praised her for the delicious beans with pork skins. "PORK SKINS?" I did not put in pork skins.

They went to look at the bowl and there were some crickets that had hopped into the bowl with the beans.