Joe A. Guerra
Encyclopedia
Jose Antonio Guerra, Sr., known as Joe A. Guerra (July 9, 1934–September 15, 2010), was a business
man and a Republican
political activist in the heavily Democratic
city of Laredo
, Texas
. He served for twenty nonconsecutive years from two districts on the Laredo City Council, during which time he worked for the extension of Del Mar Boulevard to the interstate Loop 20, named for fomer Lieutenant Governor
Bob Bullock
.
. He was descended from the Jose Maria Guerra and Canamars family, the founders of three communities in Texas, including the ghost town
of Los Ojuelos
near Mirando City
and San Jose de Palafox, an unsuccessful Spanish colony planted in Webb County
prior to 1804. Guerra was born in Laredo to Jose Margarito Guerra (1904–2001) and the former Josefina Valls (1913–1998). Guerra attended Roman Catholic elementary schools and graduated in 1953 from Martin High School
. In 1957, he graduated from St. Mary's University
in San Antonio
, with a Bachelor of Science
degree in chemistry
and a minor in business. He then joined the family enterprises, Laredo Motor Mart and Laredo Auto Parts. In 1972, Guerra opened a longstanding Exxon
station (replaced by a convenience store in 2001) at the busy intersection of San Dario, the Interstate 35
service road, and Del Mar Boulevard. Thereafter, he began a second self-service station at the intersection of Guadalupe and Meadow in The Heights section of Laredo which he still managed at the time of his death.
gubernatorial campaign, when the Republican nominee, the first of his party to be elected governor since 1869, defeated the Democrat John Luke Hill, the former Texas Attorney General
, for the state's top constitutional office. He supported George Herbert Walker Bush for U.S. President in 1988 and 1992. Guerra later worked to elect George W. Bush
as governor of Texas
and U.S. President. He also campaigned for the former Republican U.S. representative from U.S. House District 23, Henry Bonilla
of San Antonio
, who served as the Laredo-area representative from 1993–2007, having never carried Webb County a single time in seven elections.
Guerra's city council service spanned two types of municipal government in Laredo. Effective with the 1982 elections, when Guerra did not seek reelection, the city changed from mayor-council government
to the city manager
format. He joined the council in 1970 from the downtown District 4 and served twelve consecutive years. His last two terms were in the Del Mar District 6 from 1994-2002. In his last term he was the dean of the council and the mayor pro tempore. He served on a city/county government consolidation plan, but the two entities have remained separate and not been merged.
Despite his visibility as a Laredo Republican, Guerra was never elected to the city council as a Republican because under Texas law all municipal offices are nonpartisan
. However, in 2002, several months after he had left the council, he ran as a Republican for the partisan office of county treasurer to succeed the late Billy Hall
, a former state representative
, but he was handily defeated in the general election
by the Democratic nominee, Delia Perales, who still holds the position. In 2000, Guerra led the Pledge of Allegiance
at a session of the Republican National Convention
in Philadelphia
, Pennsylvania
, which nominated the Bush
-Cheney ticket. On October 5, 2000, Guerra was honored for his dedication to public service on the floor of the United States House of Representatives
by then Representative Henry Bonilla. Guerra's convention role was highlighted the next day in a front-page photograph in the Laredo Morning Times
.
His city council service corresponded with the tenure of each of four consecutive Laredo mayors, J.C. "Pepe" Martin, Jr., Aldo Tatangelo
, Saul N. Ramirez, Jr., and Betty Flores
. The interstate loop, on which Flores and Guerra worked together, was finished while Guerra was still a council member. Flores told the Laredo Morning Times that citizens forget all of the administrative details involved in obtaining the loop: "He is going to be truly missed. I missed him when he left the council because we needed his experience. He had a way of looking at things from different sides." Guerra was also a key supporter of Mayor Tatangelo's massive street-paving project, which began on an experimental basis in the San Ignacio neighborhood at Tatangelo's personal expense during the last Martin administration. Prior to the Tatangelo program, most of Laredo's streets were unpaved.
Joe Guerra, Jr., of Laredo describes his father as a man who always had time for his constituents: "He was a servant to his constituents and had no problem with people calling him up any hour of the day." Guerra, Jr., recalled his father once being asked by a constituent what could be done about a dead animal in front of a residence. Councilman Guerra responded by grabbing a shovel and heading to the location to take care of the problem himself.
As Laredo has probably a dozen men named "Joe Guerra," people often referred to Guerra as the "Exxon Joe Guerra." Odie Arambula, long-time columnist and editor for the Laredo Morning Times," explains:
Despite his long work hours and community involvement, Guerra found time to read books and articles in particular about politics, the American Civil War
, and World War II
.
, Luis Guerra of Victoria
, Josie G. Levander of Palm Springs
, California
, Angela G. Cuellar of Laredo, and Laura G. Adler, Rosario Lapin, Anna G. Nudelman, and Gabriela Kirchner, all of Los Angeles
. His brother-in-law, Carlos Cuellar, is a retired professor of history at Texas A&M International University
in Laredo. Guerra had eleven grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Anna Nudelman described Guerra as a family man who drove his younger siblings to school, gave them their first bicycles, and "always looked after us. He never ceased to be our big brother."
Guerra died suddenly in Laredo of a heart attack
at the age of seventy-six. Services were held on September 18 at St. Patrick's Catholic Church on Del Mar Boulevard. Guerra was an eucharist
ic minister and lector at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church and his mother church, St. Peter the Apostle. He educated all of his children in Catholic schools and stressed self-reliance, self-control, and a strong work ethic
. His obituary
describes Guerra as "intensely private, hard-working, and unpretentious . . . The hallmark of his life was kindness, integrity, dignity, and purpose. He leaves an exemplary legacy of all the good things men can be. . . . He was a charitable man and an honest public servant who loved his community and spoke up for those who had no voice."
A strong supporter of the elderly and disabled, Guerra was so regarded in the community that KGNS-TV
and the Laredo Morning Times covered his funeral, which was attended by a large crowd of former constituents, customers, friends, family, and numerous city dignitaries, including former Mayor Flores, current Mayor Raul G. Salinas
, and Gene Belmares, a mayoral candidate and Guerra's District 6 successor on the city council. Mayor Salinas said that Laredo "mourns the loss of a great leader. He spoke up for those who had no voice. When he represented his district, he was always very thoughtful of the needs of the people. I would have loved to have the opportunity to serve with him because of the kind of person he was." Guerra left the city council four years before Salinas was elected mayor in 2006. In 1998, Guerra had submitted Belmares' name for appointment to the Airport Advisory Committee.
Guerra was cremated
.
Municipal leaders said that they intend to erect a memorial in Guerra's honor, but no details have been forthcoming.
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
man and a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
political activist in the heavily Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
city of Laredo
Laredo, Texas
Laredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He served for twenty nonconsecutive years from two districts on the Laredo City Council, during which time he worked for the extension of Del Mar Boulevard to the interstate Loop 20, named for fomer Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Texas
The Lieutenant Governor of Texas is the second-highest executive office in the government of Texas, a state in the U.S. It is the second most powerful post in Texas government because its occupant controls the work of the Texas Senate and controls the budgeting process as a leader of the...
Bob Bullock
Bob Bullock
Robert Douglas Bullock, known as Bob Bullock , was a Democratic politician from Texas, whose career spanned four decades. His service culminated in his term as Lieutenant Governor of Texas from January 15, 1991–January 19, 1999 during the terms of Governors Ann Richards and George W...
.
Background
Guerra's forebears came to the New World in 1602 from Montana de Castillo, SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. He was descended from the Jose Maria Guerra and Canamars family, the founders of three communities in Texas, including the ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
of Los Ojuelos
Los Ojuelos, Texas
Los Ojuelos is a ghost town near Mirando City in the southeastern part of Webb County, Texas, United States. Before its establishment, Indians camped near the only dependable water source in the semiarid area. The local springs attracted Eugenio Gutiérrez in 1810 and attempted to settle in the...
near Mirando City
Mirando City, Texas
Mirando City is a census-designated place in Webb County, Texas, United States. The population was 493 at the 2000 census. The town gets its name from Nicolás Mirando, a Spanish land grantee. The population of Mirando City was highest in 1929, at an estimated 1500...
and San Jose de Palafox, an unsuccessful Spanish colony planted in Webb County
Webb County, Texas
Webb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. The official 2010 population for the county is 250,304. In 2000, its population was 193,117, and in 2006 its population had been estimated to have reached to 231,470. Its county seat is Laredo...
prior to 1804. Guerra was born in Laredo to Jose Margarito Guerra (1904–2001) and the former Josefina Valls (1913–1998). Guerra attended Roman Catholic elementary schools and graduated in 1953 from Martin High School
Martin High School (Laredo, Texas)
Raymond & Tirza Martin High School, known as Martin High School, is a secondary institution of learning located in the Laredo Independent School District in Laredo, Texas. Grades 9th through 12th are taught there. It serves students living in central Laredo...
. In 1957, he graduated from St. Mary's University
St. Mary's University, Texas
St. Mary's University is a Catholic and Marianist liberal arts institution located on northwest of downtown San Antonio, Texas, United States. St. Mary’s is a nationally recognized master’s level school ranked among the top colleges in the west for best value and academic reputation by U.S. News...
in San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, with a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
and a minor in business. He then joined the family enterprises, Laredo Motor Mart and Laredo Auto Parts. In 1972, Guerra opened a longstanding Exxon
Exxon
Exxon is a chain of gas stations as well as a brand of motor fuel and related products by ExxonMobil. From 1972 to 1999, Exxon was the corporate name of the company previously known as Standard Oil Company of New Jersey or Jersey Standard....
station (replaced by a convenience store in 2001) at the busy intersection of San Dario, the Interstate 35
Interstate 35
Interstate 35 is a north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. I-35 stretches from Laredo, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border to Duluth, Minnesota, at Minnesota Highway 61 and 26th Avenue East. Many interstates used to have splits or spurs indicated with suffixed letters , but I-35...
service road, and Del Mar Boulevard. Thereafter, he began a second self-service station at the intersection of Guadalupe and Meadow in The Heights section of Laredo which he still managed at the time of his death.
Political career
In 1964, Guerra joined the Republican Party. In 1978, he was the Webb County chairman of the Bill ClementsBill Clements
William Perry "Bill" Clements, Jr. was the 42nd and 44th Governor of Texas, serving from 1979 to 1983 and 1987 to 1991. Clements was the first Republican to have served as governor of the U.S. state of Texas since Reconstruction...
gubernatorial campaign, when the Republican nominee, the first of his party to be elected governor since 1869, defeated the Democrat John Luke Hill, the former Texas Attorney General
Texas Attorney General
The Texas Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of Texas.The department has offices at the William P. Clements State Office Building at 300 West 15th Street in Austin.-History:...
, for the state's top constitutional office. He supported George Herbert Walker Bush for U.S. President in 1988 and 1992. Guerra later worked to elect George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
as governor of Texas
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
and U.S. President. He also campaigned for the former Republican U.S. representative from U.S. House District 23, Henry Bonilla
Henry Bonilla
Henry Bonilla is a former congressman who represented Texas's 23rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. He was defeated in his bid for re-election by Ciro Davis Rodriguez, a former Democratic member of Congress, in a special election runoff held on December 12, 2006...
of San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, who served as the Laredo-area representative from 1993–2007, having never carried Webb County a single time in seven elections.
Guerra's city council service spanned two types of municipal government in Laredo. Effective with the 1982 elections, when Guerra did not seek reelection, the city changed from mayor-council government
Mayor-council government
The mayor–council government system, sometimes called the mayor–commission government system, is one of the two most common forms of local government for municipalities...
to the city manager
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
format. He joined the council in 1970 from the downtown District 4 and served twelve consecutive years. His last two terms were in the Del Mar District 6 from 1994-2002. In his last term he was the dean of the council and the mayor pro tempore. He served on a city/county government consolidation plan, but the two entities have remained separate and not been merged.
Despite his visibility as a Laredo Republican, Guerra was never elected to the city council as a Republican because under Texas law all municipal offices are nonpartisan
Nonpartisan
In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....
. However, in 2002, several months after he had left the council, he ran as a Republican for the partisan office of county treasurer to succeed the late Billy Hall
Billy Hall (Texas politician)
William N. "Billy" Hall, Jr. , was a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives from Laredo, who served from 1973-1987. He was subsequently the county Treasurer of Webb County, from 1995 until his death....
, a former state representative
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
, but he was handily defeated in the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
by the Democratic nominee, Delia Perales, who still holds the position. In 2000, Guerra led the Pledge of Allegiance
Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is an expression of loyalty to the federal flag and the republic of the United States of America, originally composed by Christian Socialist Francis Bellamy in 1892 and formally adopted by Congress as the pledge in 1942...
at a session of the Republican National Convention
2000 Republican National Convention
The 2000 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States convened at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from July 31 to August 3, 2000. The 2066 delegates assembled at the convention nominated Texas Governor George W. Bush as the Republican candidate for U.S....
in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, which nominated the Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
-Cheney ticket. On October 5, 2000, Guerra was honored for his dedication to public service on the floor of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
by then Representative Henry Bonilla. Guerra's convention role was highlighted the next day in a front-page photograph in the Laredo Morning Times
Laredo Morning Times
The Laredo Morning Times is a daily newspaper publication based in Laredo, Texas, USA. It is owned by the Hearst Corporation.The Laredo Morning Times was founded on June 14, 1881 as "the Laredo Weekly," a four-page newspaper published by James Saunders Penn. Two years later, the paper became a...
.
His city council service corresponded with the tenure of each of four consecutive Laredo mayors, J.C. "Pepe" Martin, Jr., Aldo Tatangelo
Aldo Tatangelo
Aldo J. Tatangelo, Sr. , was the reform mayor of Laredo, Texas, who served from 1978 to 1990. Tatangelo is often credited with having obtained the paving of the "streets of Laredo"...
, Saul N. Ramirez, Jr., and Betty Flores
Betty Flores
Elizabeth Garcia Flores, better known as Betty Flores , is a businesswoman who was the first female mayor of Laredo, Texas. She served a brief unexpired mayoral term followed by two four-year terms from 1998-2006...
. The interstate loop, on which Flores and Guerra worked together, was finished while Guerra was still a council member. Flores told the Laredo Morning Times that citizens forget all of the administrative details involved in obtaining the loop: "He is going to be truly missed. I missed him when he left the council because we needed his experience. He had a way of looking at things from different sides." Guerra was also a key supporter of Mayor Tatangelo's massive street-paving project, which began on an experimental basis in the San Ignacio neighborhood at Tatangelo's personal expense during the last Martin administration. Prior to the Tatangelo program, most of Laredo's streets were unpaved.
Joe Guerra, Jr., of Laredo describes his father as a man who always had time for his constituents: "He was a servant to his constituents and had no problem with people calling him up any hour of the day." Guerra, Jr., recalled his father once being asked by a constituent what could be done about a dead animal in front of a residence. Councilman Guerra responded by grabbing a shovel and heading to the location to take care of the problem himself.
As Laredo has probably a dozen men named "Joe Guerra," people often referred to Guerra as the "Exxon Joe Guerra." Odie Arambula, long-time columnist and editor for the Laredo Morning Times," explains:
"There were too many Joe Guerras in town . . . But there was only one Joe Guerra at the Exxon gas station on Del Mar and San Dario. . . . That Joe Guerra became a community fixture and a good neighbor. He became one of the town's finest goodwill ambassadors to the thousands and thousands of Laredo and area motorists who came to his Exxon station for services. . . . Many have told of their experiences with this gentle, gracious, and kind man. We grew up and got old with Joe. . . . We had occasion to meet people away from Laredo who would ask, 'You know the man that runs the Exxon station in north Laredo? He's a good man. Say hello to him next time you see him.'"
Despite his long work hours and community involvement, Guerra found time to read books and articles in particular about politics, the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Death and legacy
In December 1961, Guerra married the former Josefina "Josie" Flores (born ca. 1938). Their eight children are Joe Guerra, Jr., Rebecca G. Doyle, Dr. Maya Z. Zuniga, Alfonso Gerardo Guerra, Alfredo Guerra, Carlos Luis Guerra, and Maria Eugenia Guerra, all of Laredo, and Monica G. Jones of San Antonio. The oldest of nine children, Guerra had eight surviving siblings: Richard Guerra of HoustonHouston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, Luis Guerra of Victoria
Victoria, Texas
Victoria is a city in and the seat of Victoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 60,603 at the 2000 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 at the 2000 census,...
, Josie G. Levander of Palm Springs
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Angela G. Cuellar of Laredo, and Laura G. Adler, Rosario Lapin, Anna G. Nudelman, and Gabriela Kirchner, all of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. His brother-in-law, Carlos Cuellar, is a retired professor of history at Texas A&M International University
Texas A&M International University
Texas A&M International University, often referred to as TAMIU, is a public, co-educational, state-supported university located in Laredo, Texas...
in Laredo. Guerra had eleven grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Anna Nudelman described Guerra as a family man who drove his younger siblings to school, gave them their first bicycles, and "always looked after us. He never ceased to be our big brother."
Guerra died suddenly in Laredo of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at the age of seventy-six. Services were held on September 18 at St. Patrick's Catholic Church on Del Mar Boulevard. Guerra was an eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
ic minister and lector at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church and his mother church, St. Peter the Apostle. He educated all of his children in Catholic schools and stressed self-reliance, self-control, and a strong work ethic
Work ethic
Work ethic is a set of values based on hard work and diligence. It is also a belief in the moral benefit of work and its ability to enhance character. An example would be the Protestant work ethic...
. His obituary
Obituary
An obituary is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person's life and information about the upcoming funeral. In large cities and larger newspapers, obituaries are written only for people considered significant...
describes Guerra as "intensely private, hard-working, and unpretentious . . . The hallmark of his life was kindness, integrity, dignity, and purpose. He leaves an exemplary legacy of all the good things men can be. . . . He was a charitable man and an honest public servant who loved his community and spoke up for those who had no voice."
A strong supporter of the elderly and disabled, Guerra was so regarded in the community that KGNS-TV
KGNS-TV
KGNS-TV is the NBC television affiliate for Laredo, Texas as well as surrounding areas in both Texas and Mexico. The station is owned by SagamoreHill Broadcasting. KGNS also operates digital subchannels offering Telemundo and KTXW , both also available on Time Warner Cable channels 25 and 19,...
and the Laredo Morning Times covered his funeral, which was attended by a large crowd of former constituents, customers, friends, family, and numerous city dignitaries, including former Mayor Flores, current Mayor Raul G. Salinas
Raul G. Salinas
Raúl González Salinas is a private security consultant, a businessman, and a retired Federal Bureau of Investigation agent who was first elected mayor of Laredo, Texas, on June 17, 2006...
, and Gene Belmares, a mayoral candidate and Guerra's District 6 successor on the city council. Mayor Salinas said that Laredo "mourns the loss of a great leader. He spoke up for those who had no voice. When he represented his district, he was always very thoughtful of the needs of the people. I would have loved to have the opportunity to serve with him because of the kind of person he was." Guerra left the city council four years before Salinas was elected mayor in 2006. In 1998, Guerra had submitted Belmares' name for appointment to the Airport Advisory Committee.
Guerra was cremated
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
.
Municipal leaders said that they intend to erect a memorial in Guerra's honor, but no details have been forthcoming.