R
Patsy Herredia Torres
Growing Up
Gilroy
Written By Sam Bozzo
34
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
ecently I had the pleasure of meeting Gilroy
native PATSY HERREDIA TORRES.
Patsy was born in the comfort of the
Herredia family home. During the 1950s, she
attended Jordan Elementary School, Brownell Middle
School, and Gilroy High School which is now the site
of South Valley Middle School.
Patsy’s father grew cucumbers and tomatoes on
farmland along Leavesley Avenue where the Gilroy
Outlets stand today. As a young girl, Patsy helped her
father with the harvest during the summer months.
She worked for Marian Filice while in high school.
She recalled the family home on Hanna Street
between 8th and 9th Streets. Back then, 10th Street
was a dirt road and orchards surrounded the area. She
used to take her wagon to the local ice shack by the
train station in order to buy block ice for the family’s
refrigerator.
Patsy later met Felipe Torres and they were
married at the original St. Mary’s Church. As newly-
weds, the couple moved into a brand new apartment
on 5th Street in Morgan Hill. Not long ago Patty was
going through some papers when she found an old
rent receipt – only $87.50 a month for a two-bedroom
apartment!
Patsy and Felipe have two adult children. Their
daughter Danielle is married to Ken Berry and their
son Mike Torres is married to Cindy Quintero. Both
couples have two children, and both live in Gilroy
where their children attend local schools.
One tradition that Patsy remembers fondly is
making tamales with her mother. For years, Patsy
and her sisters and sisters-in-law got together for
the holidays and gathered in the kitchen to watch
Patsy’s mom make tamales. Then Patsy and her sisters
decided the time had come for them to make tamales
and mom and dad could be their guests for a holiday
tamale dinner. Her mother not only pronounced that
the tamales were good, but she never made them
again! And so, to this day, Patsy and her sisters and sis-
ters-in-law keep the tradition alive. Even her daughter
Danielle is making tamales.
Patsy loves gardening and is an active member
of the South Valley Fleurs Garden Club. The club’s
more than 60 members maintain several public
gardens in Morgan Hill, Gilroy and Hollister. The
club also supports education in horticulture by
offering grants to school teachers who wish to include
gardening in their curriculum. Every December,
club members get together to decorate and deliver
300 coffee mugs to nursing home residents in South
County and Hollister.
Patsy and Felipe were married for 42 years. Felipe
worked at Hale Lumber, and then opened up the 7
Oaks Home Center, which he operated for 34 years.
For the past 52 years, Patsy has called Morgan Hill
home. South County is busier now and she doesn’t
know as many people as she once did. But having
MARCH/APRIL 2016
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