Tomas "Tom" Quintanilla

Tomas "Tom" Quintanilla Sr., a longtime resident of Moses Lake passed away at the age of 74, Monday, January 13, 2014, of complication of ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease in Tijuana, Baja, Mexico, with his wife, Maria and extended family by his side. Funeral services were held in Tijuana on January 15, 2014. Tom was born in Hargill, Texas on July 22, 1939 to Margarito Z. Quintanilla and Carolina L. Quintanilla. He attended school in Weslaco, Texas, Saticoy and Corcoran, California and Washington. In his younger years he traveled with his parents, who were migrant workers, to Michigan, Texas, Arizona, California and Washington following the crop harvest. In 1956 his parents finally settled in Sunnyside, Washington where they worked for various farmers in the Yakima valley area. They were able to earn enough money to buy a small farm and trucks to haul agriculture commodities. While living there Tom quit going to school at the age of 16 to help supplement his parent's income and help support the family. He worked for various farmers and drove truck for his father.