Willie J. Garza, pictured at his business, The Man Shop. (Photo by Gloria Bigger-Cantu) Willie J. Garza believes in the work ethic and plans to work as long as he can.

Most people who know Garza recognize his work ethic and praise him for his achievements.

He has been described as a Kingsville icon because he relates to people from all different lifestyles and associates with a variety of people who span the entire all socio-economic line.

As a community leader, Garza’s work has been commended and honored throughout the years.

He works daily at his business, which reflects a personalized ambience with photographs of his family, Kingsville, and King Ranch families and scenes displayed on the walls. He shares his photo albums with people who want to see them.

Garza, 72, who began working at the age of 10, plans to work the rest of his life.

His friends often spend time visiting him at the business and often discussing local and national news. This lifetime Kingsville resident seems to know everybody in the community. Garza, one of Kingsville’s historians, remembers names, families, dates and even their home addresses. Garza donates money to all worthy causes and often assists with fundraisers for people in need. Former Kingsville residents stop by to say hello to Garza when they are in town. Some claim a visit to Kingsville would not be complete if they don’t stop by the Man Shop. He welcomes everyone with a smile and makes customers and people feel good.

Willie J. Garza is all suited up for work. “Work for me is my life,” Garza, said. “I love it and I love to be with people.”

The idea of going on vacation is not for him. He plans to be like Frances Laws, owner of a man’s department store that was located in downtown Kingsville.

The Man Shop grand opening on Aug. 16, 1973, was attended by many people. Pictured from left are Mario Blanco, Amando Perez, the contractor, Willie J. Garza and Bill Sellers. “He worked until his 90’s,” Garza said.

His parents taught him the work ethic. His father, Manuel A. Garza. worked for the railroad company as a boilermaker for 43 years, and he walked to work every day to the railroad yard. His mother, Angelina, worked as a seamstress for J.C. Penney over 30 years. The family lived at 619 E. Lee and Garza has a large photo of his home in his shop.

Garza recalled Bobby Hopkins’ father was his father’s boss.

After his father got laid off from the railroad company, he obtained work with a construction company instead of taking the $35 a week unemployment check.

First Job

His father also made sure that Garza learned how to work. One summer he took his 10-year-old son to Gafford’s Supermarket on Kleberg Street to find work for him.

Willie J. Garza, left, is pictured in front of his home at 619 E. Lee. Pictured with him from left is his sister Elva, Enrique Garcia, and Carlos Truan. “He told Howard Gafford that he did not want me in the streets, and I needed to work,” Garza recalled. “He did not have to pay me either.”

“My father told me that he got me the job and Mr. Gafford was not going to pay you and said for you to be here at 6:30 a.m. and I want you here at 6 a.m. because I despise people who come to work five minutes before opening time,” Garza recalled.

Each morning Garza walked to work and was there at 6 a.m. He worked at Gafford’s from 7 a.m. 6 p.m. everyday during summer and later from 4 until 9 p.m. on school days. Gafford paid Garza $1 a day and he gave the money to his mother to save for his back to school clothes. She gave him 25 cents so he could go to the movies. He continued working for Gafford’s after the business relocated to Fourteenth Street. His childhood friend and neighbor, Carlos Truan, also worked at Gafford’s with him.

Friends gather at a celebration for Claude Chastent, general manager of Ragland’s Department Store. Pictured from left Aaron Arce, a priest who had worked at Ragland’s, Willie J. Garza, a manager of Ragland’s at that time; Chastent, Alonzo Rios, former Ragland’s employee; Riano Escobedo, C. Villarrel, who both worked for Mr. and Mrs. Clement; and Amando Hinojosa, manager of Ragland’s ladies shoe department. The picture taken in 1963. The young boy was assigned to Santos Alarcon who was in charge of getting everything ready. Garza’s duties ranged from helping Alarcon butcher the chickens to setting up the coca cola and beer bottles.

“Nobody had freezers at that time so they rented freezers from him, and I had to clean the ice off,” Garza recalled.

If that wasn’t enough to keep him busy, Garza worked week ends at La Plaza de Kingsville that was like a small carnival located on East Yoakum and Seventh and Eighth streets. The place had a bingo and served food like hot dogs, hamburgers, and menudo and barbacoa de cabeza. Garza worked from 6 p.m. to midnight on Friday and until 1 a.m. on Saturday and also on Sunday. His bosses Aurelio and Sarita Flores paid him $1.50. Truan also worked at the plaza.

“Carlos made more money and worked less hours than I did because they liked him,” Garza said laughing. Truan also worked as a delivery boy at Weller’s Drugstore.

Garza worked at Gafford’s until Jan. 15, 1956 and then began a new job the next day.

Ragland’s Store

Garza worked with Jackye Hayes one of his friends at Gafford’s. One day Hayes helped Mrs. Ila Clement carry her groceries to the car and she suggested he apply for a job at Ragland’s. Hayes, a college freshman, was hired and began working at Ragland’s in the Men’s Department. Later on Hayes stopped at Gafford’s and suggested to Willie to apply for a job at Ragland’s. Hayes recommended Garza who was hired by Claude Chastent, general manager.

“I told him that Willie was a good worker and would be a good asset in the men’s department,” said Hayes, a retired Marine Corps major.

“He has always been a good worker; has a good sense of humor and never met a stranger,” Hayes.

“Willie and I have been friends a long time, maybe 60 years,” Hayes said. He still has the Stetson hat that he bought for $100 in 1974.

The other manager was Bill Sellers whom Garza also considered one of his mentors.

“I considered him like my older brother,” he said.

Working at Ragland’s was a dream job for Garza because he liked clothes and the clothing business. He does not remember wearing blue jeans while in high school.

“I learned the retail and men’s clothing business from them,” Garza said. “Mr. Chastent and Mr. Sellers taught me the retail business and how to match accessories.”

Garza graduated from H.M. King High School Jan. 16, 1956. That same year he enlisted in the Marine reserves for eight years and spent summer camp at Camp Pendleton in California and in Reno, Nevada. After receiving his high school diploma at 8 a.m. as a midterm graduate on Jan. 16, 1956, he reported to work at 9:30 a.m. While working full time, he also attended Texas A&I.

Within a couple of years Garza joined the management team and he went to market with his bosses to places like Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Florida. By then everyone knew Garza at Ragland’s and knew his reputation as a talented salesman and fitter who could look at his clients and easily tell them what size they wore. He hired many salesmen that included Lionel Garcia, Oscar Cabra, Horace Salinas, Sonny Alvarez and Joe Loera. Garza recalled that Tio Kleberg and Martin Clement worked at the store when they were very young.

Mrs. Clement oversaw the operations at Ragland’s at that time. During the interview Garza shares a handwritten note that she sent him complimenting his work at the store.

“Mrs. Clement wanted everyone wearing coats at all times,” Garza recalled.

Later in 1972 Garza opened a tuxedo business with his friend Mario Blanco who owned a cleaners.

He stopped working at Ragland’s on May 31, 1973 because he was about to become his own boss.

The Man Shop

An owner of new strip mall located on King Street had previously contacted Garza because he was looking for tenants for his place. Garza agreed to be a tenant at the Frontier Center. He had a difficult time trying to obtain a business loan and asked Truan, a state representative at that time, to help him obtain a business loan. Truan made contacts for him and Garza obtained a small business loan.

Garza spent many days preparing for his new business. He carpeted the place, set up shelves, racks, mirrors and decorated the store. One day while they were getting the shop ready two of his high school friends came by and wanted to buy clothing from him, but the merchandise was still packaged in his garage. Garza took his friends, Joe Camacho, who was a law student in Austin and Amando Soto, a principal in Alice, to his home and let them select what they wanted.

“They were my first two customers,” Garza recalled. “Joe bought some suits and Amando bought dress pants and shirts.”

“I had mixed feelings about opening the store because Ragland’s had been a home away from home for me,” Garza said. “Mrs. Clement and Mr. Sellers were very nice and kind to me.” He had worked there 18 years.

The opening of the Man Shop on August 16, 1973, was a big festive event with mariachis, plenty of food and was attended by family members and many dignitaries. Garza wore a fashionable white suit for the event. He was a fashion plate at this time and stayed trim because he played racquetball at lunch for 30 years.

“The clothing styles go in a cycle,” Garza said. “I remember the Nehru jackets, large lapels and flared pants and some of these fashions have come back.”

He was very generous with his customers and let them buy on credit. He donated his money and time to every worthy cause every time someone came to his store to seek his help.

About two years later after Ragland’s closed down, Mrs. Clement and Sellers and many of the customers came to buy clothes from Garza. The Man Shop carried all the name brands in attire. Some of the names brands included Stetson hats, Johnny Carson suits, Campus Sportswear, Don Loper of California, Louis Goldsmith clothing, Higgins Slacks and Palm Beach clothing. The shoe department offered Bostonian, Jarmon, Florsheim, Freeman, Nunn Bush, Hush Puppy and H.I.S brands.

The shirts ranged from $14.95 to $29.95 and the suits ranged from $129.95 to $295.

“I remember that the popular shirt colors at that time were pink and hilo,” Garza recalled. “The color hilo was actually lilac but we could not use that word for the color of a man’s shirt.

In 1984 Garza and his son William bought the Frontier Center that had six shops. They kept the mall until eight years ago when financial difficulties forced them to concentrate on the Man Shop and the cleaners. He moved to his present location four years ago.

“My life is an open book and after this I just worked harder and I’m still here,” he said.

Located at 817 South Fourteenth St., the business offers tuxedo rental, cleaners, and retail merchandise that has to be special ordered such as big and tall suits. His wife, Victoria. owns Gifts Expression Bridal in a section of the shop.

Community Involvement

Garza has shown interest in politics throughout his life. He has helped with successful political campaigns for Truan and Solomon Ortiz. He also supports candidates of his choice.

“I’ve been involved in politics since I was 10 years old when my father had meetings at home,” he said. His father campaigned for some of the local candidates.

“I have supported both Republicans and Democrats depending on their issues,” Garza said.

He himself was a candidate for the office of county commissioner.

As a community leader, Garza has received many awards and recognition. The most current award he received was being recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Kleberg Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at a ceremony held June 11 at Texas A&M University Kingsville.

“He has been involved, not one hour, not one day, or one year but consistently through his life and he has not rested on his laurels because this man is involved in all aspects of his life,” said Gilberto Uresti, a board member who presented the award to Garza, that night. Uresti, owner of U.S.A. Uresti Senior Assistance Health Care, has also received a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Another memorable award for Garza was having a day designated by the City of Kingsville for his community achievements. The Willie J. Garza Day was designated on June 28, 1969 and a resolution was presented to him on that day. That was the date the new Knights of Columbus Hall was inaugurated on Fourteenth Street.

Another notable achievement for Garza was becoming a Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus at the age of 23. His mentor Luis Fuentes Sr. encouraged him to join the Knights of Columbus when he was 18 years old. After 54 years, he still remains an active member of the KC Council No. 2623.

Currently Garza focuses on raising money for college scholarships for The El Dorado Club. The debutantes presented at the annual El Dorado ball receive scholarships that are matched by Texas A&M University Kingsville. Garza was one of the charter members of the El Dorado Club that organized in 1956. The first El Dorado debutante ball began in 1969 and Garza has attended this gala event every year since then.

Family and Friends

While in high school Garza decided to try out for cheerleader on a dare because the girl he was interested in was a cheerleader. The popular high school boy won the election. Both served as cheerleaders together but were not boyfriend and girlfriend. Eventually they become a steady couple and Garza married his sweetheart Ofelia Trevino in 1960. His wife, a cancer victim, passed away March 9, 1986.

The couple had three children. William D. operates the Man Shop Cleaners and Tuxedo Rentals in Alice. He has a BA degree in journalism from Texas A&I University. Vanessa and her family live in McAllen. She has a master’s degree in library science from Sam Houston University in Huntsville. Randy and his family live in San Antonio. He has a master’s degree in public administration from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio.

Garza has been married to Victoria Garza, a retired teacher, for 20 years. She works with her business, Gift Expressions Bridal on a full time basis.

His sister, Elva, a lifetime Kingsville resident, worked as a secretary for a local attorney. Her husband O.J. owns an electrical company. Their son, Dr. O.J. Rodriguez and his family live here. Daughter, Angelina, has her own psychotherapy practice.

Willie J. Garza and Elva G. Rodriguez’s parents died many years ago. Their father, Manuel A. Garza, died at the age of 86 on July 6, 1980. Their mother, Angelina Garza died at the age of 77 on December 7, 1979.

Garza’s long time friends remain loyal to him and praise his successes.

“I am grateful for his friendship,” said Truan.

Truan especially praised his friend’s work with El Dorado Club and credits the existence of the organization to Garza.

“Willie is the heart and soul of El Dorado Club,” said Truan, a charter member.

He recalled convincing Garza to become his campaign manager in Kleberg County when he sought his first political office in 1968. He organized a successful campaign and helped Truan win with 80 percent vote in the county. Truan served as state representative for eight years and state senator or 26 years.

Scott Conard, owner of Young’s Pizza has known Garza about 35 years. He recalled taking his father-inlaw Jimmy Frye to the Man Shop where Garza would tailor his pants to fit him.

“It was a special outing to take him to the Man Shop,” Conard said. “Willie made him feel like a king.”

“I hope Willie keeps going, and hope I can keep up with him myself,” said Conard, who himself has been working 39 years.

Garza’s childhood friend Gil Bazan, a Montgomery County resident, stops by the Man Shop when he is in town to visit family members.

“I’m glad we have people like Willie who are willing to give their time to others,” Bazan said. “Not many people like him are left in this world.”

Bazan stopped by the Man Shop with his black Rolls Royce last week. He was planning to take Garza and his wife to dinner that night.

Yes, Garza has many friends with people in all walks of life.