Tavares, Pedro (1950-2016)
TAVARES, SANCHEZ
Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 7/31/2016 at 17:19:08
Pedro Tavares
October 23, 1950 - June 1, 2016A funeral service for Pedro Tavares, 65, of Rake, will be held Tuesday, June 7, 2016, at 1:00 PM at the Winter Funeral Home in Buffalo Center with Pastor Lynn Noel officiating. Burial will follow in the West Cemetery in Rake.
Memories from the staff of Duncan Heights...
How did Pedro come into our lives? Now that he is gone it seems like he has been part of our lives forever. Phil first encountered Pedro during breakfasts at the Norske Haus. Pedro would sit in a booth while the local customers visited about the latest news - conversation that Pedro must have found very interesting as he knew more English than they would have guessed.
When tasks needed doing around town, Phil would ask Pedro if he would like to help. Those projects included trimming the trees at West Cemetery and tending to the vintage street lights on Main Street. Pedro's job was had to hand the light globes up to Phil, and nobody, but nobody else handled those globes. He was always ready and willing to help out.
Eventually, Pedro moved to Mason City to live in the Garrett House. A perpetual early riser, he would walk to the Cenex convenience store three blocks away at 5:00 AM just as the store was opening. Thinking Pedro would be bad for business, Ahmed, the store manager, didn’t want him around at first. Soon, however, they became good friends. Ahmed would watch out for Pedro, and Pedro would help Ahmed by carrying out the trash.
When the Garrett House closed, Pedro moved to Duncan Heights. He really enjoyed his time there and, as always, eagerly helped out by shredding paper for the gals in the office, shoveling snow, and picking up branches. While at Duncan Heights, he celebrated two birthdays in fine style, sharing cake and ice cream with the other residents and staff - people who had become like family to him.
After our neighbor’s wife passed away, Phil invited Ralph to ride along to Duncan Heights to visit Pedro. These nearly weekly trips continued until Ralph's health declined. On the occasions when Ralph didn't come along, Pedro would ask, "Where is our friend"? After Pedro learned Ralph had passed away, he became very quiet. Clearly, Pedro felt he had lost a good friend.
Pedro loved rides in the Rocket, Phil's old rusty pickup, Marlboro cigarettes, haircuts at Great Clips in Mason City, coffee with four creams and seven sugars, BUT no candy - bad for the teeth. Those who knew Pedro could see he had few teeth.
Very particular, Pedro was fussy about many aspects of his life. His pants, for example, had to be just the right length and his underwear the right color, or he wouldn't wear them. He took great care in making sure he had made his bed just so. When he brought his clothes in for washing, he, always, had them neatly folded. As conscientious as Pedro was about his daily activities, however, taking a shower was not among them. Those who knew him well knew a bar of soap could last him a month. Indeed, sometimes the staff at Duncan Heights had to resort to bribery to get him into the shower. But as hard as they found getting him in, once they had him in, they could have an even harder time getting him out. Pedro, too, had his own sense of style. He loved hats and would wear not just one but sometimes two or three. He looked especially dashing in his leather cowboy hat. In the end, when we realized his illness could be life threatening, he indicated he did not want to have surgery. Instead, shaking his head, he, simply, pointed toward heaven. He was ready to meet his Lord.
Thinking about how to say farewell to Pedro, we wondered what we could or should share with you. As we started talking and our memories started to flow, we realized that he had truly become an important part of our lives and a friend we will never forget.
One of seven children born to Manuel and Virgina Tabares, Pedro was born on October 23, 1950, in Rio Escondido, Coahuila, Mexico. He had worked as a field laborer in Sabinal, Texas, picking melons and cucumbers by hand before moving to Northern Iowa.
Those left to cherish his memory include his siblings: Manuel and Luz Tavares, both of Dallas, Texas, Rosa Tavares, of San Antonio, Texas, and Yolanda Sanchez, of Rake, Iowa; many nieces and nephews; as well as special friends Phil and Cheryl Benn along with the Staff and Residents of Duncan Heights.
Pedro is preceded in death by his parents and three sisters, Petra, Bertha, and Maria DeJesus Tavares.
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