A familiar sight for many years in Muleshoe was Francisco, “Frank,” Garcia, known as Panchito to many people, intrepidly peddling his bike all over town, rain or shine, snow or sun. Panchito passed away on August 29, 2024, in Plainview, and his bike has been laid to rest at his home here on West 20th Street, always a reminder that he made his mark in Muleshoe.
Frank was born November 17, 1968, in San Juan, Texas, to Arturo and Irene Vasquez Garcia. He came into the world with a condition known as hydrocephalus which created a situation where cerebrospinal fluid was building up in his brain, causing pressure. The doctors didn’t know as much about this condition back then and decided to operate to fix the problem when he was two years old. But by then it was too late, and the damage from the pressure on his brain could not be repaired.
So, he went through life as a special needs child. He graduated from Muleshoe High School when he was twenty-one, but after visiting with his sisters Flora and Blanca, I think there was much more to him than met the eye of the casual observer. He got along pretty darn well, thank you very much, living life one day at a time, taking care of himself, no stress, with no worry about tomorrow.
He had some trouble learning how to walk, but as an adult he learned how to ride a bicycle someone had given him with no problem. I asked the sisters how many bikes he might have had over the years, and they laughed that he had many, and they are all piled up in his backyard! The bikes have since been removed and the area cleaned up. Flora said when one would break down, he would just take parts off another one, fix the problem, and was off and riding again. How many of us would know how to do that? His bike was stolen once, and everyone helped him find it. But people also gave him bikes from time to time.
This and all photos in the story are courtesy of the family.
The bikes gave him freedom and something of a purpose in life. He would ride all over town, visit with some older men friends at Kuka’s and McDonald’s, women friends at Leal’s tortilla factory, and visit anywhere else that he wanted to. One of his favorite pastimes was helping his very close friend Beto Mendoza at his junkyard, washing his pick-up and doing whatever needed to be done. Beto, who had been close to the family a long time and helped take care of Frank’s mother when she was ill, also checked on Panchito and was there if he was needed.
Kuka’s would provide him with a breakfast burrito, and he would always ask for one more. Then he would ride over to the tortilla factory and share it with one particular woman who had been friends with his mom. He liked the attention, but he also wanted to share with others, something he learned from his mother.
Years ago, he would do chores at Leal’s, sweep, take out the trash for the waitresses, and they would pay him. He always had an open door policy to eat there when he wanted to. The Taqueria Guadalajara also shared food with him, as I suspect other places in town did. But sometimes he bought his lunch with his pay, too. And speaking of jobs, when his sisters would invite him to go somewhere with them, he would always turn them down, saying he couldn’t go because he had no vacation time coming!
Panchito adored Julia Markam who worked at Leal’s who was always nice to him. Unfortunately she moved a few years ago, and Panchito missed her.
He loved to listen to music and play video games. Sometimes the police had to ask him to turn the music down. He would ride over to his niece Angelica García’s and play games with her and her son.He also liked to play games with his brother Tony at his house. But most especially he liked to play games on his PS5 He also spent time caring for stray dogs that needed a meal now and then.
Flora and Blanca had a few funny stories to tell about him that gave us all a laugh. Flora said her son-in-law is a barber in Plainview, and one day a customer came in after driving through Muleshoe and said there was a guy there who would flip people off if they honked at him on his bike! I asked Flora if Frank understood what that was all about, if he really knew what he was doing when he did that. She and Blanco both laughed, “Oh yeah, he did! It was his pet peeve when people honked at him, and it made him mad.” Some people might have honked, thinking they were warning him of cars and protecting him, but it all came out the same to Panchito.
It also happened that he told his mother that he went to church regularly at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and would go to the kitchen when they would serve coffee. Turns out he drank lots of coffee, but never went to Mass.
Panchito lived with his mom until her death in 2010. The girls tried to get him to come live with them in Plainview, but he refused, saying Muleshoe was his home. So he then lived alone in the family home. Beto would check on him, but Panchito cleaned the house, washed dishes, pretty much took care of himself. Beto would make sure he took him medications, putting them out every morning and making sure they were taken.
Panchito had a sister, Leti, born in 1966. who had mental challenges from birth and may not have been able to get medical care that might have helped since the family were migrants doing field work. But he loved her and they did things together. She died in 2018.
This January Panchito’s kidneys began failing, and the family didn’t realize this had been going on for a while. They had a hard time getting him to get blood work done, and after it was finally done, his creatinine level was so high that his condition went downhill pretty fast. He didn’t want treatment at this point; he wasn’t fighting anymore by then, so he was put on hospice in Plainview, and the sisters were there to be close to him.
Panchito’s dad Arturo, the sixth of eight siblings and Korean War veteran, died in 1980 from a heart attack at age 51. He was buried in Laredo where he was born. Mom, Irene, died in 2010 after continuing to raise a family of eight children and is buried here in Muleshoe. When Leti died in 2018 the family bought a tombstone with three spaces for three people to be remembered. Flora said the funeral director at the time wanted her to have Panchito’s name and date of birth imprinted then when they laid the stone, and she said no because she didn’t want Panchito to think it was for him. But they did go ahead and put a bicycle on the headstone. Flora went on to say, “It took him a few years to realize that spot was going to be for him. He plain out asked me one day when we were visiting their grave; he asked me, ‘That’s for me, right, when I die?’ I looked at him and said, yes, but don’t you go trying be in a hurry to get put in there! And he just started laughing.”
She went on to say, “Panchito missed our mom so much when she passed away. During the summer time he would sometimes go spend the night there at the cemetery (Muleshoe Memorial Cemetery). He would say, ‘Last night I went to go sleep with Nene!’ Nene was my mom’s nickname and everyone called her that, even us.”
Now, that time has come for Panchito to be with Nene and Leti all the time. And we will not see him and his bicycle roaming the town. The kindness of the community that shared bikes and burritos with him will not be forgotten by his family who will always appreciate the care and concern shown to him over the years.
Save travels, Panchito.
Thanks to Flora Ramos and Blanca Pena for their help with this story and for sharing all the photographs used in the story.
wonderful story Alice… thank you for sharing
You are welcome. It was my pleasure to write it.
I love it Mrs. Liles.❤️❤️❤️
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading, Mark.
Mi Panchito,, I always told him he was my angel,, sometimes when I was going to muleshoe from Amarillo, and if he sees my vehicle at my sister Lucy, he will go and get me a burrito , beans and cheese burrito,. I didn’t need it but his kindly heart lead him all the time,. We share a lot of stories together,, any place I worked, he was there,, even here in Amarillo when he came to visit Stephanie,, they will called me, and we got together several times, he had a Walmart hat, 😂,, And I have thousands of good stories with him,. Now I have memories that I will treasure,. When somebody will tell him, “ I saw Julia yesterday and gave her a hug,,”. Boy!! Be careful, he was ready to fight,,!!! And I keep telling him , they just want to make you mad, that’s not true,,!! And he will calm down, i surely will miss my brother, friend , my angel,. Rest in peace panchito,, will see you soon,, with love to the family,, 😘
So glad you saw and read the story, Julia. Thanks for adding to his story.
Awww Julia! He loved you the most!
We his family, appreciate Beto and Yolanda Mendoza and their family along with the entire Muleshoe community for having been there for Panchito. There are just too many people to name individually, that’s for sure! Thank you Alice for reaching out to us to write a story on him. I am sure he is smiling down from heaven at you! ☺️
Thank you, Flora, for sharing Panchito’s story and pictures with me, so I could share his story with others. He’s probably too busy riding around up there to be looking down at me!
Alice this was the Perfect story we thank you from the bottom of our Hearts and also a Big Thanks to the Sherriff Department as well that Honored my baby Bother his Cap at his Rest Site that meant the world to us and Thank you to the Whole Community for always looking after Panchito he was very Blessed. Beto and Yolanda Thank You for all that yall did for Panchio and us we appriciate you guys so much Love you all always and for ever.
You are quite welcome, Blanca, it was my pleasure to write the story.
Great story!
I enjoyed writing it.
Great story, and well lived life, the way it should be, no matter what we have to do in life, it was good everyday , you could see it in his smile…
Thanks for reading and commenting, Deanna.
These a very great story of panchito very much that’s all him 🚲 I never forget them 3 I miss leti and nene so.much 😭and now panchito riding in heaven idk if there cars but plz don’t honk at him lol
Maybe he won’t do anything to horn honkers in Heaven! Thanks for reading the story and commenting, Virginia.
Bailey County EMS personnel put a lot of a lot of air in his tires back in the day! We sure loved when he stopped by.
Yet another way the people of Muleshoe helped him! Thanks for reading.
He will be missed…I will always be on the look out for him and his bike! Such a sweet story about a sweet man.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Donna.
Thank you for this beautiful story! I was living with him and making sure he was good and had his meds everyday for his last year of life! I will miss him soooooo much! And the house is so quiet without him 🥺!
I’ll bet it is! Quiet, that is. Thanks for being a part of his life.
Thank you Elisa!
Great story, Alice. Dr Purdy and I enjoyed reading this!
Glad to hear it!
Another good one. And Muleshoe needed to know. Thank you.
I am also glad to know more about him now that I have written the story.
I enjoyed reading this. Another great story. Sweet story for a sweet gentlemen. Thank you for sharing.
I was happy to share his story, Liz. Thanks for reading it.
Mrs. Liles – thanks so much for sharing Panchito’s story with us, and to his sisters for sharing it with you. I knew “Frank” in school but had not seen him in many years. I am reminded that love really does make the world go ’round. Frank’s love for his sisters, his mom, his friends around town, and their love for him in return.
Mrs Liles this story is very touchy . But it’s a true story . He was a good kid at heart . He will be missed and glad his family let him reside here where he called home . Rip Panchito you’re free riding your bike in heaven .
Thanks or reading, Rosa. And I am sure he is riding all over the place up there!
Amber, people will miss seeing him around town. I am glad I could write his story.
Thank you for such a beautiful story of my Uncle Panchito.💙He was a beautiful soul and those who got to know him, and knew him where the lucky ones. Growing up, he always had a way to make us laugh. The town of Muleshoe was left with wonderdul memories and stories of him. I’m sure going to miss him!! But he is home, with my Grandma Nene and Aunt Letti. May the trio rest in peace.
It was my pleasure to learn more about Panchito and be able to write the story. Thanks for commenting.
Mrs. Liles, that was a wonderful story I really enjoyed reading this. Thank you very much 🙏
You are very welcome. Thanks for reading and for your comment, Robert.
I remember him at Muleshoe Motor – the Ford house. Coffee with sugar and cream, air for his tires, whatever. I once heard one of our techs bought him a tire. He was friendly and always smiling…and now I pray he is resting in peace with the family he loved.
Thanks for reading and adding to his story, Wanda.
Wonderful story Mrs. Liles. Panchito was a beautiful soul, unique in many ways, and lived life to the fullest. I will miss seeing him, sharing laughs, and no matter what I was going through, Panchito had a way to cheer me up simply by being with him. No words needed to spoken. His smile was more than good enough.
Thanks, Abel. So glad you read the story, and also glad that you knew Panchito so well.
If anybody knew Panchito, you know he was one of a kind! He either liked you or he didn’t and you know who you are!
He had a passion for singing and listening to his Spanish music via Tony’s Bluetooth speaker (LOUD music because he was partially deaf). He loved riding his bike because he loved his freedom, visiting friends all over town, loved his PlayStation, his Cokes, he loved to talk on his phone for hours if he could because even though he had a disability, he had the sharpest memory! He remembered EVERYTHING in detail, but what he really loved the most was the help and care of his brother, Beto. Panchito never wanted to leave Muleshoe but he would leave once in a while but for just ONE day with no buts ands or ifs, or you would surely hear about him Never leaving again! Anyway Beto was his security blanket, the person supplying the help, care, the bikes! Panchito loved his brother to which I’ll always be grateful to him and Yolanda for adopting him into their lives when he needed it the most.
Panchito had no notion of time, tomorrow was always tomorrow, so he lived one day at a time.
What I am very certain of, is that he loved and believed in God! He knew one day he would see his deceased family and the countless friends that he lost along the way!
Panchito you must be so so happy youre home and in Gods Hands now.
Hebrews 13:2 “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!”
Thank you, Norma, for adding to the story with your comment! Panchito definitely made his mark in Muleshoe.