Senator's wife leaves strong legacy

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Family and friends of Emma Barrientos will gather to say farewell to the woman who opened doors for Latina artists in Austin on Saturday.

Barrientos, wife of retired State Senator Gonzalo Barrientos, died on Dec. 28 due to a heart attack complicated by a staph infection. She was 67.

Gonzalo Barrientos said his wife's most important goal was being a good mother. A goal, he said, she achieved with great success.

Through his grief, Gonzalo Barrientos smiles, as he opens a wrinkled, plastic shopping bag filled with cans of fruit, Vienna sausages and other knick-knacks suitable for a homeless person.

"You know what this is," Barrientos asks. "This is what she carried in her car for the homeless," he said. "She'd see them on the corner, roll down the window and hand it out ."

He said growing up in the barrio in Galveston shaped Emma Barrientos' life.

"Coming from that background, she was passionate about equal rights and helping poor people," said Gonzalo.

Emma Barrientos was not afraid to take action. She marched in the streets with Cesar Chavez and the farm workers, and she fearlessly urged others to take control of their lives.

Her husband remembers her saying, "Get yourself up. You don't need government. You don't need people to order you around. You do these things yourself."

Emma Barrientos always stood strong in her convictions and connected with people of all walks of life. That made her a formidable force when campaigning for her husband, during the 30 years he was in public office.

"I always said if she ran against me, she would have beat me," said Barrientos.

Emma Barrientos was tireless when it came to signing people up to vote and urging them to get involved.

"She used to tell people, if they don't vote, they shouldn't complain," said Gonzalo. "She wanted everyone involved in the process and truly believed every vote counts."

There was a softer side to her, too. Her appreciation for the arts was obvious in her home and in her work. There are paintings by Latina artists on almost every wall.

She helped create a permanent legacy for the arts. She was a tireless advocate for building the Mexican American Cultural Center. It finally opened in 2007, after 20 years of delays.

"For all of Austin, not just East Austin, not just the Mexican Americans, not just the Tejanos, but for all of Austin," said Gonzalo.

The center's opening in 2007 gave her a sense of pride and accomplishment. She served on the founding board of Mexic-Arte Museum and as president of the Austin Museum of Art. She helped establish Ballet Folklorico de Texas and inspired her daughters to dance.

Emma and Gonzalo Barrientos married when they were only 18. They would have celebrated their 50th anniversary next year. A life well-spent together.

As he remembers his beloved life, the Senator tears up when he thinks of the one regret.

"We were going to be, sometime soon, taking a trip to Manchu Picu or Rome," said Gonzalo.

It is a lesson he shares in the midst of his grief.

"Tell all the people, you better do it now," said Gonzalo. "Don’t wait until things are perfect. It never will be perfect. Just go do it."

Emma Barrientos leaves behind her husband, Gonzalo, five children and 10 grandchildren.

Schedule

• A rosary service will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at Mission Funeral Home, Serenity Chapel, 6204 S. First St.
• On Saturday, a burial Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. at St. Ignatius, Martyr, Catholic Church, 126 W. Oltorf St., followed by burial at the Texas State Cemetery.