Michael Steven Baca

Michael S. Baca was born on December 26, 1928 in Albuquerque's south valley. He was the tenth of 13 children born to Refugio and Filomena (Jojola) Baca and he was known to his family as Mickey. The family farm in Albuquerque's Five Points neighborhood where Mike grew up was a bustling place where everyone worked together to put homegrown food on their table. This value is one Mike held throughout his life, later moving with his own family to Los Chavez in Valencia County in order to continue to live this tradition on a daily basis.

During the early years of Mike's life, war and economic instability were the very real threats that affected everyone in the United States. He was born just a year before the start of the Great Depression and spent his growing up years during World War II. While times were very hard for a large family, the Bacas endured on their small farm, sending four older Baca brothers to serve during WW II. Always the entrepreneur, Mike delivered the Albuquerque Journal, on horseback during the war as a way to make a little money. He often recalled the payday pleasure of treating himself to a hamburger at the Red Ball Cafe in Barelas. Also during the war, in another effort to help the family, he and his older brother Paul would sell produce grown on their family farm out of a coaster wagon to neighbors and friends around the city. As a young man, he worked at the Santa Fe Railroad as a machinists' apprentice and Mike cherished the memory of those many months working along side his father, the journeyman machinist.

Upon graduation from Albuquerque High School in 1947, Mike went on to attend New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts (now New Mexico State University) where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomy. Also while attending college, Mike was a member of the US Air Force ROTC and later served as a supply officer from 1952-54 during the Korean Conflict. Upon his honorable discharge from the military, Mike returned to NMSU to further his education and later worked for the Farmers' Home Administration loaning money to farmers in Valencia County. Mike was a proud Aggie and frequently traveled to Las Cruces during his elder years to watch his favorite team play basketball. He rarely missed an Aggie game on TV and always kept track of the NCAA Tournament.

The entrepreneurial spirit was strong for the entire Baca family and, after the war, the elder veteran brothers started a neighborhood grocery store in Five Points, which eventually grew into the Bueno Foods Company. With his Air Force experience as a supply officer, Mike lent his skills, business abilities and incredible salesmanship to the growth and development of the fledgling company. He served as the company's first sales manager and traveled extensively throughout New Mexico and southern Colorado. He was a determined pioneer who battled overt racism in his efforts to make New Mexican foods available in every local grocery store in our region, food items that are now available nationwide. He later managed his own small fleet of trucks delivering Bueno Food products as an independent distributor.

The pride and joy of Mike's life was his farm in Los Chavez. Over almost five decades, Mike purchased and sold multiple properties and pieces of farmland, improving the land and growing crops all along the way. With additional properties leased, Mike grew alfalfa and other field crops, row crops like corn and beans and especially chile. During the peak of his farming years, Mike had a sufficiently large operation that he would contract with his brothers at Bueno to raise green chile and jalapeňos for production at the Albuquerque plant.

Mike was a lifelong learner and had many interests and skills. He was a grape grower, wine maker and meat cutter, processing much of the food for his family. He loved history and

enjoyed exploring his home state of New Mexico as well as other travel adventures around the world.

Mike is survived by his loving wife of 67 years, Leonor; their daughter Claire Trujillo and husband Frank of Los Lunas, their children Joshua Baca and Jessica Williams (husband Tommy and their children Cole and Adelaida); their son Raymond Baca of Los Chavez, his children Alicia Baca and her husband Javier Gallegos, Michael Baca, and Luis Baca; and their son James Baca and wife, Cecilia, of Los Chavez and their daughter Clorae Baca. He is also survived by his sister, Betty Baca, of Albuquerque as well as many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Filomena and Refugio, as well as siblings August, Marcus, Adele, Sylvester, Ray, Toni, Joe, Paul, Pat, Frank and George.

A memorial service for Mike will be held on Tuesday, September 16, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission Church in Los Chavez, New Mexico. Visitation will take place from 9:30-10:30am, followed by a Rosary and funeral Mass. For more details, please see the website for Noblin Funeral Home at www.Noblin.com.

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