Tello was born in Barrio Santa Rosa, Utuado Puerto Rico on March 1 1928. He is the son of Juan Hilario “Eladio” Bermúdez Ruíz (1895 - 1971) and Juana Maria Lugo Capetillo (1902 - 1988), both from Utuado, Puerto Rico.
Norma Iris was born in Barrio Caguana, Utuado Puerto Rico on January 17 1935. She is the daughter of Trinidad Mercado Hernández (1914 - 1962) and Elvira Bermúdez González (1913 - 1998).
On January 3 1951 Baptist Reverend Jaime Vargas married Tello and Norma Iris in Barrio Caguana Utuado in the home of Norma Iris’ grandparents Ramón Bermúdez Ruíz and Candelaria Gonzalez Rivera.
At the time he married, Tello was a farmhand (peón) in the farm of his cousin Sofia Bermúdez Gonzalez and her husband Regino Borrero. On the 20th of January of that same year Tello left to the United States to find work and to establish a new life for his new family. He left Norma Iris living with his parents and siblings and also left her a paid weekly milk delivery from the nearby store.
His intention was to send for her as soon as he secured a place for them to live in the USA. He worked in various farms in Florida for 2 months, and then moved to New Jersey where several family members already lived.
Even though he did not have a place for them to live yet, he sent for Norma Iris on March of 1951, just 3 months after they married. Norma said she was not happy with her living arrangement in Pastales and sent him a letter giving him an ultimatum: "send for me soon or I'm going back to live with my mother.”
During their first few years in New Jersey, Tello and Norma worked and lived in several farms including: Tirreli Farm in Malaga, Cantor Chicken Farm and Freedman’s Farm. It was during the time they worked for Mr. Freedman that Tello and Norma Iris could finally afford an apartment of their own at Colonial Apartments on Landis Avenue.
They paid $35 dollars a week for a fully furnished 1-bedroom apartment.
In 1953 Tello started working at Stern’s Hatchery where he was paid 75 cents an hour and worked 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. It was his first hourly wage job and he worked there for 9 years.
While working at Stern’s, Tello and Norma Iris moved to an apartment on Montrose Street owned by Mr. Valera.
In 1955 Norma Iris’ mother Elvira “Mitin”, sister Camila, brother Ramon “Moncho” and Elvira’s husband Manuel “Neco” González moved to New Jersey from Utuado and lived in the apartment next to Tello and Norma.
In 1960 they bought their first home at 629 Montrose Street. They lived in this 2 family home for about 5 years.
Tello left Stern’s and worked for a short period at Freedman’s Bakery (no relation to Freedman’s Farm), then left the bakery in about 1964 and took a maintenance job at the Isaac Schwartzman building on Wood Street. Mr. Schwartzman also owned a clothing store on Landis Avenue.
In 1965 Tello and Norma Iris already had 9 children, 5 boys and 4 girls. They sold their home on Montrose Street and bought a bigger home at 224 Almond Street with a big back yard.
Tello worked for Mr. Schwartzman for about 5 years and with Mr. Schwartzman’s advice and help started his own commercial cleaning business in about 1969: Bermúdez Janitorial Service. Mr. Schwartzman became Tello’s first client and more clients were quickly added: the local YMCA and a church on Main and Sherman.
In the early 1970’s Tello started a second business selling his popular “helado de coco” (a Puerto Rican version of Italian Ice made with coconut milk). He called his business “The Good Flavor.”
Norma Iris worked with my father in the farms up until 1953 when she started working at Shapiro Clothing Factory on 6th Street and Montrose. In 1955 she left Shapiro’s for Crown Clothing on 609 Paul St, and in 1975 she left Crown and started working at Phoenix Clothing up until 1979.
Tello maintained both businesses until he retired in 1979, the same year they moved to Puerto Rico, hoping a change to a warmer climate would help Tello’s arthritis. They moved to Cupey Bajo in Rio Piedras with their two youngest children: Obed and Joel.
After returning from Puerto Rico in 1986, Norma started working again at Crown Clothing until retiring several years later.
Tello and Norma currently live in South Vineland. Tello still makes his famous helado and mavi every once in a while and Norma loves cooking for her family that has increased from 11 to over 70 members including children, daughter and son-in-laws, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren.
Children:
1. Elizabeth Bermúdez Mercado
2. Dennis Bermúdez Mercado
3. Miram Bermúdez Mercado
4. Ruth Bermúdez Mercado
5. Ezekial Bermúdez Mercado
6. Ismael Bermúdez Mercado
7. Emeterio Jr. Bermúdez Mercado
8. Judith Bermúdez Mercado
9. Elias Bermúdez Mercado
10. Obed Bermúdez Mercado
11. Joel Bermúdez Mercado
3 comentarios:
Joey I love to read these things. Keep up the good work and you and I should get together to print a book of Dads bio. love you Mimsy
But don't take too long thinking about it I want it to be our project....hummm dad has to sign papers over to us...:o) smiling
Thank you so much for sharing all this information. It's great to know family history that we can pass on to the children.
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