The Rosary for Antonio Salguero, 74, of Portales, will be recited at 7:00 PM, Wed., May 22, 2019 at St. Helen Catholic Church. Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated at 2:00 PM, Thurs., May 23, 2019 at St. Helen Catholic Church with Fr. Francisco Carbajal as Celebrant. Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with Tom Sweet, Adam Pacheco, Steve Salguero, Joe Trujillo, Henry Ruiz and Pat Gonzales serving as pallbearers. Trae Salguero, GoGo Salguero, Cambree Salguero, Stacy Chavez, Delma Fernandez, Perci Urias, Leon Trujillo, Mary Jane Quiroga, Maria Alejandra Neri-Bueno and Simon Nunez will be honorary pallbearers. Military honors will be rendered by the Canon Air Force Base Honor Guard.
Antonio Ofelio Salguero was born June 13, 1944 in Taiban, NM to the home of Cornelia (Baca) and Trinidad Salguero and died May 19, 2019 in Portales. Mr. Salguero moved to Portales in 1953. He attended the Portales Public Schools where he played basketball. Mr. Salguero graduated from Portales High School in 1963. For a number of years he worked as a meat cutter. His first job in that field was with Hatch Packing Co. After the plant closed he worked at a number of local super markets. In the mid 1980’s he began attending night classes at Eastern New Mexico University. He graduated in 1992 with a BA in education. His first teaching position was at Lindsey Elementary, but for the last several years of his career he taught New Mexico History and 7th grade Math. Mr. Salguero retired in 2006.
He served in the New Mexico National Guard for 25 years, retiring in the late 1980’s as a 1st Sgt. Mr. Salguero was appointed to the Portales City Council in 2008 to finish a term for Jake Lopez. Following that he ran and was elected to two terms, retiring from the council in 2018. He was a faithful member of St. Helen Catholic Church, and was a 3rd Degree member of the Knights of Columbus.
He is survived by two sons and a daughter-in-law, Tony and Annette Salguero and Lance Salguero of Portales; a daughter and son-in-law, Kathy and Tom Sweet of Corpus Christi, TX; two grandchildren, Trae Salguero and GoGo Salguero; a great-grandchild, Cambree Salguero; three brothers, Delfino Trinidad Salguero and Richard Salguero both of Albuquerque and Raymond Salguero of Liberal, KS; and three sisters, Emma Baca and Leonela Baca both of Portales and Patsy Lucero of Amarillo, TX. He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Oracio and Octavio Salguero and a sister, Diana Salguero who died as a child, as well as by his beloved wife, Sandra “Sue” Salguero who died Nov. 7, 2015.
