Medardo Gonzales was born in La Jara, a ranching and farming community in the foothills of the beautiful San Pedro Mountains in Sandoval County, New Mexico near Cuba, New Mexico. H...view moreMedardo Gonzales was born in La Jara, a ranching and farming community in the foothills of the beautiful San Pedro Mountains in Sandoval County, New Mexico near Cuba, New Mexico. He attended La Jara Community School until seventh grade, and after the family moved to Gallup, New Mexico, he attended Sacred Heart Cathedral High School graduating in 1952. In 1953 he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in Korea until his release from active duty in 1955. He worked for the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs in various areas of administration in supervisory, management, and training positions from September of 1956 until his retirement in December of 1981. After his retirement, he worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs Continental Divide Training Center as a contract Course Developer and Instructor, then for the University of New Mexico, Gallup Campus as a Community Development Specialist, and then for the Bill Oliver Training Corporation of Albuquerque, New Mexico as a sales representative, trainer, and instructor. When the Corporation closed due to the ill health of the owner, Medardo opened his own training enterprise in Gallup, New Mexico which he operated for six years and then opened a flower and gift shop in Grants, New Mexico which he operated until the end of 2012 when he moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where he presently lives. This is his second book. His first book, which came out on February 1, 2019 and entitled Live to Love, Love to Live, is published by Sunstone Press of Santa Fe, New Mexico and available from Amazon.
Medardo is a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Disabled Veterans of America, served as commander of the DAV Chapter in Grants, New Mexico, President of the AARP Chapter in Grants, New Mexico, President of Saint Paul’s Parish Council in Crownpoint, New Mexico, and President of Saint Eleanor’s Parish Council in Ruidoso, New Mexico. Before he left Gallup in 1961 he was a member of the Knights of Columbus, and the VFW in Gallup, and in 1975, while stationed in Crownpont. he joined the Cursillo Movement of the Diocese of Gallup, New Mexico. He was an active member of the Cursillos until his retirement from civil service in 1981.view less