Happy birthday to the City of Westminster and the wonderful residents who keep it a great place to live! People have called our marvelous city home for 114 years. On April 4, 1911, residents of Harris Village voted to incorporate under the new name of Westminster.
In honor of this birthday, we’d like to celebrate our residents who are turning 100 or have already hit that major milestone. We want to share your story and learn what life was like when you first moved here, and we’d like to know what kept you here. If you’re 100 or know someone who is, please tell us about them here.
We’ll start this new series by introducing you to Jose Cresencio Juarez-Martinez, a Westminster resident who turns 100 years old this month.
It’s a typical Thursday afternoon. You can find Jose sitting in a comfy recliner in his bedroom. He’s watching an old Western movie, his favorite genre, while he relaxes. It’s a pretty good life for a 99-year-old. Jose turns 100 on April 19th. Don’t be impressed yet—he says his cousin lived to 103, and he plans to beat her!
Jose lives in Westminster with his daughter, and he spends time with another daughter in Greeley. You can feel the love in their home. Love has been a long thread weaving throughout Jose’s life. He had seven children and was left to take care of them alone when his wife tragically passed from breast cancer when she was just 40.
But Jose did a good job, he did back-breaking work on the railroad to make sure they had everything they needed. A few years ago, he was able to gift money to three great grandchildren to use for college when they grow up. “You can’t take your money with you,” said Jose. “Best thing to do is give to people who need it. Give to the people around you.”
Jose raised his family in the Catholic church. He tried to instill in them values he found important, including having a great work ethic. He doesn’t take kindly to laziness.
Even though Jose spent his life working hard, he did allow himself some pleasure. He’s been a huge boxing fan ever since he was a kid. Being that he was born in 1925, getting the local boxing news was different. He couldn’t just turn on Pay-Per-View and watch Rodolfo Casanova, his favorite boxer from where he grew up, land a winning blow. He had to talk with friends and hear about the hits through the grapevine if he couldn’t be there in the crowd to watch. To this day, Jose can spit out facts about all the boxers he’s cheered on through the years.
Singing and dancing are also some of his passions. Jose gets a little shy and says he’s not good at either, but his daughter insists he is. She says he used to play the guitar for her and her siblings, and they loved it. He does say that he loves a good Mariachi band.
So, how do you celebrate turning 100? Well, you have a big party with your friends and family! That’s what Jose plans to do. Usually, it’s the birthday boy who gets the presents—but this year, his daughters could finally get what they’ve been waiting more than five decades for… his secret tamale recipe! They want to cook the tamales like Jose made for them when they were little.
Jose can’t reveal the secret to a long life—he doesn’t know what it is. Though, he thinks that drinking juice, eating peanuts/walnuts, and avoiding hard liquor probably helped him reach 100. But if he had to guess what’s given him such longevity, maybe it’s the fact that he regularly practices gratitude. “Before I drink a cup of coffee or have a donut to start my day,” Jose explains, “I thank God for what he gave me. I always say, ‘Thank you Lord for all that you offer me.’”
If you know a Westminster resident who is turning 100 and you want us to feature their life story, let us know by submitting this form.