Manuel Arteaga Tovar

Manuel was born on June 7, 1939 to Gabino Arteaga Guerrero and Carmen Tovar Huerta de Arteaga in the small town of San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico. He was the fourth of 5 children and the only son. His father was unschooled but taught himself how to read and write. His mother received some schooling to learn to read and write, but being a girl it was not considered a necessity. They were both hardworking people and his Father had dreams of owning his own business and little by little he did just that. So, Manuel was brought up learning how to do many things because his dad didn’t stop at just one business. He started making pulque, which is an alcoholic beverage made from the agave cactus, sort of a precursor of tequila which he then sold in his “pulqueria “. Then he taught himself how to make popsicles and next, ice cream. This was in the late 1940’s and by 1949 he opened a small storefront where he sold his popsicles and ice cream as well as cold cuts, packaged bread (a novelty!), candy and cigarettes. This was the beginning of the family business named “Bugambilia”. Eventually his mother, Carmen started cooking meals for the traveling salesmen from a small kitchen in the back and this morphed into a full scale restaurant that was housed in the same building on the main square for over 20 years.

It was in these same businesses where Manuel spent his childhood, teens and young adulthood. He was always telling stories of these times and how close he was to his father. His father would take him everywhere and teach him about all the different things they saw and did together. One of the things of which Manuel was proudest was the fact that his father entrusted him with tasks at a young age. One of the things he was responsible for was the generator. The electric grid in Mexico in those years was not very dependable but since they dealt in very perishable goods, they always had a large generator as a backup. When Manuel was about 10, if there was a power outage it was his job to get the generator prepped and started. The prepping wasn’t a problem but he was too small to pull the Cord to start the motor so he would go out on the street and pull in the first workman to pass by to help him yank the start cord! But he never told his dad “I can’t”.

Like any good father, Don Gabino wanted more for his son so he made sure he didn’t neglect his education and when Manuel reached high school age he sent him to study with the Jesuits at Instituto Lux in Leon, Guanajuato. After graduating Manuel returned home and continued to help his father in the family businesses.

San Miguel has always been a mecca for artists and retirees from many countries, but especially the U.S. and in Dec. of 1963 his future wife and her parents moved to town. The family restaurant, “Bugambilia”, was the hangout for most of the young people. In a town that size, everyone knows everyone and Manuel and Jill soon became good friends. They would give each other advice about the others current boyfriend or girlfriend and could talk about anything and nothing for hours. Jill too was sent to boarding school and for the three and a half years she was gone, every Sunday he would go down to the telephone office and place a long distance call to the town where her school was and they would talk at length.

In 1969 they decided there was more to it than just friendship and they got married. Family soon came along: 1970 Victoria, 1971 Alejandra, 1974 Veronica and as a finale 1975 twins Jill del Carmen and Manuel Gabino better known as Jill and Tito. During the 1970’s Manuel worked for a time with his father and like his father tried his hand at many things. He sold insurance, sold and delivered propane gas, raised pigs and then in 1973 he, his wife and 2 daughters moved to Irapuato where he opened his own restaurant named “El Ganso de Oro” (The Golden Goose). A week after signing all the final papers, and barely 3 weeks from opening, the city suffered a catastrophic flood. A series of dams collapsed and water came rushing through the streets, in places up to 6 and 7 feet. Since his restaurant was located in the stone basement of one of the older buildings in the city and was part of a series of underground tunnels, absolutely everything was underwater. When the water subsided, he ferried his daughters out on his shoulders where his father took them back to San Miguel and then he and Jill began the task of cleaning out and rebuilding the business. It took several weeks of back breaking labor but they finally reopened and were back in business. It was a very upscale elegant restaurant and with his wonderful people skills and great service he created a signature restaurant. But in April of 1974 his father became very ill and Manuel, being the good son he was, shuttered his dream and returned home to help run the family business and then to nurse his father day and night through his final illness until he passed away in early May. In the years following his fathers’ death he moved his family to Acapulco for a year where he and Jill worked at many different hotels and restaurants. He then opened a second restaurant in San Miguel named “Bugambilia II”. After a couple of years, they lost their lease and in 1980 moved here to Riverside where Jill’s family resided.

For the first few months Manuel and Jill lived wither her mother and in June they had saved enough to rent an apartment and bring the 5 children from Mexico. Things were not easy at first but Manuel was hired at the Mission Inn in Riverside as a busboy and within a few months demonstrated of what he was capable. He worked as banquet captain and was eventually promoted to Manager and Maître d’ of the restaurant. He loved the Mission Inn and this was one of his happiest working times. He would take the children with him sometimes and the Mission Inn was like a giant playhouse for them. Because of family problems in Mexico he had to leave his job and when he returned the Mission Inn had closed its doors.

Even as a hardworking dad he found to time to attend as many school functions as he could: parent teacher conferences, award assemblies, school productions, sports events and banquets. On weekends or during the summers he would find places to take the kids for family fun. They would pack a lunch, find a green area on the map and go discover a new park. When his sister Tere came to visit with a group of her family he took a week off work and did all the amusement parks with them: Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, Marineland, Universal Studios, Magic Mountain and Disneyland again! Disneyland was his favorite and he went many times. One year his kids sent him and their Mom on a 2 day trip with hotel stay and all to Disneyland for their anniversary. His two other favorite places for family time were Lake Arrowhead and the beach at Corona del Mar. When his mother Carmelita came to visit she enjoyed him and his family so much she would stay for several months at a time as did his sister Elena.

In the early 80’s the first of many acquired children, Castor Najera, was welcomed into the family. He was followed in 1987 by Alfredo Zavala and progressing through the years by Chris Morrison, Chris Richarson, Rosie Galant, Joanna Barb, Leanna Estada, Deanna Estada, Jennifer Douwes, and Juan Luis Garcia. Whenever a new one was acquired, the one stipulation was they had to stay in school and keep their grades up. They all graduated from high school and this was something of which Manuel and Jill were very proud.

Manuel continued to work in different hotels and for different catering companies and for a time had his own catering business where all of his children and acquired children worked at one time or another.

The year 1994 brought one of the greatest joys of his life: the birth of his first grandchild, Samantha. She was quickly followed by Hogan in 1995, Elena in 1996, Jonathan in 1997, Kylee in 1998 and last by Stephen in 2000. Each in their own special way made him look forward to retirement which came about in 2002. But just because he retired from the working world, he didn’t retire from family life. He was the life of his family both natural and acquired! He loved getting together as a family, not just for special occasions (although those were very important also) but just because he loved sharing time , conversation, jokes and laughter with all of his family.

He will truly be missed by all who knew and loved him:

Wife of 42 years: Jill J Arteaga

Daughters: Victoria Arteaga Lee Alejandra Arteaga Veronica Arteaga Jill Arteaga

Son: Manuel Arteaga

Granddaughters: Samantha Fernandez, Elena Morrison, Kylee Morrison,

Grandsons: Hogan Jefferis Arteaga , Jonathan Fernandez, Stephen Fernandez

Sons and Daughter in law: Duane Lee, Juan Fernandez, Chris Morrison, Christine Jefferis

Acquired Sons: Castor Najera, Alfredo Zavala, Chris Morrison, Chris Richardson, Juan Luis Garcia

Acquired daughters: Joanna Barb, Rosie Galant, Leanna Estada, Deanna Estada, Jennifer Douwes

Sister: Teresa Arteaga de Torres, her husband Gustavo and there surviving children Yolanda, Lupe, Pati, Ofelia, Gustavo, Maritere, Monica, Lucy and son Alex, and Rosalba.

Sister: Carmen Arteaga and son Gerardo.