Jesus Soto Ybarbo

Jesse was born July 8, 1932 in a field somewhere near Creedmoor, TX (or Buda or

Turnersville) depending on who you asked. Not much is known of his early years

other than he left school early in order to help the family as a migrant worker.

The family travelled all over Texas and parts of the Southwest. Jesse worked in

the fields until his 16th or 17th year. This is when he fudged his birthdate in

order to join the Texas National Guard and start settling roots in Austin.

After his stint in the Guard, Jesse worked at TexWood and Progressive Industries

where he learned woodworking. It was here that he flourished as a DIY self-taught

woodworker. Jesse could build anything: bookcases, podiums, furniture and

cabinets. He was a master craftsman with wood. His artistry with wood culminated

in the building of the church altar and the baptismal fonts at St Ignatius,

Martyr. Though he came from a family of migrant workers, the Ybarbos were, in

fact, artists in the mediums of hair, wood, music and decorating.

During his carefree young man years, Jesse met Mary Murphy who was visiting

Austin on a church mission. They were married on November 21, 1964 and their

first child, John, was born in October 1965. This was followed by two other boys

(Joseph and James) and the growing family moved out of their Montopolis home and

into South Austin. Jesse and Mary lived in that house while raising the boys

before kicking them all out when they graduated college or got married. That was

the deal.

Jesse played as hard as he worked. He was a founding member of the Jokers

Baseball Club and the Pan American Golf Association. He taught himself how to

play golf when he was told that “Mexicans can’t play golf.” He excelled in it and

won several tournaments. “I took everyone’s money” is how he explained his thoughts on being told he couldn’t play golf.

When Jesse was in his 40s, he decided he wanted to run the Capitol 10000. He

started running daily in the neighborhood and he completed the race in just over

an hour. He was the kind of man who would just do it because it needed to be

done. He worked harder than anyone else, yet he never complained about it. That’s

just who he was.

Jesse loved hunting and fishing and was an active member of the St. Ignatius

Men’s Club. He made menudo and could fry up all the fish he caught. He loved his

daughter-in-laws Julianna, Maribel and Ann. He doted on his five grandchildren:

Emily, Cecilia, Jillian, Adam and Daniel. He was proud of the fact that all his

boys graduated from college. Since his own education had been cut short, it made

sense that Jesse was motivated to get his GED. In 1981, he went back to night

school and earned one. He also applied for his own library card and would spend

hours in the library reading after he retired.

Jesse was the uncle everyone loved because he helped raise his nephew Victor and

his niece, Lucille. He would do anything for his family. You couldn’t go anywhere

with him without running into someone he knew and Jesse could talk to anyone. He was proud of having met Willie Nelson, Coach Darryl Royal and President Lyndon

Baines Johnson.

In the end, he died peacefully at home on August 7, 2021. His spirit has joined

with his family that went before: Amelia, Carmen, Joe and John. Somewhere out in

the Universe, they’re sitting at a table and everyone’s talking at the top of

their lungs because the Ybarbos are a loud people. You might be hearing them now.

When Death came to get Jesse, he asked her what happens next. She told him that

he gets to find out, just like everyone else. He looked down and asked “Did I do

okay? Did I live a good life?”

“You got the standard deal: a lifetime.”

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you bring your best “Jesse story” to

share with the family and friends.