Chris, Jr. was born on Wednesday, October 3, 1973 in Taft, Texas. He weighted 7lbs. and was 21 ½ inches long. While in the hospital the nurses loved taking care of him and he was in the room with his parents, Kathryn & Chris, Sr. most of the time.  We brought Chris, Jr. home to a house full of family members from the Malley’s and Hinojosa’s. Everyone wanted to hold him and could not get over how long he was.   Chris, Jr. would move all around in the bassinet and not too soon afterwards had to be placed in his crib. From the minute he was born he wanted to explore and see what this world he was born in was made of. 

When Chris, Jr. was 13 days old we moved back to Beaumont where Chris, Jr. would reside most of his life but 10 yrs. of it.  During his first year of life for parents being only 22 yrs. old he would teach them a few things.  At 4 months old he began teething and when those teeth began it was like popcorn.  Chris was off the bottle and using a sippy cup at the age of 8 months.  Chris had so many teeth that he would bite the nipples off and we stopped buying new ones for him because it was time for him to use a cup.

In his first 5 years, Chris, Jr. would learn to walk at 8 months old and be potty trained at 15 months old and wanted to only wear “big boy” briefs.  Chris, Jr. would welcome his sister, Dana into the family at the age of 16 months and ride back to Corpus Christi to take his Hinojosa Grandparents back home after a 2 week stay after his new sister was born.  He talked all the way to Corpus in which his Dad really enjoyed because it kept him awake as Chris, Jr. grandparents slept. The next few years were years of enjoying how to learn to ride a tricycle and visit the oil wells with his Grandpa Malley (Carlo, Sr.) and his sister, Dana then on to his grandparents to eat dinner and every Sunday for meatballs & spaghetti.  Started Trinity Mother’s Day out at three and then on to Amelia Elementary for kindergarten.  It was January 4, 1979 that Chris, Jr. be the proud big brother once more for a brother by the name of Carlo.  The family was complete at this time. 

Then it was on to playing T-Ball, Baseball, Tag Football, Soccer, 4-H.  In 4-H Chris, Jr. will excel to the Highest Honor of “Gold Star”.  During Chris, Jr. 4-H years he would raise lambs, broilers, turkeys, pigs, steers, and breeding beef.  Chris, Jr. caught a calf scramble at the Houston Livestock Show and purchased a heifer by the name of 4-D Lisa.  Chris, Jr. and Lisa would prove to be the best of friends.  Every Friday it was off to shows where they would win nothing but Grand Champion and a few Reserve Grand Champion.  Chris, Jr. and Lisa would show in Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, San Angelo, South East Texas State Fair and many other shows in Texas bringing home trophies, belt buckles and silver trays.  Chris, Jr. would also enter in the Food Shows and not only win in Beaumont but at District at A & M University.  There was also Livestock Judging at A & M University and workshops to attend and learn all about livestock. These were wonderful years where it was shared with the whole family and enjoying being together and making wonderful family memories for a life time.  Thru these years Chris, Jr. would learn to save his winning for the dream of his life, his first truck, a black Chevy pick-up in which he paid for with his own money.

Chris, Jr. worked for several places :  Swan’s, Malley’s Auto Sale, Billy’s Auto Sale, Brock Audio, and then he moved to Katy, Texas where he worked as a Security Manager at one of the top Night Clubs in Houston and Body Guard on days he had off.  Chris, Jr. was able to meet George Lopez and let him know that Hispanics can be 6’7”, even though he was only part Hispanic. George Lopez heard about his height and told them at the club he just had to meet this young man and they made a friendship and when George Lopez was in town he would always go by and visit Chris, Jr.  Chris, Jr. was also lucky to meet Paul Rodriguez and many other famous people.  He was a Body Guard for Oil tycoon who wanted him to escort him to a big wedding to make sure he didn’t drink too much and get in trouble.  The man told Chris, Jr. he was the only Body Guard he ever had that give him his money back.  Chris, Jr. told us he only had to pay 2 people off not to try anything with the gentleman and that was because they were too drunk also.  Most people would back away and Chris, Jr. believed it was because of his height and how he treated them.  He would always say that just because he was trained as a Body Guard he didn’t have to show off and disrespect people.  Another was to escort a basketball player’s wife at court side and keep people from bothering her and this he enjoyed.  He was licensed to carry a gun but, he never had to carry it with him.  He also escorted many couples to different night spots and enjoyed meeting them and many would call him often.

Chris, Jr. enjoyed life and family and friends were very important to him.  He would go visit his Grandma Hinojosa in Rosenberg and talk about the bible with her.  His Grandmother enjoyed this and didn’t know he knew so much about the bible.  He would spend the week-ends with his grandma & grandpa Malley and stay up late at night and help his grandmother with the many craft ideals she would have.  Loved following his Uncle Frank around when he was a little boy, as they were only 10 years apart.  Learn to swim at 16months with the help of his father, Chris, Sr. and his Uncle Bubbie (Carlo, Jr.).  Go riding with his Uncle Joe and one night on a return trip from checking on his Uncle Joe’s race horses in Louisiana they stop at a car dealership to find out that many of the cars were unlocked as they were pretending to open them to test drive.  They came home to tell his mother, Kathryn Hinojosa and she called to general manager the next day to let him know, he was very thankful and was upset that they were left open.

Chris, Jr. had 3 favorite teachers that he thought the world of.  Carolyn Wood his third grade teacher.  She told me one day that just because she moved Chris, Jr. up by her desk was not because he was in trouble or gave her a hard time in class.  Ms. Wood said that when she wear a new dress or outfit Chris, Jr. recognized it and would pay her a compliment on the outfit, dress, or blouse.  If she were something she felt he thought made her look larger he would only tell her that he like another outfit better that that one and would tell her which outfit it was.  Ms. Wood said she never got those compliments at home and loved his for it and when I would she her now she would always ask for Chris, Jr.  Mary Beth Woodall was his Fourth Grade teacher and she always told me how polite he was and caring of people.  Carl Smith our neighbor was his science teacher in the 9th grade.  Mr. Smith teased him on the first day of school by telling him he knew he was one student he didn’t have to worry about turning in homework and anything else because he was right down the road from his parents.  Mr. Smith got a big laugh out of the class and some of the students said they were glad he (Mr. Smith) didn’t live on their street.  Even though Chris, Jr. high school was West Brook he had many friends from Central & Kelly High School.  He made friends with everyone.  There were those who would try his size but, only to see that Chris, Jr. did not back down from anyone.  He learned early on in his life from his Uncle Bubbie (Carlo Malley, Jr.) that because of his height there will be those that will challenge him.  Chris, Jr. Uncle Bubbie was 6’4” tall.

Chris, Jr. only nephew, Ashton Carlo Hinojosa was born on Wednesday, October 27, 2004 the same day in which Chris, Jr. was born.  They were both the first child and son to their parents.  Chris, Jr. adored Ashton as much as Ashton adored and loved his uncle.  In the afternoon after school Ashton would come into the house looking for his Uncle Chris as they would play on the computer together or watch a movie and share spaghetti with each other sometime.  This Christmas Chris, Jr. wanted to buy a 4 wheeler for Ashton and everyone thought Ashton was too young to have one but, not his Uncle Chris and on Christmas Morning when Ashton come over there was his 4 wheeler and Ashton hugged him and kissed him and told him he was the greatest uncle in the world.  When Chris, Jr. got his new car it was Ashton who would get the first ride and one time Chris, Jr. brought a beautiful Mercedes car that belonged to a friend of him from Houston and Chris, Jr. went and pick-up Ashton from kindergarten and it had a sun roof and wood grain interior and Ashton was the star as everyone wanted to look at it.  Chris, Jr. was always finding ways to let Ashton enjoy things in life and Chris, Jr. loved talking to Ashton because he was so smart and could talk about many things and had common sense.  

Chris, Jr. brought so much joy into his family and it will remain forever.  Some of the other things he did were:  At 6 months old we were in his Uncle Louis’s wedding and I made a Tuxedo for him and his Grandparents Hinojosa were so proud of him and everybody made over him as his Aunt Delia brought him into the reception dinner. At 14 months we were in Maria & Jose Rodriquez wedding and again another tuxedo was made for Chris, Jr. and at the dance he was put on the stage with the band were he would start dancing and when Chris, Jr. was the star of the even by everyone who couldn’t get over him dancing to the music and ever though the leader of the band invited him on the stage and would then as his father to remove him from the stage and everyone would say that was because Chris, Jr. took front stage and the band leader knew it.  When Chris, Jr. and his sister Dana received a go-cart from Santa when they were 6 & 4 it was only prove that Chris, Jr. even being the oldest would say Dana was too dangerous when she was driving and he wanted to do the driving.  Talking about driving before Chris, Jr. his Uncle Joe would let him drive his car before he would receive his license and on one trip from Louisiana his Uncle Joe let him drive back and his Uncle Joe climb in the back seat of the car and sure enough a police officer stop them and they knew they were in trouble. Uncle Joe would tell him to let him do all the talking and the officer ended up telling him uncle to get up front and drive and then made some remark about asking him if he had a gun since he was from Texas, maybe that officer did the same thing with one of his relatives.  Chris, Jr. loved all kind of music and loved to dance.  At 2 years old as I was making flour tortillas I turned my back for a minute to get something only to turn and to find Chris, Jr. covered in flour and good thing the camera was in the kitchen where it stayed most of the time in chase it was needed for those kinds of pictures.  There are so many stories about his relationship with his many uncles and aunts on the of the Mulley and Hinojosa side and not to mention his great uncles and aunts.  I will never forget the first time his Grandpa Mulley held him for the first time; his Grandma Mulley just couldn’t get over it since he didn’t even hold his own children until they were a little older.  Grandpa Mulley loved him so much and his sister & brother and did many things with them.

I end this story of Chris, Jr. with God takes the good ones at an early age because he has a special plan for them and by the way Chris, Jr. was to his family and others shows us that we know he is with God in Heaven and on a special journey. Most of all I must say if I had to say good-bye to my son what better day then on Easter Sunday the day of Jesus’ resurrection into Heaven. I feel as if Jesus carried him home with him.  I feel as if Chris, Jr. was taken at this time by Jesus because we could have lost him in November when he was in a very serious wreck and was in ICU for a few days with many complications.

A Christian Vigil for Mr. Hinojosa will be held at 6:00 p.m., Friday, April 25, 2014, at Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, April 26, 2014, at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church, 6825 Gladys Avenue, Beaumont. His interment will follow at Magnolia Cemetery in Beaumont.