Gallardo Family

by | Jul 16, 2025 | People

The Gallardo Family

The Gallardo Family Story

Born in Penjamillo, Michoacan, Mexico, Ramon Gallardo farmed a bountiful garden and kept hogs. When his grandparents passed, Ramon left his six siblings in search of work. A cousin had made it all the way to Michigan; this was all the encouragement Gallardo needed. In 1893, on foot, Ramon left six siblings and walked to Lorado, Texas, paying twenty-five cents to cross the border. Ramon followed the train tracks north, picking up small jobs at stops, and ate orange peels and sandwiches train passengers threw out. In Kansas City, Ramon worked with a train gang. This job led him north to Valley Junction, Iowa, in 1918. As the next Rock Island Railroad hire, Ramon made fast friends with Leon Vasquez. Together, they lived in a boxcar.

In 1920, Gregoria Barcena also made a long trek from Parroquia de Calvillo, Mexico, with her mother and daughter, Josephine Ayala. After meeting in Valley Junction, Ramon and Gregoria married in 1921. The Gallardos had ten more children: Trinidad (Salazar), Leno, Teresa,  Catherine (Martinez), Frank, John Gallardo, Romona (Rocha), Alfredo, Mary (Kramer), and Maria Elena (Kingsley). They lived on 11th Street next door to Brody’s corner store. Ramon had two gardens, a backyard garden and one rented for a dollar across the tracks. He gave away vegetables to anyone who was in need. Gregoria made goat cheese, sold by Catherine and Teresa, pulling the wagon through the neighborhood. Redlining would not allow for the family to move beyond the one-hundred-block block as they looked for a larger home. By mid-century, bilingual Catherine was old enough to understand the situation and fought for her parents, wearing down the bank. The Gallardos moved to a larger home at 7th and Elm.

Raising a Family in Valley Junction

The Gallardos valued community service. Ramon studied hard and applied to be a naturalized citizen. In 1938, he passed the test. He honored his citizenship by voting in every election since. He never missed an election. All the boys served in the military: Marine Corps and National Guard. The Gallardos’ love of serving their community and country was passed down through the generations. Several grandsons became Des Moines Police Officers.

In 1951, Ramon was forced to retire due to diesel fuel poisoning after thirty years at the railroad. This did not stop his service. For the next fourteen years, Ramon worked for the City of West Des Moines. He was also the custodian of the Methodist Church. The church was also a place to make friends

Rooted in Values

In the 90’s, John and Francis (Valdez) Gallardo operated a Mexican restaurant. On the corner of 5th and Elm on Historic Valley Junction, the Gallardo’s Taco Villa opened. They served some of the best tacos on this side of the Mississippi. The restaurant was eventually passed on to their nephew and his wife, Jeff and Dana Duncan, who named it the Casita Valdez.

The Story submitted July 2024 from Felicia Gallardo, Lisa Crow, and Aunt Catherine Martinez (95 years old).

Heard Family

by | Jul 16, 2025 | People

The Heard Family

The Heard Family Story 

L.C. Heard Sr. and wife Margaret Heard were from Centreville, Alabama. L.C. had a good relationship with his Uncle Donald in Orlabor, Ankeny, Iowa. His uncle convinced him that there would be greater opportunity in the Midwest. He was sure to find a job that paid more than his current job as a logger in a timber mill in Centreville. It was an all black community, so everyone worked together to make progress. With the Great Migration’s promise of making a better life for his family, in 1952 L.C. Sr. left his wife and seven children, Jessie, Yvonne, Minnie, Janice, Overlie, L.C. Jr., and Charles, for Ankeny. As he looked for a place to bring his family from Alabama, he would attend church and garden.

The next year, January of 1953, L.C. Sr. brought this family up from Alabama to live with him in Ankeny. Mrs. Heard was expecting a child at this time, and in February, Barbara Heard was the first child born in Iowa. He joined Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church where his uncle preached love of God and family and the power of prayer. L.C. Sr.’s gifts of strong faith and service made him fit for the role of deacon. Quickly, he became a senior deacon in the church.

Planting Roots in West Des Moines

Faith manifested itself in L.C. Sr. successfully finding employment, L.C. Sr. landed a job at Eagle Iron Works. It was hard laborious and hot work. He poured iron into casts for lids to cover manhole and over the sewer systems. The factory was on 2nd Street in Des Moines. Since L.C. Sr. did not own car, he was always beholden on someone else to provide transportation to and from work. Mrs. Heard worked in the home caring for their growing family. The Heards lived in Ankeny for 3 years.

To ease the burden of transportation, L.C. Sr. continued to look for work or housing closer together. They found a house at 412 Lincoln Street, West Des Moines across the railroad tracks in 1956. The Foundry that was located across the railroad had openings for masonry. It was perfect being two blocks away from their new home. L.C. Sr. took a job making stone bricks and walking back and forth to work. The happy family continued to grow as two other children were born there 4 years apart. They were Will and Jerry Heard.

A Home of Love and Legacy

The Heard family now numbered twelve under one roof, parents and ten children. Family was always important. It was the family that brought them up from Alabama and supported them. L.C. and Margaret loved all of their children, even their firstborn Annie B., who died at three months old from pneumonia. Their ten children never met her, but they shared the story of her life and love with them. The family referenced her as an angel they all looked towards.

The Heards’ strong family values were observable in their daily life. “Stay in school to reach your goals,” and “do the best that you can do.” Half of their ten children graduated from Valley High School. Two of them left a legacy. Overlie was a well-known basketball player, and Jerry was a band leader. Another family value was a love of community.

Continued Family Traditions

“Treat your neighbors as you wanted to be treated” was a family value that the Heards lived by in every community from Centreville, Ankeny, West Des Moines, and all over the country now. In their new neighborhood, L.C. and Margaret would garden. They fit in well with the communal neighbors. One neighbor shared her apples and pear trees with the families. Another Mexican neighbor who raised goats shared their goat’s milk. The Heards could not afford milk from the store and often bought powdered milk. The Heard garden quickly became a community garden. It was open to all. There was easy access from the alley in the back. Blessed with plentiful crops the community harvested collard, mustard, and turnip greens, green beans, beans, and lettuce. While L.C. Sr. worked, Margaret and the children tended to the garden, plowing and planting seeds and seedlings. Barbara, their ninth child, remembers plowing the garden. She also recalled the benefit of community sharing. The Perz family next door on the left used to have a sweet delicacy they called ponds. They were like pastry jelly rolls. The rolls may have been hand-made or purchased, but Barbara just remembered the sweet and tasty goodness of sharing.

There are great memories of family gatherings, Thanksgiving, family reunions, Christmas, celebrations, and parties. The most memorable memory was created when families came to visit from afar, Alabama, Illinois, and near Iowa. At the end of the visits, Uncle Donald would have everyone form a circle, hand in hand as they pray for one another’s health, blessings, and a safe journey back home. That is a Heard family tradition. The family reunions, values, and circle of prayer continues today.

The Heard Family Story.