Terrones Family
Doroteo Terrones and his family moved to Ames from Leon, Mexico in 1916. Nine years later his 21-year-old brother, John, followed him here. It was John’s family that was to leave its mark on our town.
John had been a shoemaker in Mexico but got a job as a laborer with the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad in Ames. After a year his kind Norwegian foreman loaned him the money to bring his wife, Josephine, and their son, Faustino (Tino), to Ames. For the first 14 years John and Josephine rented various homes. In 1939 they bought a brick home at 504 Lincoln Way where they lived for the next 39 years. They had nine children, one of whom died at birth. The rest went on to live successful and productive lives.
Tino became a US citizen when he joined the army during World War II. When he returned from combat he had earned six medals. He worked at the Ames Post Office for 20 years. Tony, John Junior, Jesse, and George were veterans of the Korean War. John Junior was awarded a purple heart for his service. Upon returning to Ames, Tony was a letter carrier in Ames for nearly 42 years, and Jesse became a loan officer at United Bank and Trust in Campustown.
Toche started as a teller at the Union Story bank and then worked for the Chamber of Commerce where he worked his way up to the executive level in Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois. He served as President of the Iowa Chamber Executives and founded the Festival of Iowa.
John never owned a car, and walked to work all his life. He retired in 1969 after 44 years with the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad.