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Miguel and Rita Benites

Miguel Fernando Benites, and his family were among the first to live in Southside. Born in Tucson in the 1870s, Miguel went to Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico and met Rita Echevarria. They had three children there: Pete, Jesus Maria (J.M.), and Angelita. In the early 1900s, they moved to Tempe and had four more children. The Benites family finally settled in Chandler in 1912 and built a home on what would become Morelos Street. Miguel purchased a truck and ran his own business, hauling hay. When he got enough money, he purchased a second truck and then a Model T. The seven Benites Children attended the Winn School and the family went to church at St. Mary’s. Four of the children, Francis, J.M., Alfredo and Angelita, moved to California; J.M. owned and ran a corn tortilla company. Pete, the oldest son, married Belen Leone, from Sonora, Mexico. The family grew to include Lilly, Frances, Pete and Annie. Lilly’s daughter, Ruth Martinez, submitted this family story and the following recipes.

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The Benites Home at 39 E. Moreles