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Reverend Jose Gonzalez was born in 1942, in Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico. His grandparents were Santos and Felipa Martinez, and Presentacion and Florentina Gonzalez.

Jose Gonzalez Sr., son of Presentacion and Florentina, served as Pastor Evangelical in Chicago, and around the country before he went to Mexico to preach. He is now deceased. Josepha Martinez, Jose Sr.’s wife, was born in San Luis Potosi and grew up in Sabinas, Coahuila. His parents, Jose said, met in Coahuila, Mexico, when his father served as pastor in a church and his mother assisted in the church. “We are a large family; we are twelve brothers. Three brothers are pastors.” When he was younger, Reverend Jose lived in Mexico City, where he attended the Polytechnic and studied at the Institute of Engineering. Then, he moved to Nayarit, where he lived for fifteen years. In 1968, he left to live in Sonora, where he preached in Nogales for five years.  He returned to Nayarit, before immigrating to Chandler in 1980.

Jose Jr.’s wife’s name is Evangelina. Her parents are Gregorio Mendez Estrada and Socorro Bermudez de Estrada. Gregorio was a U.S. citizen. Evangelina was born in 1950, in Agua Cerca, Sonora. Members of her family live in Prescott, Arizona.          

The story of Jose Jr. is as follows: He said that he did not want to be a preacher, but he felt called to be one. One night of vigil and prayer, he heard God tell him to leave all and become a preacher. Jose, at that time, was a successful businessman. He asked God that if his calling to a preacher was true, to have his house sold for his asking price. He lived in Nayarit at the time, and he had a fine house and asked for a large amount of money for the sale of his house. The next day, when at work, his wife called and told him that a group of men showed up at their home wanting to purchase the house. He had not told anyone about selling his house; it had all been a response to his previous night oration.

For a short period, the family was undocumented in the United States. Jose said that God is great. He said that an Anglo woman from a family that did not attend his church, and who did not know them, came and paid all the costs to emigrate them legally. That same woman paid all costs for them to become citizens. Without her help, he said that they would not have been able to fix their immigration status or obtain their citizenship. Evangelina added, “It was a plan of God because my husband actually did not want to be in the United States.” They still know the woman that helped them and her family.

When he and his family came to Chandler, Jose said that it was not easy, as the family experienced a contrast of income; for example, in Mexico, he earned thousands. Here, at the start, he was paid $50 per month the first month, and then afterward, he earned $50 per week.

Jose Jr. and Evangelina have five children: three girls and two boys. He enrolled his children at the San Marcos grade school, and then, they attended Chandler High School; his children walked to school. Four live here in Chandler, and one lives in Kentucky. All are grown, graduated from Arizona State University, and are self supporting. One son studied music in Arizona State University. He has a gift; since he was little, he played music. His children earned grants and scholarships.       

Jose and Evangelina said that they enjoy Mexican food such as tamales, atole, bunuelos, arroz con leche (rice pudding), papas con chorizo (potatoes with chorizo), and cocido de rez (beef soup). Their grandchildren, a new generation born here, have changed their food culture. Two of his sons married Anglo women. Jose and Evangelina have been married for 41 years.