María de Jesús Flores de Castillo

María de Jesús Flores was born on September 15, 1864 in Chihuahua City, Chihuahua, Mexico the daughter of Ramón Flores and Cleofas Ugarte. At the age of seventeen, Jesusita married Máximo Castillo on June 28, 1881. Both Máximo and Jesusita were the same age, and only a few months apart. In the beginning of the memoirs titled "My family, my village, and my poverty" Máximo writes that twenty-one days after the wedding, he disgraced the family having made the mistake of killing a man. As a result, Máximo spent six months in jail leaving prison in complete poverty, young, inexperienced, and without knowledge of how to make a livelihood. Knowing a little about farming, Máximo left to the United States and for the next six months searched for work. Not having much luck in the United States, Máximo returned home ashamed and afraid to greet his young wife "I did not have five centavos to give her after another long absence". Máximo writes of Jesusita's kind nature and how she received him in good spirits, and as if he had brought back a million dollars. Having a bit of confidence, Máximo then rented a small plot of land in an effort to grow corn and beans. Unfortunately, the situation grew worse despite working days and nights, and Jesusita had already given birth to two children. Máximo writes " My dear wife gladly accepted our misery and consoled me when she saw I was beaten down and sad. She said to me: Don't worry about our poverty: this is where God has put us, we are fine like this, and one day our bad luck will change."

Despite Máximo's poverty and economic challenges he could read, write, cultivate a plot land, and venture into business opportunities. Máximo's leadership qualities would become quite evident when he turned thirty years old. Decades later, Máximo would be remembered for helping the people of Chihuahua, who were poorer than himself.

"Jesusita" Doña María de Jesús Flores de Castillo died on May 28, 1922, at age of fifty-eight.