Veronica Yolanda Berrones (1949 - 1964)

Born 29 Sep 1949 in McAllen, Hidalgo, Texas, United States

Ancestors

Died 10 Aug 1964 at age 14 in McAllen, Hidalgo, Texas, United States

Biography

Veronica Berrones died young.

Veronica Yolanda Berrones was born in McAllen, Texas on 29 September 1949 to Victor Berrones Jr. and Emma Estella Lopez.^[1] Coming of age in the 1960s, she enjoyed listening to records such as "Catch A Falling Star" by Françoise Hardy. Veronica's life was cut short on 10 August 1964 when she was accidentally shot by a friend who was playing with an antique rifle at a neighbor's house.^[2] She was 14 years old.^[3][4] Veronica is buried in the Berrones family plot at La Piedad Cemetery in McAllen, Texas.^[5]

Girl, 14, Killed By Shot from Antique Gun

Funeral services will be held at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday for Veronica Yolanda Berrones, 14-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Victor Berrones, 500 South Ninth Street, who was accidentally shot with an antique "unloaded' muzzle-loading rifle in the hands of a playmate yesterday afternoon.

The body will lie In state at the Ceballos Funeral Home until the time of the services and a rosary service will be held at 8 o.clock tonight. Burial will be in La Piedad Cemetery.

Police said the girl was shot by William Baker, also 14, of 2420 Jasmine at the home of a neighbor, Reynaldo Zamora, at 519 South Ninth Street. With him was his sister, Darla, 15. The three children were in the kitchen when William picked up the rifle, which he had been permitted to do before and started firing paper 'cap pistol' caps under the open hammer of the weapon.

He had fired several rounds of caps playfully at his sister and then turned the gun toward Veronica and fired. This time the caps ignited a long forgotten black powder charge in the gun firing the charge of leaden pellets, several of which entered the girl's body and at least one in her heart.

She was pronounced dead on arrival at McAllen Municipal Hospital and Justice of the Peace Mark Musgrove returned a verdict of accidental death by gunshot wound.

Police said the gun was purchased 20 years ago as an antique and had never been loaded or fired by the owner. The gun was an 1847 model U. S. Army Springfield of a type used during the Civil War and the irregular size of the pellets indicated the ancient vintage of the charge in the gun, police said. About 11 of the pellets were recovered.

Besides her parents, Veronica is survived by a brother, Victor; four sisters, Belinda, Letitia, Deborah Teresa and Judith; her paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Victor Berrones Sr. and her maternal grandmother, Mrs. Maria Lopez, all of McAllen.^[2]

Sources

• FamilySearch ID: LJVG-1CG

1. ↑ "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VD4H-BVN : 1 January 2015), Veronica Yolanda Berrones, 29 Sep 1949; from "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2005); citing Texas Department of State Health Services.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} 11 August 1964. The Monitor (McAllen, Texas). Pages 1 and 3. Accessed on 8 August 2021 via: https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/77244712?cid=mem_copy.
3. ↑ "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3XK-V75 : 20 February 2021), Veronica Yolanda Berrones, 10 Aug 1964; citing certificate number 51115, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,117,596.
4. ↑ "Texas Death Index, 1964-1998," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JVYV-Y6R : 5 December 2014), Veronica Y Berrones, Hidalgo, Texas, United States; citing Department of State Health Services, Austin.
5. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/158593207/veronica-yolanda-berrones : accessed 08 August 2021), memorial page for Veronica Yolanda Berrones (29 Sep 1949–10 Aug 1964), Find a Grave Memorial ID 158593207, citing La Piedad Cemetery, McAllen, Hidalgo County, Texas, USA ; Maintained by Melissa Arjona (contributor 48938874).

Acknowledgement

The profile was created and researched by Melissa Arjona.