Domingo M. Rodarte

Domingo M. Rodarte, 94, of Prescott, Arizona passed away on December 9, 2012. He went to be with the Lord and his wife, Rachel, who went to be with the Lord in October 2007. Domingo, better known to all as “Mingo”, was born in Sierra Mojada, Coahila, Mexico August 4, 1918 to Augustine and Isabel Rodarte. Mingo and his family migrated to Prescott in 1923 with 4 brothers Chrispin, Angel, Ralph, and Augustine Jr and sister Esther. Mingo as a young boy attended school until the eighth grade and in order to help family, sold and delivered the Prescott Evening Courier and performed various odd jobs in maintenance and landscape work. As he got older, he decided to try hard rock mining as in that time frame, there were many mines in the Prescott area. He recalls working in the Mayer and Crown King areas, mines like the Golden Turkey, The Swastica, and others in the area, during the hard times of the depression. Late in the 30’s, he went to Superior and worked at the Magma mine, where he stated it was the hottest mine to work as a hard rock miner. While in Superior, he met the love of his life, Rachel whom he married. After a year or so, he returned to Prescott and then went to Jerome to work at Phelps Dodge Mine. He worked there until 1944 during the height of World War II, when he decided to enlist in the US Army to defend his new country with his three brothers who were already serving in various branches of the service. When Japan surrendered in 1945, he was just about to be sent to the Pacific. He was then stationed at Ft. Lee, Virginia, but fate entered and he was eligible to be released from the US Army. Mingo returned to Prescott and began working at various jobs in maintenance, taking care of the many buildings owned then by Dixon Fagaberg, who donated many of his buildings to charities. Mingo then got the bug to go back to mining and went to work at the Iron King Mine in Humboldt. During the 1967 winter storm that hit the Prescott area, the resulting high water in the Iron King Mine forced the mine to close. As luck would have it, Mingo ended up working at the Arizona Highway Department here in Prescott and worked all over Northern Arizona in various building maintenance projects. With his certification as an explosive expert of which he learned in the mining industry, Mingo was called upon to perform by ADOT special blasting on various highways. His specialty was highly acknowledged by ADOT. Mingo retired from ADOT in 1983. He continued to keep busy doing various maintenance work throughout Prescott. He enjoyed landscape work and painting. Mingo was a friend to many. He enjoyed traveling with his wife Rachel and was always ready to give a helping hand to the down-trodden. Not having any children of their own, he enjoyed all children, especially family members. Surviving family members are Ernest and Priscilla, Mary and Art Duran, Nellie Yanez and Amelia Rivas of Phoenix, Arizona; his closest nephew Jose “Tino” Mercado and Armando Rodarte of Prescott in addition to over a hundred nephew and nieces and many dear friends whom he met throughout his life.

Cemetery:
Final Commendation will be at 1 pm Monday, December 17 at