The Healer: Legacy of Don Pedro Jaramillo in South Texas

Don Pedro JaramilloPhoto byWikipedia

Growing up in South Texas I encountered all sorts of folk legends, but the story of Don Pedro Jaramillo is in a league of its own. Understand, I grew up in a predominately Hispanic ranching community. Folklore about brujas (witches) and curanderos (medicine men) abounded. -But Don Pedro Jaramillo's legacy endures.

Texas State Historical Marker dedicated to the memory of Don Pedro Jaramillo in Falfurrias, Texas.Photo byWikipedia

First, so strong is his memory in South Texas, that the Texas State Historical Survey Committee has erected an official Texas Historical Marker in his honor in Falfurrias, Texas. His marker was the first to be written in both English and Spanish in Texas.

Mural of Don Pedro Jaramillo in Downtown Falfurrias, Texas.Photo byTexas Department of Transportation / Texas Highways Magazine

He is also a presence in Downtown Falfurrias, Texas where a mural honors him. But who is this "folk saint" who still inspires followers more than 115 years after his death?

First, it is important to understand the heritage of the curandero (folk healer) in Hispanic history and culture.

A curandero can treat the negative consequences of encounters a person has had with a duende (a "spirit creature"). A person can "lose their soul" when being frightened or experiencing a frightening experience. This is called espanto or susto.

Don Pedro Jaramillo - South Texas Curandero & Folk Medicine SaintPhoto byMedicalHealthHumanities.com

Don Pedro Jaramillo believed he heard a voice telling him God had given him the power to heal. His story as a healer begins in the 1800s when he arrived at the Los Olmos ranch near Falfurrias, Texas, announced he was a curandero, and began treating the Mexican families in the region. At the height of his career, families from as far away as New York City would travel to this remote area in South Texas to seek his help. At the height of his reputation, 200 letters addressed to him arrived each week.

Shrine to Don Pedro Jaramillo at the location of his burial in Falfurrias, TexasPhoto byCity of Falfurrias, Texas

Today a shrine stands at his burial spot in Falfurrias, Texas. The faithful still come more than a hundred years after his death to light a candle and say a prayer for healing. Visitors often leave flowers, photos, and candles to honor his memory and petition him for blessings.

Visitor to the shrine of Don Pedro Jaramillo in Falfurries, Texas.Photo byTexas Highways / Texas Highway Department

Don Pedrito - as many of the faithful call him - lived and died in a small adobe hut near the banks of Los Olmos Creek in Brooks County. He has been gone from this remote corner of South Texas for more than 100 years - but the legend (and legacy) of Don Pedro Jaramillo ("Don Pedrito") lives on.

The legend and legacy of Don Predro Jaramillo ("Don Pedrito") lives on in the South Texas community of Falfurrias.Photo byCIty of Falfurrias, Texas