1 year ago
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MERCED, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - The Merced Mall said goodbye to its longest tenant connected Friday erstwhile 80-year-old barber Celedonio Belayo received a heartfelt goodbye.
Belayo came to the United States from Guadalajara astatine the young property of two. As a young man, helium was drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War and served successful the U.S. Navy.
After his subject service, Belayo says helium kept his seasoned presumption backstage from his customers owed to the antagonistic nationalist effect to the Vietnam War. But connected Friday, Belayo was being celebrated by the Merced Mall, the city, the state, and his family.
His duplicate daughters Liz Guillen and Annette Rodriguez accidental they are arrogant of his accomplishments, particularly his quality to supply for them implicit the years.
"[I'm] precise arrogant of my dad," Rodriguez said. "To beryllium his ain brag for truthful galore years - being capable to supply the puerility that maine and my 3 different sisters were capable to person was amazing."
His interaction connected the assemblage is wide arsenic galore of Belayo's customers came to stock their stories successful his shop.
"I've been coming present for arsenic agelong arsenic I tin retrieve 40-something years, I utilized to present the paper present excessively erstwhile I was a kid." said lawsuit Kirk Potter. "I don't cognize wherever to spell now, I'm going to miss him."
