Condolences

Mother of Congressman Tancredo dead at age 92

WESTMINSTER, Colo. (AP) - Adeline Tancredo, mother of U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., has died at age 92 after suffering a stroke last year, the Rocky Mountain News reported Saturday.

The daughter of Italian-American immigrants, she lived in Denver most of her life and work at Joslins Department store downtown for 45 years.

When Tom Tancredo decided to give up being a school teacher and run for office he used his mom's spaghetti sauce recipe as a campaign ad.

"We had no money, of course, and we were just trying to figure out . . . something to hand out to people that was inexpensive that they wouldn't throw away," the congressman said Tuesday.

He said his mother was embarrassed by the idea at first. "I'm not sure she wanted to emphasize the ethnicity," he said.

Later Mrs. Tancredo and her husband, Gerald, went door-to-door on their son's behalf.

She often told her son: "Tommy, I don't know about politics. When people say, 'What does he believe in?' I say, 'I'm not sure, but he's a very good boy.' "

"I couldn't leave my job. I couldn't have campaigned," he said. "I relied on them entirely." Lately, there has been talking of him running for president on a platform aimed at controlling immigration.

A long time member of St. Joan of Arc Church, Tom Tancredo said his mother "was the most spiritual person I've ever known. If there was a direct conduit to the Lord, she was it."

Last May she became partially paralyzed after a stroke and last weekend her condition deteriorated.

She was preceded in death in 2003 by her husband, Gerald.

She is survived by three sons, Jerry, Ralph and Tom Tancredo, all of Littleton; two sisters, Rose Franks and Eleanor Galterio, both of Arvada; 10 grandchildren; 17 great- grandchildren and four great-great- grandchildren.

Arrangements were pending and were being handled by Horan & McConaty.

Our hearts and prayers are with you Mr. Tancredo.

And if you decide to run, you have our vote!

God bless you sir, keep fighting the good fight.

H/T The Minuteman Blog

Tom Tancredo
illegal immigration