My sunshine was loved by all, he'd help anyone in anyway he could, he stop and help strangers he give food, money,, tool,, even a car he'd give his shirt off his back if he seen you didn't have one, he stop if he seen anyone broke down on the side of the road if it took all night he'd fix their car and wouldn't take anything in return, on Sundays we're family days that meant all family's sometimes there would be 18-20 family's in offroad vehicles, rails, bahas,all  going  with  us  to  the  river  it  was  a  parade  of  families on  Sundays  where  kids  drove  the  cars  no  age  limit, we  hand  fished, swam, played  in  mud, no  problems  no  arguing  no   fighting, everyone  got  along, we  grew  up  in  a  close  big  family, his  friends  we're  our  big  brothers, Mike, bear  lubo, pancho, woody, and  others they  babysat  for  us  took  care  of  us  stood  up  for  us  then  there  was  pancho  who  broke  the  lamp  throwing  a  feather  pillow  at  us  that   broke, just  as  daddy  walked  in, well  us  kids  got  blamed  had  to  clean  the  mess  but  we  got  to  confess  in  his  last  minutes " pancho  broke  the  lamp, & the  pillow! . So  my   father  always  had  a  smile  even  when  he  was  hurting  he  never  showed  it, he  worked  so  hard  not  one  time  complained, he  was  old  fashion ed  he lived  by  his  word, he  kept  his  word, he  was  a  strong, wonderful  man, he  was  a  man  no  one  can  ever  measure  up  to  but  you  wanted  to  be  like  him, he  was  the  true  role  model  in  every  way. He  loved  life  he  lived  everyday  like  it  was  the  last, when  his  knee   would  give  out  and  he  would  fall he'd  call  me  and  say  Jane  pushed  him  lol, someone  always  pushed  him, in  the  hillclimb  when  the  call  came  he  wrecked  was  teetering on  the  edge  of  the  cliff , he  couldn't  get  out , if  he  moved  the  car  would  slide, and  they  needed  tow  truck  to  anchor  the  car  to  get  him  out, I  was  working  on  the  wrecker  this  year  also  his  pit crew, when  we  pulled  up  he  put  his  arm  out  the  window  holding  a  beer  saying, the  mountain  jumped  in  front  of  me, laughing, and  he  had  a  couple  of  beers  he  was  feeling  real  good, my   dad  also  taught  me  to  drive  a  stick  shift  to  start  it  and  go, he  told  me   you  want  your  licence  get  in  and  go  so  I  did, but  he  never  told  me  how  to  stop, so  I  come  in  the  drive  way 25 miles  a  hour, can't  stop  headed  right  for  his racing  mustang  he  jumped  in  front   of  it  I  ran  in  to  him  pinning  him  against  his  mustang, messed  his  knees  up  until  his  death, but  he  just  laughed  and  said  mija  I  forgot  to  show  you  how  to  stop.

Ernrst was the youngest son out of 6 brothers smile, epi, mark, demas, ray,& older sister Yolanda, also 2 sisters  who  passed  in   childhood. He  was  raised  by  his  father  epifanio  & alena  Mendoza ,he  was  his  mothers  pride  and  joy  her  baby  boy, he  graduated  from  morenci  high  school  to  work  in  the   theaters  as  he  got  his  name " sunshine" where  he'd  catch  you  smoothing, making  out, feet  up  soon  the  chairs, doing  what  you  weren't  suppose  to  and  shine  his  flashlight  on  you , just  smiling  saying  nothing, so  all  you  seen  we're  a  big  smile  withvwhiye  teeth, eyes, and  rays  from  the  light like  a  sunshine, due  to  him  being  so  dark  he  blended  in  the  night. So  the  nickname  stuck, he  then   met  the  love  of  his  life  Shirley  Jane  Collins, they  dated  twice  on  the  phone, then  eloped  to  be  married, he  was  under  age  his  mom  didn't  approve, he  got  employed  for  phelph  Dodge  mine, in  March 1968 Ernie  became  a  daddy  to  his  first  born " a  daughter" Shirley Ann Mendoza" little sunshine"she  was  his  pride  joy  his little  number   one,he  made  sure  everyone knew  his  love  for  daddy's  little  girl, he  took  her  everywhere, they  we're  inseparable. A  year  later  he  got another  girl  Paula  Mendoza, another  year  later  another  girl  malena  Mendoza, three  years  later  he  got  his  first  son  Ernie  Mendoza  Jr, five  years  after  was  surprised  the  flu  Shirley  had  turned  out  to  be  another  son  seanery  Mendoza. Ernie  worked  as  a  mechanic  tearing   cars  apart & fixing  them, he  loved  racing  in  the  hillclimbs, he  still  holds  the  fastest  local   time, he  was  a  train  engineer, a  catskinner, foreman  until  he  retired  early  due  to  a  heart attack, but  he  still  worked  on  cars, started  his  race car , spent  family  time  with  his  children  and  grandchildren  and  great  grandchildren, he  couldn't  remember  their  names  so  he  gave them  all  nicknames  which  still  are  used, he  was  diagnosed  with  a lot  of  serious  diseases  but  he  refuse  to  believe  he  had  any, he  lived  life  to  the  fullest, didn't  let  nothing  stop  him, he  fought  his  battle  to  the  end  when  one  of  his  last   sentences  we're  scratch  my  angel  wings  they're  itching, we  told  him  don't  say  that, he  said  I'm  tired  I  want to  go  with  my  mom  and  dad, so  scratch  my  angel  wings!!