Jocotepec’s oldest newspaper vendor Monico Medina died last week at the age of 101.
Born May 7, 1911, Medina was a beloved figure in the Jocotepec community, respectfully referred to as “Don Monico” by local residents.
Medina started selling Spanish-language daily El Informador in the early 1960s and also sold the Guadalajara Reporter for over 35 years – the longest serving vendor of this newspaper.
“I’ve enjoyed my job,” Medina told the Reporter in 2010. “Books, newspapers and reading are very important to get knowledge.”
Medina moved to Guadalajara in the early 1930s, staying 16 years to study and work as a pharmacist, before returning to his hometown to take a job at Chapala’s light and electricity utility.
When President Adolfo Lopez Mateos nationalized the industry, Medina found himself out of work and with little money. He decided to set up his own newspaper stand, roaming Jocotepec’s streets to drum up business.
Since 1995, Medina ran a shop based in his house, venturing out to deliver papers to people’s homes or from his familiar spot outside the cathedral gates.
He is survived by his daughter Mercedes, who has helped with the newspaper business since she was 15.