On the recordMay 9, 2018
as we move through life, certain people leave a lasting impression, and I rise today to recognize one of them. Leo Montoya, a citizen of Utah, is an exceptional man who has impressed me with his commitment to family, faith, and community. In 1928, the year Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, Leo was born on June 4 as the seventh of nine siblings to Epifanio and Decideria (Gutierrez) Montoya. Decideria's family roots were in New Mexico, where she raised her family as head of household in La Jara and Lumberton. Decideria worked outside the home, so her daughters took care of their youngest siblings while the older brothers contributed to support the family any way they could. The family lived under extreme poverty and hardship in La Jara until Leo's 14-year-old brother, Candido, traveled 90 miles north to find work in the Lumberton coal mines. Candido saved his meager earnings to buy a small ranch to support his mother and siblings with the help of his younger brothers, Jose and Eudoro, who also worked in the mines. Jose had only one arm but loaded coal shovel-for-shovel against any other worker. Both Candido and Eudoro served in the military during WWII, and Leo, Tony, and Elisandro served during the Korean war. Leo's oldest child, Tereso, was born during the Korean war. It is Utah's good fortune that the entire Montoya family eventually settled in Utah.…
