Two peas in a pod – Lifelong friends finish their journey together

By Lisa Morton

The Ysrael Borrego Sr. and Nicolas Benavidez, Sr. families sadly laid their loved ones to rest last week in Van Horn, and received one last affirmation of the two men’s lifelong bond. The two first met when they were preschool age and became family when Ysrael’s father married Nick’s sister.

As the best friends stepped into adulthood, they enlisted in the U.S. Army and served honorably.  After returning home from service, the closeness that began as children continued, with both working at Loper’s Texaco, and even extended to courting their wives together.  The duo would always be willing to help each in any way they could including helping each other maintain their homes.  Backyard visits would last for hours with reflections of their youth and time in the military keeping them entertained, but their visits always included Nick sharing the word of God.

Old age found them both patients of the same healthcare agency.  It was two years ago that Nick insisted his caretaker take him to visit “Borrego”, (as he called him), and that was their last meeting until this August 1st when they both passed within hours of each other.  Nick passed first and that is the way the family said their whole relationship was.  Nick did everything before Borrego did.  Ysrael’s tattoo read “El Nick” and Nick’s, “El Borrego” and included a symbolic star, testament to an unshakable bond that transcended even death.   

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