Antonio Rodríguez Fuentes (1895-1988) was born and raised on his family’s ranch near Montemorelos, Nuevo León, Mexico. He moved to Laredo as a young man, eventually taking up residence in Corpus Christi in the 1910s. He married Josefine Barrera, a Corpus Christi native, in 1918. The couple had five children: Ruben, Ophelia, Mercedes, Antonio, and Carmen. 

Josefina and her family were respected members of Corpus Christi Mexican-American society. After her marriage to Antonio, the couple developed their own ties with numerous community groups, including the Obreros y Obreras, Alianza Hispano-Americana, and Woodmen of the World. Antonio also became an active member of several local chapters, holding office and serving as a delegate to out-of-town-conventions.