A letter written to John Sharp from a classmate who went to high school at St. Joseph's Academy in Laredo, Texas with Mond's grandfather Leopoldo Botello, Jr. Here's a bit more:
"His grandfather Leopoldo who was an outstanding basketball player and a great baseball pitcher. He had a very successful career as a CPA and passed away several years ago. Kellen's mother Leticia Botello Mond went to Mary Help of Christians School in Laredo and is a CPA with one of the H.B. Zachary's conglomerates and serves on several corporate boards in San Antonio. His uncle Leopoldo Botello III is a football and baseball coach at Holy Cross High School in San Antonio.
His great grandmother Maria Cristina Martin married Leopoldo Botello, Sr., Mond's great grandfather. She descends from French immigrants who are very prominent in South Texas politics and economic development. Her grandfather Raymond Martin and his descendants ruled Webb County politics for 90 years. Mrs. Maria Cristina Martin Botello's first cousin J.C. Martin, Jr. was Mayor of Laredo for 25 years and served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Texas A&I University at Kingsville for many years.
J.C. Martin, Jr. along with George (the Duke of Duval) Parr of San Diego, Texas helped elect LBJ to the U.S. Senate by defeating Gov. Coke Stevenson and later when he ran for the Presidency. Mond's ancestors have served in many elected positions in Laredo and Webb County since the 1870's.
Kellen Mond's great, great, great grandfather Raymond Martin came from Alsace, France and immigrated to the United States where he became a citizen. After living in New Orleans, Pensacola and San Antonio, he moved to Laredo where he married Tirza Garcia, the daughter of Bartolome Garcia. Garcia was a very wealthy three time Mayor of Laredo who helped Raymond Martin create a political dynasty. The Garcias were of Spanish and Mexican descent.
There were many direct ancestors of Kellen Mond who served in the Confederacy, the most famous was Col. Santos Benavides who was Mond's great, great grandmother's brother and great, great uncle to Kellen. All of his maternal ancestors served as officers or enlisted men in the Confederacy. None of them owned slaves.
Col. Santos Benavides was the highest ranking Mexican American in the Confederacy who was offered a Brigadier Generalship in the Union Army. He declined because his primary interest was in protecting states rights and the safety of the Texas Mexican border from rampant marauders, bandits, thieves, outlaws, Comanchees, and Apaches."
