LUIS FUENTES
(1896-1970)
He was born in Lakuntza on the 25th August 1896. He was son of the village’s chemist Cristobal Fuentes and Celestina Astiz. He was the second of the couple’s children and after he finished his studies, he got a degree in Chemistry Engineering in the Sarria Faculty in Barcelone. At the beginning of his career he tried in different activities, as film producer in the early cinema times or working as a manager of a sugar cane field in Cuba.
Later, he came back home and started working in Union Cerrajera factory in Mondragón. As he worked there, he knew the iron working revolution and he created a new factory in Lakuntza, for iron works: Cerrajera San Antonio. At that time in Navarre, the first child was due to inherit the land and second to study and support economically. His aim was to give a job to those second children.
In 1942 he left Lakuntza and moved to Bilbao searching for new opportunities. At last he found his chance in Gijón , in La Calzada, creating Talleres Asturianos. This new factory was focused on iron works too. He remained in Gijon until 1954 and then he moved to Madrid, where he died in 1970.
He married María Elena Elola-Olaso Idiacaiz and both had three children: José Luis, José Antonio eta María Elena (died). His widow, María Elena, passed away in 2000. As personal hobbies, he loved to hunt with his dogs and we know that he played Basque “pilota” too.
To thank to him, for his trying to create jobs in the village, the Council gave his name to the street he lived in and to the State School. This is why he was awarded in his home village for the constant innovation to improve the social conditions of people.
Luis Fuentes, with his wife and three children
(This biography was offered by his sons Jose Luis and Jose Antonio in 2015)
