Estanislao Casiano

Estanislao “Stan” Casiano was born in San Antonio, TX on June 13, 1940 to Jesus Casiano and Juanita Garza Casiano.  He received his early education in San Antonio, TX and completed his General Equivalency Diploma at Merced College in Merced, CA. Stan was born with an accordion in his hands as the protégé of his father, Jesus “El Gallito” Casiano, a well-known recording artist and accordionist in norteño and pre-conjunto music. He took much pride in his father’s accomplishments and notoriety, listed in the Texas State Historical Association, Texas Music Museum and Texas Music Hall of Fame.

As a young boy Stan would follow his father around, accordion in hand, from concerts to dances and nightclubs. His only responsibility was to protect the accordion. His father was a tough teacher with high expectations but Stan quickly learned everything his father taught him. Stan developed his own style in Tex-Mex and conjunto music and started playing shows in the San Antonio Tejano music scene. He never learned how to read sheet music but could pick up any instrument and play it by ear. He was an in-demand musician and made many televised and radio appearances.

In the early 60’s the Casiano family traveled to Idaho to work in farm labor, where Stan met his future wife, Minerva Casiano. After a whirlwind wedding, they moved to Phoenix, AZ to start their family and pursue his musical career. They raised their four daughters moving from Arizona to California and back to Texas. In Alamo, Texas his daughters starting attending an after-school Bible Club at the local Baptist church. They came home one day to announce that a special speaker named Paulino Bernal would be speaking at the church and singing and playing the accordion. Stan knew Paulino from his concert days and decided to attend with the entire family. That night he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. He bought all the Bernal Family albums and was introduced to accordion music that glorified the Lord. The family played those albums on their big LP console for many years to come.

In 1976, they decided to return to Idaho to introduce his daughters to farm labor and the place where he met their mom.  They decided that Idaho looked like a good place to raise their middle school daughters. They lived at the Paul Labor Camp for a couple of years before purchasing a home of their own in Heyburn, ID.  He set his music career aside to provide stability for his family and began working at JR Simplot until he retired in 2002.

Although he was no longer a traveling musician, he wanted to use his talents for the Lord. The family attended Spanish Assembly of God churches in Burley and Rupert, where he played and started a couple of bands that would play in churches in the area. Nothing brought him more joy than playing with his daughters; Idalia on drums, Oralia on saxophone, Herminia on clarinet and Minerva singing. He instilled in them the love of music, pursuit of education, and serving the Lord.

After retirement, he started “The Casiano button-accordion School – Los Musicos de Mañana” where he taught students of all ages and backgrounds how to play the button accordion. He loved teaching the next generation, including his grandchildren the joy of music. Although none of his daughters learned to play the accordion he still hoped to leave the accordion music legacy through his students and grandchildren.

Stan is preceded in death by his parents Jesus and Juanita Casiano, his brother Encarnacion Casiano and sisters, Eloisa Vargas and Otilia Escalante.

He is survived by his brothers Jesus (Chuy) Casiano Jr and Raul Casiano and sisters Maria Angelita (Angie) Jimenez and Juanita (Janie) Coronado. Daughters Minerva (Mark) Shackelford, Herminia (Armando) Esqueda, Oralia (Stacey) Cooper, and Idalia Casiano, grandchildren, Hannah Uhron, Summerlee Gonzalez, Jordan and Brianna Esqueda, Ruben and Ruby Ortiz, Brooke and Alma Cooper, Isaac Shackelford and great-grandchildren Sophie Gonzalez and Vinny Bean.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, January 25, 2018 at the Morrison Payne Funeral Home in Burley.  Services are under the direction of Joel Heward Morrison Payne Funeral Home.  

Funeral: Thursday Jan 25 2018

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Estanislao Casiano, please visit our floral store.