Santa Fe Living Treasures – Elder Stories

Yet her contributions extend far beyond her home village. She has worked on behalf of the St. Anne and Cristo Rey churches in Santa Fe. She worked more than a quarter-century with Catholic Social Services. She was the first woman to serve on Santa Fe’s city water board. In 1994 she became a member of the Santa Fe River Task Force, and has fought ever since for a personal dream of hers: seeing the river flow again. After winning a fight with breast cancer 30 years ago, she became in 1974 a founder of the American Cancer Society’s local chapter. She also helped start a Reach to Recovery survivor support program, which she then served nationally, representing the Hispanic community.

After her husband died in 1963 she single-handedly raised two sons, who first attended Agua Fria Elementary School and then moved on into professional careers, one in government service, the other as a doctor and lawyer. At the age of 77, she stays in shape by cheerfully waiting tables at Tortilla Flats restaurant.