NARRATIVE OF JOSE AVINA PALACIO
PATERNAL GRANDFATHER:
Bernabe PALACIO who was born in Mexico.
PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER:
Eugenia (Eufemia) RAMIREZ who was born in Mexico
FATHER: PHOTOGRAPH-RebCD5
JOSE PALACIO the son of Bernave PALACIO and Euginia RAMIREZ was born on the feast of Saint Joseph, 19 March 1880 in Rio-Grande, Zacatecas, Mexico.
Comments from a researcher who has been researching families in Zacatecas for many years explain how difficult it is to do family research in this reion of Mexico. He writes, “If at all possible, you want to avoid having ancestors from the city of Zacatecas because their records dead-end in 1840. Zacatecas rebelled in
1835 and General Santa Anna sacked the town and as a result many (most) of the records were destroyed. Records from 1600 do exist there, as do some “Matrimonio Informacion†records. These must have been stored elsewhere.â€
His granddaughters, Lupe Reyes and Frances Miramontes recall hearing that he had been a miner and had followed the mining route north from Mexico into California. PHOTOGRAPH-RebCD9
Jose married Francisca AVINA in Mexico circa 1897. Jose, Francisca and their first born daughter, Refugia, left Mexico for the USA in 1901 when Jose was a young man of 21 years old.
When Exactly Jose and Francisca arrivedin the United Sates is not know. At the toie of the boirth of theior first daiughter Refugia in 1899 they were in Durange, Mexico.
It would appear that Jose and Francisca moved around the US before settlingin Santa Paula, Claifornia. At the time of the birth of Susana their daughter in 1903 they were in Picacho, California. Jose and Francisca were certainly present in Arizona in 1909 when their son Jose was baptized at Holy Angels Catholic Church, Globe , Arizona.
The 1920 United States census reveals that Jose, his wife, Francisca and their children Refugia, Susana, Jose, Edwardo and Guadalupe were living at 53 South Seventh Street, Santa Paula, California on 19 January 1920. Jose recorded that he owned his house, was paying a mortgage, and working as a laborer wherever he could find work. He indicated that both he and his wife were able to read and write and while he was able to read English his wife was not.
Family oral history recounts that Jose was a most industrious man. He labored at whatever work he could find to build his fortune. His Susie told her daughter, Gloria McGill, that Jose had worked in the mines when the family first came to the United States.
Many stories are told of his days in Santa Paula. He owned a truck that he used to gather manure from the local Ranches and deliver to the orchards. His great-granddaughter, Gloria McGill recounts that he was on first name terms with many of the local farmers and fruit growers. He was a mine of information regarding animal husbandry and shared this with the local farmers. Jose was also involved in preparing land for the planting or new orchards, dynamiting the tree stumps from the ground. PHOTOGRAPH-JP1
On 30 June 1927 Jose and Francisca Palacio were the witnesses at the baptism of Arturo Avina at St. Sabastian Catholic Church, Santa Paula, California. Arturo was the son of Arturo Avina and Rosario Flores.
By 1948 he was employed as a trucker and was living at 250 South 7th Street, Santa Paula, California.
Jose died suddenly at home on Tuesday, 1 June 1948 at 2:00 a.m. of a cerebral hemorrhage due to hypertension and arteriosclerosis at the age of 68 years, 2 months and 12 days. There was vigil rosary held at Owen Funeral Chapel, Santa Paula, California at 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, 2 June 1948. The funeral mass was sung by Fr. Jose Veloz at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, Santa Paula, California at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, 3 June 1948. He was buried on 3 June 1948 at the Santa Paula Cemetery, Santa Paula, California. There is a tombstone erected in his memory by his wife and children. PHOTOGRAPH-SPCEM1
MOTHER: PHOTOGRAPH-JF2
FRANCISCA AVINA was born in Mexico on 9 March 1872. Her granddaughters Lupe Reyes and Francis Miramontes recall hearing that Francisca’s parents were from Spain.
Francisca appears on the 1920 Census in River, Santa Paula, Ventura, California, with Jose Palacio, her husband as the head of the household. Jose indicated that he, his wife and daughter Refugia had immigrated to the US in 1901 and this time were still aliens in the US. He indicated that he and Francisca were able to read and write and that while he was able to read English, Francisca was not. Francisca Palacio gave her age as 43 years old. PHOTOGRAPH-RebCD8
Gloria McGill, her great-granddaughter, recalls that her grandma, Francisca had red hair and continued to color it red way after he was already gray. Gloria remembered that Grandma Francesca was very strict with the girls in the family and spoiled the boys. Grandpa Jose on the other had loved the girls and spoiled them.
PHOTOGRAPH-JF3
Francisca Avina Palacio died on 6 December 1961 in Santa Paula, California aged 88 years old. The Santa Paula Chronicle published the following obituary on Wednesday, 6 December 1961 on page 3:
“Long time resident of Santa Paula, Mrs. Francisca A. Palacio of 1117 Orchard street, passed away suddenly at her home last night following a lengthy illness. She was 89. Mrs. Palacio was born March 9, 1872 and moved to Santa Paula 42 years ago.
She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Suzanna Campos of Santa Paula and Mrs. Ruth Reyes of San Jose. There are three sons, Joe Palacio, Jr. of Rodeo, Calif.; Edward Palacio of Port Costa, Calif.; and Guadalupe Palacio of El Cerrito, Calif. Also surviving are two nephews, Lorenzo Avina of Santa Paula and Manuel Avina of Mexico. A niece, Mrs. Adela Monterno, lives in Santa Barbara. Services are pending at the Robert A. Stetler mortuary, Santa Paula.â€
Her family and friends prayed a rosary on Friday 8 December 1961 at the Robert A. Stetler Funeral Chapel, Santa Paula, California. Fr. Jenaro Artaz celebrated a requiem mass on Saturday 9 December 1961 at 9:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Santa Paula. Pall Bearers were her grandsons, Bennie Palacio , Joe and John Campos , Fernando Reyes , Frank Palacio and Edward Palacio . Francisca was laid to rest beside her husband at the Santa Paula Cemetery, Santa Paula, California. There is a tombstone erected by her family in memory. PHOTOGRAPH-SPCEM 13
PATERNAL UNCLE
JESUS R. PALACIO (SEE FAMILY NARTRATIVE - PAGE)
PATERNAL UNCLE
DANIEL PALACIO (SEE FAMILY NARTRATIVE - PAGE)
Married VICTORIA
*Do not find these in the California Death Index
SISTER:
RUTH REFUCIA PALACIO (SEE FAMILY NARTRATIVE - PAGE)
PHOTOGRAPH-GG2
SISTER:
SUSANA ‘Susie’ PALACIO (Susie) (SEE FAMILY NARTRATIVE - PAGE)
SISTER:
GUADALUPE PALACIO (SEE FAMILY NARTRATIVE - PAGE)
BROTHER:
EDWARD AVINA ‘Lalo’ PALACIO (SEE FAMILY NARTRATIVE - PAGE)
BROTHER:
MAURICIO PALACIO (suicide), (SEE FAMILY NARTRATIVE - PAGE)
JOSE AVINA PALACIO was born in Globe, Arizona, on 2 January 1906, the son of Jose Palacio and Francisca Avina. It appears that Jose's birth was not registered with the State Bureau of Vital Statistics in Phoenix, Arizona at the time of his birth. In 1941 and again in 1971 he applied for a "delayed" birth certificate. The 1941 application was supported by an affidavit of birth signed and dated on 17 April 1941, by his mother who was living at 250 S. 7th Street, Santa Paula, California. Fr. J. O. Barrette baptized him on 8 July 1906 in Holy Angels’ Catholic Church, Globe, Arizona, with Rodolfo Carrizoso and Juana Acosta as his godparents.
1920
It is not certain when the Palacio family left Arizona and moved to California. The family appears on the 1920 Census in River, Santa Paula, Ventura, California, with Jose Avina Palacio as the 14-year-old son of Jose and Francisca Palacios (sic!). It is also noted that they were not at this address during the 1910 Census. Listed in the 15th precinct at 53 South 7th Street Santa Paula on 19 January 1920 by census taker Nellie E. Bercaw were Joe Palacio, as the head of the household, aged 40 years of age. He is listed as owning his property. He indicated that he, his wife and daughter Refugia had immigrated to the US in 1901 and this time were still aliens in the US. He indicated that he and his wife were able to read and write and while he was able to read English his wife was not. He I gave his trade as a laborer willing to work anywhere. Francisca Palacio is listed as his wife and her age is given as 43 years old. Also listed are Refugia Palacio their daughter aged 22 years old who was working as a laundress with a private family; Susana, their daughter aged 16 years of age and who was born in California and was a scholar; Jose, their son aged 14 years old and a scholar; Edwardo, their son and a scholar and Guadalupe, their son also a scholar.
1929
In 1929 Jose was employed in general work at Santa Paula Citrus Packinghouse in Santa Paula, California. Jose and his future bride, Elena Mora both lived on 7th Street, in Santa Paula, California and worked at Santa Paula Citrus Packing House, Santa Paula, California. Where they actually met is not known but love, fate and geography brought them to the altar at St. Sebastian Catholic Church, Santa Paula, California on 15 September 1929.