Churches

Carnuel Santo Niño Church, March 1967
Courtesy of photographer Mercie Herrera Chavez

San Miguel Church, Carnuel, March 1967
Courtesy of photographer Mercie Herrera Chavez

Tijeras Santo Niño Church, March 1967
Courtesy of photographer Mercie Herrera Chavez

Juan Tomas Church, early 1950s
Courtesy of photographer David Salazar

Sedillo Church, March 1967
Courtesy of photographer Mercie Herrera Chavez

Cañoncito Church, March 1967
Courtesy of photographer Mercie Herrera Chavez

San Antonito Church, March 1967
Courtesy of photographer Mercie Herrera Chavez

Celso Garcia, San Antonito Church.
Celso is Irene Aragon’s grandfather on her mother’s side of the family. [Front of church. Maybe Skinner grave in front]
Courtesy of Irene Gonzales Aragon through Florinda Crist

Construction of San Isidro Church, Sedillo, early 1940s
Building of the present church was started in 1940 and completed in 1941. Those completing work on the church took a break so that the priest could take their picture.
Jacobo Baca, on the right side of the photo, front, was the church “sindigo,” or custodian, in charge of getting people together to work on the church. When the priest came by once a month, he stayed at Baca’s house. Baca gave the land for the church; his parents had given the land on which the old church stood and where cemetery now is located. The community well was dug on Baca’s property. The barefooted man had just gotten out of the mud he was working on, which was used as mortar for holding the stones together. The women were dressed for cleaning. The three men wearing aprons were the carpenters.
Santos Gonzales is standing behind Jacobo Baca. The lady in the doorway is Juanita Gonzales. The man standing on a barrel on the left side of the photo, above everyone (by the church) is her husband Transito Gonzales. Tomasita Jaramillo is wearing the dark half apron (behind girl). Her husband, Felis Jaramillo, is wearing a light shirt and is next to Santos Gonzales. Reymundo Gonzales was making the mud. He’s barefoot with his coveralls rolled up. There are five Gonzales men in the photo, all brothers, and their wives. Juan Gonzales is directly behind the women.
The three carpenters are wearing aprons. Two of the carpenters are Transito Gonzales, (on the barrel) and Jose Gutierrez–in the middle of the doorway. In the photo, he’s left of another man
wearing an apron. Celso Garcia, a carpenter, is on the right side of the door frame. Pablo Gonzales is behind the carpenters–in the door opening.

Courtesy of Anselmo and Lucy Gonzales

La Socidad De San Isidro (Society of San Isidro) In front of old San Isidro Church, Sedillo, 1930s This men’s religious organization participated in Sedillo’s fiesta processions, at which they carried a flag and said the rosary. They also obtained donations to purchase statues of saints for the church and to roof the new church after this older church was torn down. Back row, L-R: Anculano Jaramillo, Sisto Martinez, Justo Martinez, Ramon ______?, Seferino Jaramillo, Santos Gonzales, Sisto Armijo, Pedro Baca, Reymundo Gonzales First Row, L-R: Elfego Sanchez, Salvador Herrera, Marcos Espinosa, Jacobo Baca, Jose Jaramillo, Santiago Lucero [or Lovato?], Macemeliano Lucero
Courtesy of Celia Jaramillo

Baptism of Thomas Herrera, Tijeras 1968 Thomas Herrera, son of Irene Aragon, being baptized at old Holy Child church by Fr. Ralph Herrera. Irene’s mother, Corina Gonzales, is on the left and to her right is Irene’s brother, Billy Gonzales.
Photo by Melba Scott Courtesy of Irene Aragon

Baptism of Thomas Herrera, Santo Nino Church in Tijeras, 1968
(Left to right) Rev. Ralph Herrera, Billy Gonzales, baby Thomas Herrera and Corina Gonzales. Billy, his uncle, and Corina, his maternal grandmother, were the godparents.
Photo by Melba Scott Courtesy of Irene Gonzales Aragon

First Communion, Tijeras Church, with teacher Juanita Muller. Taken about 1937
Juanita (second row from back on far left) taught catechism, in Spanish, to every child in the canyon. She didn’t have any children. Nuns came up later and taught catechism in English. Back row, third from left, Florinda’s sister Dorella Second from back row, Florinda’s brother (second from left standing), Leo Leo was older. Dorella was about 8; he was about 10. They were all two years apart. (Children used to make a first communion when they were about 8.) Front row: Third from left: Ruth Sanchez (Jinzo) (Dulcinea’s daughter). Her hands are clasped together; she’s the shortest child. Second Row, left–Tocha Sanchez–Dulcinea’s daughter Back row, sixth from left: Carolina Saiz Back row, far left, Deluvina Gonzales Back row, far right, Maggie Gonzales, sister of Deluvina The Gonzales sisters were related to Florinda. They were older. Elias Gonzales was their father. Second row from front, second from left: boy–Servando Gonzales, son of Demasio Gonzales. He also was related to them. He was killed in the Korean war. Elias and Demasio Gonzales were her dad’s cousins, she thinks.
Courtesy of Florinda Crist

First Communion, Sandia Park
Left to right: Patsy Garcia, Dorela Garcia (Perea) sister of Patsy, Maclovia Candelaria (neighbor), Florinda Carme (cousin of Patsy and Dorela). Taken near Tilden store in Sandia Park, at the Grabiel place.
Courtesy of Dorela Garcia Perea

First Communion, El Cedro, April 13, 1921
The second boy from the left, sitting, is Tomás Griego, born 1912, father of Anthony Griego. He was raised in Cedro by his grandparents, Jose Griego de Garcia and Maderita Griego de Garcia, after his mother, Rita Garcia, died after giving him birth. She was from Cañoncito. Tomas’ father, Candelaria Griego, had a homestead deed signed by President Roosevelt. Tomas Griego and his wife Lucinda moved to Carnuel in 1948.
Courtesy of Anthony Griego

Fiesta Procession. Carnuel, May 3, 1940
The outgoing fiesta mayordomos were Luci and Tomas Griego. Luci is in the center of the arch, holding a statue of Santo Ñino. She has a dark scarf wrapped around her head. Tomas is the man next to her, wearing a suit and tie. The incoming mayordomos, who would receive the santo, were Jose and Florinda Herrera.
Starting at far left side of photo and moving downhill: Leo Garcia; (little girl) Mary Garcia; Manuela (Mela) Herrera Garcia; sister of Mary Garcia; (woman behind the above girl) Edovijin Garcia Paz; (two boys, left front) George Garcia and Alfonso Garcia (they were next-door neighbors, not brothers); (tall male behind Alfonso) Domingo Garcia; (man with dark hair and coat) Alejandro Herrera; (woman in shawl–behind Alejandro Herrera) Rosenda Garcia, mother of Edovijin Garcia Paz; (man in front, center, wearing vest and holding book) Cleto Paz; (man in suit beside Cleto and in front of Alejandro) Salvador Herrera; (girl in front of Salvador Herrera, holding a purse) Cecila Garcia Herrera; (behind Cecila and holding arch) Margaret Jaramillo; (beside Margaret, holding arch) Florinda Garcia Herrera; (woman behind Florinda, wearing hat) Rosalia Lopez; (next to Florinda, under arch) Luci and Tomas Griego; (woman in hat, to right of Tomas) Juanita Mueller; (girl wearing scarf, in front of Florinda) Elvira Herrera; (girl wearing hat and turning head, to right of Elvira) Mabel Garcia; (girl wearing hat and holding baby) Lilly ____? holding A. J. Herrera; (girl in front, without hat) Martha Jaramillo, holding her brother Cristin Jaramillo; (older woman in dark hat, to right of photo) Trinidad Griego. Cleto Paz and his brother Enrique led prayers in church, etc. Cleto was not married to Edovijin Paz.
Courtesy of Mercie Chavez

Abuelo and Perundia, San Antonio
Alfred Gonzales (left), was the abuelo
Courtesy of Dulcinea Sanchez