Rodrigo Haro Villanueva by Mia Lowry

Rodrigo is the oldest of the family. My memories of him include the drums, singing and watching him work in the Apostolic Church. I can still remember coming home from school to hear him playing his drums. You could hear them from a block away. When you'd enter his room you could see him with his headphones rocking his head to and fro as he listened to various musicians to perfect his skill.

Looking around his room you could see the results of his other talent-art. He could draw almost anything. I can still picture his replica of an Andre Crouch album of a beach scene. It was amazingly beautiful. I think he is the only one in our family that perfect the art of drawing.

I remember seeing him suit up to go to work at Johnny's Men's Wear in Yuma after school. From what I can remember he was a good worker and salesman. He earned money and purchased his own car....I believe it was a Monte Carlo...gray. He would wash and clean out that car every weekend.

I remember him leaving on his dates. The one I remember the most was when he took my older sister Mary and I to see the circus. We got to ride an elephant. I can't remember who the girl was that went with us, but I sure do remember how he was excited to take us. How much care and excitement he took into ensuring we had a good time. It was a good time. I can still remember how the elephant felt and how scared I was to be on it. I wish we had taken a picture of this moment, but it will forever be embedded in my memory.

I can still picture him on his wedding day. It was a nice wedding that was held in our Yuma house backyard. He married the mother, Elizabeth Briones, of his only daughter, Elizabeth Jovanni Villanueva. I can still see his face when he came out of the delivery room holding his little girl. He had the biggest smile, eyes moist with tears of joy and a laugh that would not stop. I still remember being frustrated because he would not tell us if Jovanni was a girl or a boy. He is the only man I can recall who wanted a girl instead of a boy. This idea still baffles me since most men would rather have a son than a daughter.

Everyone wanted to hold Jovanni, but he wouldn't have it. He refused his own mother's request to hold her first grand baby. This was how happy and excited he was to have a little girl....his baby. It was such a happy day for all of us.

His life has not been an easy one and I know he is currently working on writing it all down. I hope one day he does get it published. Currently, he is attending college and I have never been more proud of him. I hope he continues and finds a job he will enjoy. I can honestly say that my life has been blessed because of his and I am happy, proud and glad to call him brother.

My Brother Steve Villanueva by Mia 'Lucy' Lowry

This is my greatest memory of my brother Steve. In the 6th grade I was very anemic and looking back I can see why someone who saw me would think what these boys thought. My picture of me in the 6th grade shows my complextion is greenish yellow (and no, it is not because it's an old picture either). Well, I came home crying one day because two boys told me the following, "We took a vote and found that you are the ugliest girl in the school."



I went home in tears. I was unconsolable. Finally, Mom and Steve got it out of me. Steve was angry and ready to go to the school and beat up those boys. I asked him not to do it because I worried it would make matters worse for me. He said he wouldn't because I asked him not to do it. He was so angry, and in his anger I saw how much a big brother loves his sister.



Another memory I have of Steve is when he would practice his trumpet. I remember walking home and hearing it blast throughout the neighborhood. At times it was my welcome home and at other times when I had a headache I hoped he would stop when I got home. How he could play! I loved to see him play a "special song" in church on his trumpet.



One day while I was a freshman in high school Steve called from Phoenix. He pretended to be a police officer. Steve loves to play practical jokes. He could and should look into being a stand-up comic. I picked up the phone and in a professional sounding voice he proceeds with the following: "This is the Yuma Police. We have been tracking some criminal activity at the local high school. We have been following your daughter, Lucy. She has been seen with some students involved in (I can't remember what crime he said)___________. Wait....who is this??"

I got very scared. I had always tried to do what was right and keep myself out of trouble. He kept yelling "Who is this?" Finally, I said, "It's Kiki. It's Kiki." My heart was pounding so hard I thought it was going to rip my chest in two. He started talking again and asked for my parents. At that point I recongizned his voice and said, "Steve, is that you?" He started to laugh. I'll never forget this joke.

Steve was always doing jokes. No one was past his sceming ways. He would try to get anyone or everyone he could. The next joke I remember was on he played on me late at night. The house was dark and if I remember correctly we had just finished watching a scary movie. I was walking to our room (the one that was once a garage) and had to pass the dining room table. He was hiding under it. When I walked past, he reached out and grabbed my ankle. While he did this he let out a wicked laugh and was breathing heavily. I am not sure if he was making himself sound more scary or if it was because he was excited about getting someone with his joke. I screamed so loud and freaked out. He came out and felt bad that he had scared me that bad.

Steve was and is a good brother. He is giving and he would do anything to help his family out. Our family is blessed to have him as a sibling. I know my father was proud to have him at his bedside during his last moments of life. He took great care of our dad in the ICU and in Hospice.

Memories of My Big, but Little Sister by Mia "Lucy" Lowry

My sister Mary Villanueva was my first playmate as a child. She loved to play dolls and barbies with me. I remember how we would spend our summer's playing with dolls and playing school.

We would use the sidewalk as a slip and slide during those hot summer months. Sometimes if we had money and Mom could take us, we would go to the swimming pool either near the church or the one at Yuma High School.

I remember "borrowing" (using this word loosely) her clothes without her permission when I was older. Since she made her clothes and had lots to wear I reasoned it was no big deal. I would try to put it back exactly like she had it, but she always knew I had used her clothes. What was (and still) neat to me is not necessarily her definition of neatness. She took after Mom in all of Mom's good qualities.

At times we would argue and fight over silly childish things, but in the end we would make up because we loved each other. I remember one time she punched me so hard that I flew against the wall and all the air went out of me. She knew she was going to be in trouble if I started to wail as soon as I caught my breath. She promised that if I did not cry I would receive from her an entire pack of gum. This promise was given to me quite often by my siblings. If I ever remember how many times this promise was made and finally received these packs of gum. I think I would have enough to open my own gum store.

My favorite memory with my sister was one Christmas. I was asking for a special Barbie doll that year. When the presents started showing up under the tree (Santa never came to our home), I found a box that resembled a Barbie box. I was so excited! That Christmas Eve after church I opened my gift and saw that it was indeed a doll, but not a Barbie doll. It was one of those plastic cheap imitation Barbies that did not have a full head of hair. She only had hair coming out of the middle of her head. I was so upset! My sister tried her best to cheer me up. We took pictures pretending we were opening our gifts from Santa. Mom still has those pictures. These are some of my favorite pictures of my sister and me.

She also wanted me to experience what other children experienced. Her and Suzie got together and decided to tell me about the Tooth Fairy. This was not a hard task since I was (and sometimes still am) gullible. Together they got money from I still do not know where and gave me a wonderful childhood memory. My sister was always big hearted and thinking of others and how she could make things special. I remember one year how she talked my Mom into giving me a surprise birthday party. I believe it was my 10th birthday party. One of my friend's spilled the beans, but I was still happy to know that she was willing to do this for me.

I remember how she called me one day after I heard the horrible news that I might have to give birth to Celeste in the hospital. I was a wreck! She promised me she would be there with me and make sure all my wishes would be done and my fears would be avoided. I know she would have done that for me, but thankfully, I gave birth to Celeste in the hospital. She was there and got to cut her cord, dress her and do other things for Celeste that I can't remember because I was so out of it. She was also there at the birth of Vincent and got to cut his cord too. It was nice to have my sister be there and take control. I remember how my midwife thought she was my Douala. She inherited this natural midwifery talent from Abuelita Maria.

I still remember how she surprised me at my Mom's for my baby shower (Celeste). I had no idea she was putting one together. It was such a nice thing and typical of my sister Tonie-always trying to make things special for others. I still remember my birthday in 2009 when Mom, Jovanni (well, she lived with me) came over with food and a cake. It was so unexpected and sweet. What a special day she gave to me!

No one can ever say she is not a hard worker. This she received from both of my parents. I know I will never ever be like her even though as a child this was my dream, but I am so thankful she is my sister. Before I left Arizona, she and my mother-in-law got together to make our family a special going away party. I will never stop thanking God for my sister. I love her dearly and am glad I got to be a part of her life.

The Singing Toddler

When Jovanni was a little toddler she loved to sing and sing for you. She would get upset if you were not listening to her. Once she was singing to her Tio Chuck and he thought she was done singing (she had been singing for a very long time); so, he clapped his hands.

She protested, "I'm not done!!!"

Chuck's reply, "You've been singing for so long I thought you were done."

Future Gifts for a Mother...a story told to Mia by Lucia

When Lucia's sons were young and her husband would be gone for some church activity or meeting. She would take them outside to sit and talk. They did not have a television at this time. Her sons began to tell her about all the lovely things they were going to do for her when they grew up.
One said, "I am going to buy you a house."
The other said, "I am going to buy you all the furniture for your house. So, it can be pretty." Then Abel (around 3 year old) said, "I am going to buy you a gun."
"A gun? Why are you going to buy her that?"
"Well," Abel replied, "you guys got her everything. What else am I suppose to get her?"

Memories of My Oldest Sister by M. Lowry

I have few memories of my childhood that my mind is able to retain these days. I do, however, remember some of the events very clearly. I remember Suzie as a tough "don't mess with me!" type of character, yet this was a facade to hide the fact her heart was quite soft. She loved monkeys. Suzie really wanted a pet monkey, and I would often hear her ask our mother if she could have one for a pet. To which Mom's reply was always in the negative, but this did not deter Suzie from wanting a monkey or asking for one.



There are two words that I can use to describe her: competitive and tenacious (some may call it stubborn, but it is a good kind of stubborn). If you ever wanted to stay as the number one player or winner of a game; then the advice you should remember is this: "Never teach Suzie how to play it." She will learn it, master it and win at any cost (sometimes she may occasionally resort to cheating).

She was a tough customer. There were three of us girls in the house. Suzie or Mary would gang up on me or Suzie and I would gang up on Mary. But you'd never, ever see Mary and Kiki gang up on Suzie. That was just asking for trouble.

She liked wearing pants and shorts. She said, "When I have kids I am going to have a little girl. We are going to wear matching sweatpants wherever we go." She was a good big sister and always look out for us. Although sometimes she liked to pretend she did not enjoy it, and maybe sometimes she wasn't pretending. Like the time she told me to cross the street or she'd beat me up; then a car hit me. Or the time she vacuumed my hair because she was mad that she had to vacuum the living room. Part of me was happy this happened because I wanted my hair cut, but it backfired on me. My Mom was able to get all my hair out of the vacuum, and I had a sore neck for a day.

She always had and still has a book in her hand. I owe my love of reading to her. Some children are blessed to have parents read to them at bedtime. I did not get this growing up. However, I was blessed to have a sister read books to us. She read a few books, but the one I remember was Charlotte's Web. I remember how her face got funny when Charlotte was dying, and she abruptly announced that that was the end of reading for tonight. Of course we complained because we couldn't go to bed with such an unhappy chapter, but Suzie never wanted to let us see her tender heart.


I remember how mixed up I was over the idea of her getting married. I wanted my own room, but I thought I would never see her again if she got married. Plus, I was a bit anti-marriage, other than getting to dress up and be Cinderella for a day. I thought marriage was good one day and then I thought it was terrible the next. So, the idea of my big sister taking the plunge into marriage was a good and bad thing. I can still remember how beautiful she looked that day. I remember how proud my parents were of her and how happy their were to walk her down the aisle. It was a very nice wedding. It was bittersweet to come home and not have her there. I thought Chuck seemed nice enough to be married to Suzie, and he seemed crazy about her, but he was still taking her away. As the years went by, you could not say Suzie without saying Chuck. It was always, "Chuck and Suzie this... or Chuck and Suzie that..." As if they were never one without the other or as if they were never single, but married from birth or something strange like that.


I can still see how happy she was when she came to tell Mom and Dad that she and Chuck were pregnant. It seemed to me as if they did not want any children. Suzie never played with dolls; so, I never suspected she wanted children. How happy she and Chuck were at the news of her having a baby! I was so excited for them! I was a little shocked because I was sure they never wanted children. Plus, I couldn't get over the fact of Suzie, my sister, Suzie who never liked dolls was going to be a Mommy?!

I still remember how she fought to bring this little baby boy into the world. Tonie describe terribly (this is why I chose a birth center). She had a hard time and then they had to rush her into surgery to bring Zaq into the world. I remember being angry at the doctors because she was the last of us to see this baby. I wanted Chuck to hide Zaq and let Suzie be the first to see him. It did not seem fair to me. Suzie's body was warped, changed, she suffered morning sickness, the horrible birth experience and did not get to see her son right after he came out of her. I was mad! I would not look at Zaq because I wanted Suzie to see him first, but then my Mom talked me into taking pictures for Suzie. She probably did it to keep me quiet because I kept voicing my opinions about how we should all not look at Zaq until Suzie saw him first. I can still remember her words to Chuck when they wheeled her out, "Chuck it hurt so bad. I have never felt pain like that before." What she endured at the hands of those physicians! It still makes me sick to my stomach to think of how they tortured her!

Then came her time to give birth to Ani. I was living with them at the time. I can still remember how she was sweeping the kitchen floor as she nonchalantly (like it was no big deal) announced she was pregnant. I was so excited for them! Another baby to be added to their family! Another niece or nephew for me to cherish and love. How blessed we were to have another baby in our family! She wanted me to know that they still wanted me to live there with them. Wow! Did she get put through the wringer with morning sickness! She had a scheduled c-section and was not put down completely. So, she was able to see her baby girl right away. Then came the nightly awakenings at 2 or 3 am. Ani had colic and she let the neighborhood know all about it. Nothing would comfort her and Suzie was such a good mother to that crying child. She had a good support system in the great guy she choose as a husband. I remember her telling me how tired they were that she or Chuck went into the closet instead of the kitchen.

Despite not playing with dolls as a child, Suzie is an excellent mother to her two children. They are good kids, and they really love their parents.

I remember how shocked I was that she wanted to be there for the birth of my first baby. She was really worried about my choice in using a midwife. However, despite her misgivings regarding my choice she still came. I can still see her face and tears as she saw my son coming into the world. This really freaked me out! Suzie NEVER cries. There must be something wrong with my son. Yet, it was because she got to witness her kid sister bring a new life into the world and truly, this is a miracle.

She was there for the birth of my second child, Celeste. She came rushing right over when I had my third child, Scarlett. I know that family is very important to my sister Suzie because when my family moved to North Carolina. She came to be with me on my last Saturday in Arizona.

I love my sister, Suzie. She has always been a good sister to me. I am so blessed to have her in my family. I know I am who am because of the part she took in my life.

Francisco and Lucia's House Before

Here is a picture of what Francisco and Lucia's house looked like when Francisco was alive. After his death, Lucia felt the need to change the place to help her adjust to his passing and has remodeled it some.