Lupe

Lupe was born in Lerdo, Durango on 1 January 1913 during the Mexican Revolution. The family was escaping to the US when she was born.

 

Lupe is the baby                                                         Lupe is on the right

Circa 1938       Circa 1943

1993    2002

Lupe was raised in El Paso, but decided that she needed to leave in order to make a life for herself. She used to say that she saw her sisters “having babies every Tuesday and Thursday,” and knew that wasn’t for her. She left El Paso and came to San Francisco in 1937. When I asked why she chose San Francisco, she couldn’t really answer, it just appealed to her. The Golden Gate Bridge opened the year she got here, and she walked across on opening day, May 27. Watch a video here.

(From cnn.com)

Ancestry.com had a contest for Mother’s Day 2018. They asked people to submit a video about a mother figure. I submitted a video about my grandmother, and it was featured! You can see it here on FB.

Grandma turned 90 on 1 January 2003. I knew she wasn’t going to make it to 91, so I threw a surprise party for her. She was fading, and had even told Fr. Denis that she was ready to go. Here’s a picture of her and my mom at the party.

Grandma died 28 April 2003, the last of the Sánchez siblings to pass on. Interestingly enough, Lupe was the third sibling to die in April, with Manuel dying on 22 April, and Santos on 24 April.

She died at home (the same house as my grandfather and great-grandmother had died in) early Monday morning,  and we kept her there until her funeral Mass on Wednesday. It was such a blessing, and I consider this to be one of my most proud accomplishments. We bathed her, anointed her, and dressed her for her coffin. She was laid out in the living room and we had a rosary for her the night before the funeral. (I had discussed my ideas with her long before she died.) I was able to purchase a handmade coffin, a simple pine box. I got her death announcement to the paper, arranged the Mass and readings, and made a program. All in three days. Everything came together, thanks be to God. It was my final gift to my beloved grandmother. It was also a gift to the girls, to show them that death is a part of life, that dead bodies are not to be feared, and this is how you say goodbye to a loved one.

Laura, Mindy, Cindy, and Grandma.

Not a day goes by when I don’t think of my grandmother. She is in every breath I take, in every beat of my heart. She was my rock; she was everything. I never doubted her love.

I made this video about my grandmother while in a “connecting with ancestors” workshop.

 

This is a 15 commercial that was made for Ancestry for Mother’s Day 2021. Below is the 30 second version.