Lucia Avila

Lucia Avila was born to Refugil (?spelling) and Cecelia Avila in Los Angeles county of California on February 28, 1926- as far as we can tell.

She had a social security card, and yet we're having difficulties getting documentation on her. She was Yaqui Indian from her mother and Mexican from her father- which probably means more mixed Indian blood with a sprinkling of Spanish. Hard to know for certain.

We do know she didn't have it easy as a child, her mother did everything a non-English-speaking person could to support her family when she was widowed before 1930. Lucy didn't have a step-father until sometime after the 1930's.

Lucy's first marriage was to Roczi Fragassi, a hot blooded latin like herself. She would have been about 20 years old, tops, when she married him. Think of the movie "Mona Lisa Smile" and how young women were taught back then their chief goal in life was to land a good breadwinner husband and to put up with incredible amounts of... stuff.

The children were not taught Spanish so they could understand their grandmother who lived close by, but they knew her love. This is the case of many immigrant families, where the pursuit of a new life meant abandoning the old.

Lucy and Rocky had two boys and four girls together. Boy, Girl, Girl, Boy, Girl, Girl. or something like that. The second boy was the silent victim of domestic violence, and as a result was stillborn. There was, supposedly, a record on him nevertheless. His tiny body was buried just above his grandfather's. The other living children suffered in other ways, as did Lucy.

We don't know for sure what "last straw" led to Lucy leaving Rocky for Harold Emerson. They never actually married, after some years, Lucy left him as well. (Live and learn?)

When a decent fellow named Robert Karg, shown right here, came along, he and Lucy did marry in the 1970's. These photos are in much later years, and a little silly- but it's all we've got! If you have some better ones, please send them along!

She had a good sense of humor, was an excellent seamstress, and would drop anything to help someone in the family. She is remembered fondly by many of her posterity, and we would like more positive experiences to share here. She passed away in November of 2001 in Hayward, California. We do not know as of yet where she and Bob are burried.

All throughout her years, she tried to Always Be There for her Family...