2. When I started this family history project, I had a little different story in my
head that I thought was right about how my family came over to the U.S. Interviewing
three of my family members really showed me how wrong I was and told me all the
right information and little stories I needed to know about my family.
For the interviews, I interviewed my grandma and grandpa on my dad’s side in
person; and my grandma on my moms side through a phone interview. They were so
happy to give me so much information about them and were happy I was interested in
knowing their story on how they got where they are today.
3. Mary was born on July 4, 1945 in Eugui, Navarra, Spain which is a small town
in the Pyrenees Mountains. Mary is my grandma on my dads side; she has two younger
siblings who were born in California. Mary was only 5 months old when she came over
to the United States. Her mother, father, and she were on the first boat that left Spain
after World War II ended, because of this, it took a whole month for her to get over here
because of all the mines still out in the ocean. I asked her why she came over here and
she immediately responded with, “Her milk source came here.” She then told me that
they moved over here so here father could work for his uncle.
5. The first place they came to was through Elis Island in New York. From there,
they took a train cross country to their next destination in Knights Landing, CA. Knights
Landing was a small farming community where her father’s uncle had his ranch. After
they lived there for a while, in 1947, they cam down and moved to Brea, CA. to find a
healthier place to live for her dad who became ill with TB. He passed away in Brea, CA.
in 1949 and when her mother go remarried in 1952, they moved to Artesia, CA. Mary
went to three different schools while in Artesia. Their names were Luther Burbank
Elementary, Faye Ross Junior High, and Artesia High School. In 1972, she met
Francisco Arburua in Chino, CA; whom she married and moved to Norco, CA. In 1973,
they moved to Chino, CA. when Louis Arburua (my dad) was born. Chino, CA. is where
they bought a dairy together and is still where she lives today.
8. Francisco was born on March 8, 1937 in Echalar, Baztan, Spain. Echalar is close
to Navarra, but higher up into the Pyrenees Mountains, on a farm. In his family, there is
15 brothers and sisters, including him; he was the fourth youngest.
10. In 1960, Francisco moved to Bakersfield on a contract do sheepherding for
three years. After the three years, he went back to Spain. After he went back to Spain, he
decided to come back on another contract for sheepherding and his sister ended up
sponsoring him and his brother so they can live permanently in the United States.
When she sponsored them, he moved to Corona, CA. to his sister’s dairy which was
where Roosevelt High School is today. He moved there to help milk cows on her dairy.
He then met Mary Seminario in Chino, CA. at a communion dinner at The Centro
Basco.
After they met, they moved to Norco, CA. and then bought their own dairy in
Ontario, CA. in 1976. He now lives in Chino, CA. today.
11.
12. Gloria was born on March 20, 1937 in San Bernardino, CA. Her mother,
Enriquetta (Mendez) Ramos, was born in 1905 in Zamora, Michoacan, Mexico. She
moved over to Perris, CA. with her family when she was 16. They moved over here to
have a better life. They then moved to San Bernardino, CA. and got married at 18 years
old.
14. Gloria’s father, Isable Ramos, was born in 1901 in Abasolo, Mexico. When he
was 20, he moved to San Bernardino, CA. They had to move to California, because their
last name was affiliated with something bad during the war in Mexico, so her grandma
changed her last name from Guere to Guera and moved to be safe.
16. Gloria live in San Bernardino until she graduated high school in 1956 and that
same year she married Porfirio Carreon in October and together the moved to Fontana,
CA.
