Celestino Lopez was born in El Arenal, Zacatecas, Mexico. He was born on the 6th of April, 1900. Celestino's parents are Ladislao Lopez and Lorenza Ramirez. His Younger siblings are: Piedad, Juanita, and Ladislao.

El Arenal is a small arid village three miles from the City of Sombrerete. In Sombrerete, the church conducted services and ceremonies, such as; Baptisms, weddings, and roseries. The village of el Arenal had no running water or electricity. Celestino may have been baptized in Sombrerete.

In about 1916, when he about fifteen years old, Celestino's family moved to El Paso, Texas. It was at this time that the Mexican revolution was causing much anxiety among much of the people of Mexico. While attending school in El Paso, Celestino met and later married Ygnacia Cardenas. Ygnacia later would recall how shy Celestino was, but even then they were very good friends. Celestino worked as a roofer when he was young. It was while in El Paso, that he worked real hard to save his money to marry Ygnacia.

After Celestino and Ygnacia were married, Celestino began working for the Southern Pacific (SP) railroad in El Paso. A year later, march 7th 1923, Benjamin was born. It was on this day, that, a very big earthquake had occurred.

Celestino and his family soon moved to Sacramento, where Carmen their second child was born. Celestino began working for the SP. For the first few years, Celestino and his new young family lived in town. Later, they moved to "Gardenland", (a Hispanic barrio) just north of the city.

Celestino would drive his kids to school everyday, on his way to work. St. Joseph was a Catholic school. Even though their was a public school across the street, he drove them 10 miles to school because they were devout Catholics.

During the depression years, Celestino was laid off from the railroad. He found employment in a slaughter house in the south of Sacramento. The owner of the meat company used to give the children (Ben, Carmen, and Cecilia) rides on her horse. They were to move many times in the years that followed. After moving to Elk Grove, Celestino found work in another slaughterhouse.

Not long after, Celestino was called back to work for the SP -- now, the family moved back to Gardenland, so that they could be close to his job. In a short while, Celestino was ready to buy the house that they had rented about six years ago.

While in Gardenland, owning their own home, that Ygnacia was taken ill with Tuberculosis, and was

hospitalized. In addition, to Ygnacia, their oldest son and daughter, Benjamin and Carmen, were taken ill. The kids were now to live his Celestino's mother and dad, Lorenza and Ladislao.

Celestino was sent by the SP to work on the "tracks" in Nevada. It was hard work, but he was young and had always been a hard worker. Ygnacia did not like it there because it was very cold. On one occasion, she told her kids that one day she was sitting by the tracks waiting for Celestino-- for she had fixed him a lunch, when all of a sudden she looked down and was scared to death by a nest of snakes. She took her little kids and ran all the way home.

Cecilia still remembers the day they went to see the house they were to live in "Gardenland". It was on the corner of American Way and Wilson street. They were all very disappointed with the house. There was tall dry grass all around the house and yard. There was no water. Later, when they moved in, Celestino dug a well and installed a hand water pump. Ygnacia made friends right away, because all the men worked at the SP. She was a very friendly person and everyone liked her. They all called her "Nachita".

It was at this time that the family went Arizona to visit their maternal grandparents -- papa Josè and moma Cholè Cardenas. It was around this time that Celestino and Ygnacia had had a misunderstanding, and Ygnacia wanted to get away for awhile. Some time later, Celestino took out a pass for the train -- for Ygnacia and their three children.

The City of Yuma Arizona was very hot and dusty, especially, where we lived, but they were very happy there with their grandparents, aunt Minga, Cholè, Agripina, Socorro, and their uncle Victor. They also met uncle Ray, his wife and his many children.

After their trip to Arizona, they lived very happy there in Gardenland. Celestino had a good job at the SP. Ygnacia always had something good for her to eat. On one occasion, Cecilia remembers her parents being invited to a dance. "My mother looked beautiful in a violet color dress with bright sequins. When they came home from the dance she was crying I don't know what happened. My dad and her had had an argument."

On sundays we went to church at the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral downtown. There weren't many Catholic churches around. Celestino belonged to the Holy Name Society and they attended their picnics by the river. Celestino cooked the bar-b-qued goat -- everyone liked his cooking. All of the young kids had fun swimming in the river. Every once in a while Celestino would take the children to the movies at the Lyico (sp) theater downtown.

Ygnacia's family came to California from Arizona in the 1930's . Ygnacia's brother, Victor, drove all the way in an open style chevrolet. Celestino and his family were very glad to see them. After living in Elk Grove for awhile, they went to live in the garage in Gardenland at American Way & Wilson Ave. -- where Celestino had fixed up the garage, so that his in-laws could live there. It was only one room, but all seven of them were able to live there.

Celestino's family (mother, father, brothers and sister) was living in the house where they used to live in Gardenland. They lived on 16th street close to the Governor's mansion. They used to take walks around that block all the time. At this time, Ben must of been about six years old, Carmen about 5, and Cecilia must of been about 4 years of age.

Papa Josè, Ygnacia's father, worked in the fields there in Gardenland. He used to plant a garden every year. Moma Cholè, Ygnacia's mother, was a beautiful person -- not only her face and her hair, but she was very kind and always helping somebody. She was to die of asthma.

Soon after, Ygnacia's sister Minga married Frank Avela. Papa Josè, Cholè, Victor, Pina (Agripina), and Coro (Socorro) went to live in a little house on the property of Minga and Pancho (Frank Avila). Celestino's family stayed there for a while. When we returned to Sacramento, he had new toys and clothes for his kids -- It was Christmas time and the SP had given those gifts to the workers.

Soon after Ygnacia had a baby girl. They named her Josefina. Josefina did not live long. She was about a year old when she came down with the measles or chickenpox -- she then caught pneumonia and died. Celestino loved her so much, he gave up smoking.

On one occasion, Cecilia remembers going with her father to collect the rent. The man that rented the house had a big family. He used to make his own bottled rootbeer. Celestino's son Alfonso, was born when they lived in Elk Grove. The house was big and made of cement. Actually it was a mill for grain -- it had machinery in the rooms. Celestino made a big party for Ygnacia's birthday, July 31st -- the next day, Al was born.

At this time Ben was taking violin lessons -- he was a good musician already. Celestino's hobbies were fixing up the house and taking care of the cows, chickens, pigs and goats. Ygnacia used to make the girls dresses and she did crocheting. Her favorite dish or what she cooked very often was chicken soup. Every time Celestino & Ygnacia baptized a baby they mad a big party with lots of food. There was always live music and everybody danced a lot. They loved to dance. One time Ygnacia, her sisters Minga and Cholè baptized their babies at he same time.

Mary, daughter of Minga also went to Weimar around this time -- the still lived in Gardenland. Celestino did not have to sell any property to pay bills. When the City of Sacramento made Sacramento blvd to end of his property -- they bought that piece of land and later, after moving the house to the larger side, he sold the smaller piece of land.

When Ygnacia got sick in 1939, Celestino took his children to live with his mother and father on Bowman St., in Gardenland. A house that he had built for his parents, after the owner, Vic, sold the house on American Way & Wilson. Ben did not go to live with his family over to their grandparents'. Shortly after they had moved in with them, the County nurse came to say that Alfonso, Rosie, and Nancy had to go to Weimar. Only Diego, Connie and Cecilia were left there. About 1940, Connie and Cecilia had to go to Weimar too. The 2nd World War had started. Only Ben & Diego didn't go to Weimar.

When the house on 49th Ave. burnt down, they went to a motel paid for by the Red Cross. Later, Celestino rented a place downtown but only for a short time. Later he bought the house on Camellia Lane. It was while living here that he retired from the SP shop. He was a painter in the SP car shop.

When he retired he passed his time planting chiles, tomatoes and many other vegetables. He also raised chickens and sold eggs thru a market on 47th Ave. Celestino had many friends and was well liked by everyone.

Ben attended Grant Union High School. He was studying to play the saxophone and had many friends. He used to take his sisters to the football games at Grant Union High. He used to go to the YMCA to workout. All of a sudden Ben got very sick. The doctors said he had a very serious case of T.B. . He didn't last very long and died in May 1942.

Ygnacia came from Weimar to be with Ben before he died. Cecilia remembers going shopping with her mother at the "Montgomery Wards for black clothes and hats for Ben's funeral. Four months later, my mother became very sick. She had been living in a little room in the back yard of my grandmother Lencha's .

...because there was nothing they could do for her at Weimar. I used to like to dry and comb her hair. She didn't have one grey hair. I went to work in Winters with my grandpa and Tencho that summer.

One sunday when our Uncle Lalo went to see us in Winters -- I insisted on coming home to see my mother. A few days later she died in my arms. Only my dad and I were with her when she died. Connie, my grandmother, and the guys were somewhere in the house. I remember Connie crying and crying, my grandmother and I couldn't make her stop. She kept saying she wanted her mother. I think Nancy, Alfonso, and Rosie were over Minga's for the day. It was a very sad day. The doctor and the priest came to give her last sacrament. The funeral hearse came to take her to the Klump Funeral Home."

When Ygnacia passed away, this was to make a big change in their living conditions. First, they moved back to their own home in the south area. The two oldest daughters, Carmen and Cecilia, were able to take care of the smaller children in the family. Carmen had to quit school to care for the house and watch the kids. When Carmen became ill and had to be hospitalized, Cecilia had to quit school and stay home.

Celestino was laid off from the SP, because of the depression of the 30's. This is when he got a job at the Elk Grove Slaughter house and they moved to Elk Grove -- again. Then they moved to Franklin Bl. on 49th Ave. They lived in part of the house because the owner, Mr. Moody still lived there in the other rooms of the house. Celestino started buying the house and Ygnacia was very happy.

Celestino was called back to the SP shops around this time. Mr. Kay, our neighbor, worked at the SP too. They were very good friends. When Mr. Moody died after moving to Ohio, they had the whole house to ourselves. Now they were all happy because they had more bedrooms. Ben, Carmen, and Cecilia attended Pacific school. Mrs. Fern Beacon was the principal. She was nice to them.

Cecilia recalls "I remember living in another house when our mother was still living. It was in Gardenland about one block away from our grandmother Lencha on American Way & Wilson. The house was very close to the levy. I was about 10 years old and went to North Sacramento school together with Ben and Carmen. Our cousin, Tencho, was already living with our grandmother Lencha, my dad's mother. She and I used to go to school together. I liked to go to their house and listen to our grandpa Lalo play his harp."

"In the year, 194___?, Celestino returned to his village in El Arenal, Mexico and married Carmen Zamora. They returned to Sacramento and together they started a new family and had a total of 10 children. He retired from Southern Pacific in 19...