Family Histories: Estrada

Ernesto Estrada Family

November 14, 1995

I first came to Florence December 1957 with my husband Jose Leo Estrada to meet his mother and father who I'm going to write about. I was just a young bride of 18 years old when I first visited the Gila chapel and Assumption Church in Florence. You see, my husband of only a couple of months had brought me across country to Florence, Arizona. My father-in-law, Ernesto (Chile) Estrada, was born November 6, 1897 here in Florence to Jose and Carmen Estrada. He had two sisters, Lillie Thompson of Scottsdale, and Mary Diehl of Nogales, both deceased, and half brother Clarence Knight of Florence, still living. Ernesto met and married Josephine Mary Villa on November 10, 1923, here in Florence. They had four children: Carmen S. Johnson of Tennessee, Rudy Estrada of Los Angeles, Ernesto Jr. of Tucson, Arizona and Jose Leo Estrada, Sr. of Florence, my husband. They had 8 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.

All of the Estradas were baptized and confirmed at the Assumption Church. Nana Estrada was born March 15, 1906 here in Florence to Encarnacion Villa and Jauquina Romero Villa. She had numerous sisters and brothers: Carmen Moraga, Vicky Arriola, Sarah Ochoa, Helen Canalez, Manuel Villa, Alfredo Villa, Adolpho Villa, Pedro Villa, all deceased except Sarah and Helen, both living in Florence. In 1973, Nana and Tata Estrada celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary with their children. Nana passed away in 1976 and Tata lived on to be 90 before passing away in 1988.

Their memory will forever live on in our hearts.

Jose & Barbara Estrada

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