They traveled from California, Colorado, Oregon, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and more. On the first weekend in August, 4-6. 2023, the descendants of the Families of Costilla and Amalia gathered and celebrated the settlement of both communities, dating back to 1848.
One hundred and seventy five years of perseverance, integrity, hard work, and pure pride beamed within the 2,000-plus crowd that gathered that day. The crowd included the hometown residents, those who moved away, and those who visited long ago and returned.
What attracted the grandchildren and great grandchildren who found their way back home to honor their ancestors gone before them? It was pure family pride that brought my bloodline back. The Padilla Family and patriarchs Encarnacion ‘Chon’ and Lina Padilla’s descendants included; Aurora Pando in her 90s, Mary Martinez and Jenny Padilla in their 80s, Arthur, Gene and Peter Padilla, Jimmy Lovato and Geraldine Sotelo in their 70s, Paulette and Michael Malouff and Lawrence Lovato in their 60s, Angelina, Everett, Daryl,Theresa in their 40s, Raul, Nick, Diego, Briana and Lucy their 20s and the list goes on.
Family pride highlighted our elderly Grand Marshals, Casilda Lovato, Natividad DeHerrera and Ruth Vigil. Family faith was evident in Grand Marshal the Most Reverend Bishop Ricardo Ramirez and family honor was present with hometown hero Valdemar DeHerrera as Grand Marshall. The hometown Catholic Churches, Sagrado Corazón, (Costilla) Santo Niño, (Amalia) Sacred Heart (Garcia) parishioners marched their banners with pride, faith and respect.
The glue that held them all together, the common bond of a community that will not die, most attended Costilla Elementary, Jr. High, or High School whose last graduating class of 1965 was represented.
The continuing education of so many descendants proudly resulted in Engineer Conrad Roybal, Veterinarian Len Lucero, Dr. Rick Lovato (surgeon), Engineer Maria Luz Duran, Architect Randy Lovato, Denver International Airport General Counsel, Everett Martinez, Former Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Jiron, Musicians Phil Fernandez, Chris and Rodney Arellano, Dentists, Ben Padilla and Eloisa Lovato, Judge Michael Torres, Attorneys Theresa Becerra and Adam Arellano, Special Agent Lina Rivera, former High School Principal, Melvin Valdez, the late Colorado District Representative, Val Vigil, Nursing, Dolores Clarke and the late Katie Cordova Quintana, authors, Danny Quintana and Prax Martinez, Journalist/publisher, Pauline Rivera, and the endless educators who inspired Costilla and Amalia students.
As the sun set on a milestone event, a vision of numerous family banners with the names Arellano, Alire, Duran, DeHerrera, Garcia, Jacquez, Lovato, Lucero, Martinez, Maes, Malouff, Miera, Mascarenas, Ortiz, Overson , Padilla, Pacheco, Rivera, Roybal, Segura, Santistevan, Salazar, Tafoya, Torres, Valdez, Vigil and many more were branded in our memory, we collectively knew that the communities of Costilla and Amalia will live forever.
See photos – Costilla-Amalia 175th Anniversary Reunion Photos.
