Manuel-Daneen-Valina

Manuel-Deneen-Valina, originally uploaded by wheelerbobc.

A couple of months ago I posted Manuel Castro and his son and all his grandchildren. I promised that I would follow up with a picture of his two daughters. Well, here it is. On the left is Daneen and on the right is Valeen.

Abuela-Tony-Margaret-Bob-Mike

Abuela-Tony-Margaret-Bob-Mike, originally uploaded by wheelerbobc.

Circa late 1930

Mama Concha-Roseline-Jose-Laura

Mama Concha-Roseline-Jose-Laura, originally uploaded by wheelerbobc.

Circa 1916. Roseline 7 years old.

Mama Concha-Papa Vigallon

Mama Concha-Papa Vigallon, originally uploaded by wheelerbobc.

Circa 1930

Abuela Castro

Abuela, originally uploaded by wheelerbobc.

Circa 1940

Antonio Castro Blanco

Antonio Castro Blanco, originally uploaded by wheelerbobc.

My Castro and Vigallon Grandparents

Was it destiny? Who knows, but the Castro/Vigallon families, who met in Hawaii, in the early 1900's, formed a close bond. They worked in the same cane fields, and lived in the same camp, as neighbors.

In 1919 the Castro's moved to California, followed in 1922 by the Vigallons. The families had remained in close contact, and eventually, both ended up buying homes on the same street, in San Leandro, just a few blocks away from each other. It was on First Avenue, now known as Marina Blvd.

How well did they bond? When Mama Concha and Papa Vigallon had their last child, (Marie Vigallon Rodriguez), Remedio (Abuela) Castro, and her son John Castro, were the God Parents. Also, three Castro brothers married three Vigallon sisters.

Though my grandmothers had a close bond, they were so very different from each other. Abuela Castro and her family loved to socialize and were "party hearty." Any excuse for a party, and my Uncle Manuel Castro would play the accordian, my dad, Tony Castro, would play the castanets, and Uncle Mike Castro would play the ukelele. Abuela would bring out her castanets and dance the Spanish Jota with my dad. Sometimes Uncle Frank Castro or Aunt Margaret Castro Trujillo would take turns dancing. As a kid, I would join in too, but I was never as good as they were. I still love to hear Spanish music, and watch Spanish dancers perform.

Abuela Castro dressed plain, though she did like bright colors. She wore her long black hair pulled back into a bun, and sometimes she would wear a small Spanish comb in her hair. She never changed her style. I don't recall her ever wearing earrings, but sometimes she would wear a broach on her dress.

Abuela was our baby sitter when my mother (Roseline Vigallon Castro) worked in the cannery during the summer. Abuela loved to tell us kids stories about her youth, in Spain. Especially about the three day Fiestas. Sometimes while she sat in her rocking chair, holding one of the younger grandchildren, she would sing songs in Spanish. These recollections of her will always stay with me.

My other grandmother, Mama Concha (Constance Vigallon) and her family, also liked to socialize, but I never saw them dance, and the only one who sang, was Papa (Raphael Vigallon).

As a young girl, I remember seeing her dark brown hair pulled back into a bun, but in later years she had it cut and permed. Sometimes she would wear a flower in her hair, most times it was a rose that Papa would pick from the garden, just for her. She always wore jewelry. Earrings, a ring, or a fancy broach. Though she was never my baby sitter, I spent a lot of time in her home, playing with my younger aunts (Marie and Emily) and my young uncle (Johnny).

I recall how proud she was when she earned her citizenship papers, and could write her name. She also learned to speak a little bit of English, but if a salesman came to the door, she would always say "No speaka English." That was her way of getting rid of the salesman. Whenever I think of Mama Concha, I recall that warm smile of hers, when ever she saw her grandchildren, and later, great grandchildren, come into her home.

My grandfather, "Papa" Vigallon was one of a kind !! Though he liked his 'vino' and sometimes was a little tipsy, he was very kind and sweet to his grandchildren. I remember his singing Spanish songs, accompanied by his records on the old Victrola. He would sit on the couch, with a glass of 'vino' in one hand, a cigarette in the other hand, and just sing, and sing. My aunt Marie had the job of cranking the Victrola, to keep the music going, but if I was visiting, we took turns cranking it.

Papa was always dressed neatly. It looked like he combed his black hair to one side, and then with a bit of hair from the top, he made a curl on his forehead. He had a large mustach that he kept trimmed, and it tickeled my face, when I gave him a kiss. Papa also went for his citizenship papers, and learned to write his name. He was very proud of that, and always asked me if I wanted to see how he wrote his name.

During World War II when it was hard to buy cigarettes, he had us kids roll them for him, from scratch! The tobacco was in a pouch. The cigarette paper was fed into a small contraption, and we would crank it so that just one thin slip of paper would come out at a time. We added the right amount of tobacco, according to his directions, then twisted each end, to keep the tobacco from falling out. Papa had his ready made cigarettes, and we had fun making them for him.

I never met my Paternal grandfather, Antonio Castro, as he passed away before my parents were married. These are my recollections of the three grandparents that I knew. I will nevr forget them. You may have other recollections of them, so lets hear from you. (Pictures of them to follow this story).

Sharing puzzle pieces

The way I see it, each one of us has one small piece of a very large puzzle and each one of us has to share our story so that we can all see the whole picture.

I know it's hard to talk about yourself or about your immediate family, but well, we want to know, so come on and do it anyway!

Here are some questions that might help...

1. Describe a childhood memory of one of the older members of your Spanish family. How do you remember them? What did they look like? What did they do that was special? How did they make you feel? What things in your daily life nowadays make you remember them?

2. Is there a part of you that comes from Spain? Do you eat Spanish food, wear Spanish clothes, use Spanish words, sing Spanish songs? Where did those customs come from? When do you first remember doing them?

3. What's important to you today? What makes you the way you are? Where did it come from?


Don't be shy :)