EMILIO LOPEZ FAMILY
Front row: Emilio Sr., Andrew, Carmen, Richard
Back row: Emilio Jr., Josephine, Salvador, Oliva, Arthur
THE LOPEZ FAMILY
As told by Olivia Lopez King
Our parents, Emilio S. Lopez (1907 – 1975) and Carmen Azevedo Lopez (1912 – 1999), never attended a high school or a college yet this story is really about them as well as their offspring, the spouses of their offspring, the children of their offspring and the individuals they married. Their story begins in 1913 in Mexico when there was an uprising “La Revolution”. There was a great deal of confusion and uncertainty, and it was a frightening time for the family. Emilio’s parents, Manuel and Andrea Sierra Lopez, were extremely concerned and needed to make a decision for themselves and especially for their children. Both the Federales and Rebels were pillaging the country and taking everything they wanted including the women and children. Manuel finally dug a hole under their chicken coop where the females could hide during those raids.
Manuel and Andrea decided that the best thing to do was to go to the United States of America. With that decision made, they traveled north on a train with the women and children in a passenger car and the men in the cars behind that hauled freight. Upon their arrival in Arizona, Manuel got a job working for the railroad and then in 1922 the railroad transferred him to Fresno. Within a few years he was transferred again but this time it was to Laton and that’s where the family remained for many years.
Manuel Lopez Sr. (1875 – aft 1950) and Andrea Sierra Lopez (1880 -) had eight children; Margarita, Emilio (b ca 1908), Locadio, Manuel Jr (b ca 1912), Candelaria, Esteban (b ca 1915) Guadalupe (b ca 1916), Josefina (b ca 1918). Two of the children died young; Josefina from Tuberculosis and Lacadio drowned in the Kings River. Esteban ‘Steve’ went back to Mexico and after getting an education he returned to the United Staes. His dream was to start a school. Daughter Margarita owned the “Cantina” in Laton, and her sister Guadalupe worked with her. Guadalupe was also employed by the Aydelotte Family south of Laton. Margarita and Guadalupe never had children, however, Candelaria married Stanislas Avila and had five children, all of whom attended Laton schools.
Margarita Lopez - Owner of the "Cantina" in Laton
Manuel, Jr. was also employed by the Aydelotte Family until he left to work on various farms and ranches in the area. He learned to do many jobs and oversaw other employees. Manuel’s three children also attended schools in Laton. Irene graduated from Laton High School in the Class of 1953, Rosemarie was in the Class of 1954 and their brother Steve owned his own trucking company.
IRENE (LHS Class of 1953) – After graduating from Laton High School, Irene attended COS then later in January 1954 worked at a Porterville State Hospital while at the same time she was attending Porterville College where she was later to receive a Psychiatric Technician license. Later she enrolled at Fresno State and majored in Administration of Recreation services and Therapeutic Option and minored in Latino Studies. Realizing the necessity of help for those in need, she returned to Fresno State where she obtained her ‘Degree of Master of Social Work’.
During the years from 1988 – 1994, Irene worked part time at Fresno State as an Associate Professor while at the same time working full time as a mental health therapist. In 1956, while working at Porterville State Hospital she met and married Saul who was a veteran of the Korean War. As a military spouse she traveled with him to his post in Arlington, Virginia where she began working at the Arlington Hospital. This was followed with a post in Lincoln, Nebraska where Saul worked at the Strategic Air Command. With a new post and a new job, she went to work at the Lincoln State Hospital as a ‘Psych-Tech’ in the Recreation Department. In 1960, Irene returned to the Fresno area while her husband continued to travel with the Armed Services but he was now in the Air Force. When they married in 1956 Saul was in the Army then in 1960 when his assignment was completed, he decided that the military wasn’t so bad so he re-upped and joined the Air Force.
Irene’s interests were in working with the community and in about 1980 she was appointed by John Donaldson, Supervisor of District Five for Fresno County, to the Commission on the Statis of Women and in about 1983 Irene was appointed by Governor Brown to the Advisory Board of Porterville State Hospital.
ROSEMARIE (LHS Class of 1954) - Rosemarie attended Fresno State for two years and was offered a teaching job. She worked a few years then decided to return to Fresno State where she majored in elementary education and received her teaching credential. Soon she found a teaching job in Corcoran followed soon with a job in Delano where she spent the majority of her teaching career.
Rosemarie became very interested in administration and returned to Fresno State for her administration credential. She later served as a principal in various schools in Delano. Nearing the end of her career in education Rosemarie was voted ‘WOMAN OF THE YEAR’ by the town of Delano.
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Carmen Azevedo Lopez
MANUEL and ANDREA were devout Catholics and raised their children in that faith. There being no Catholic Church in Laton, Emilio attended services in Hanford. Emilio spotted a girl who sang in the church choir and he learned that her name was Carmen Azevedo. He started sending her notes. Carmen’s father, Jose Azevedo (ca 1890 – 1930), was very strict so Carmen had to make sure that her dad didn’t know that she was responding to the notes. However, her mother, Luz Carillo Azevedo, knew about the exchanges.
In those days, much of the socializing was done in homes. It just so happened that Emilio made sure that he was invited wherever Carmen was going to be. That’s another story but in 1930 they married. Now where to live? Manuel and Andrea said that they could live with them but Carmen’s father, Jose Azevedo, said, “No daughter of mine is going to live with her in-laws”. Emilio didn’t know what to do. It wasn’t long before his dad, Manuel, reminded them that he had an old garage and they could live in it. Problem solved!
Dad soon became quite proficient at working with carpentry tools so he bought some land and moved the garage onto it. As our family grew, he added rooms to accommodate the growing family.
The garage after a many additions and before Emilio built a new home for his family.
Dad worked as a farm laborer but his dream was to work as a carpenter. First, he had to join a Carpenters’ Union which cost $100 to join. Since he was working as a farm laborer, he had a difficult time raising the $100. While Mom did a splendid job at managing the money, the family continued to grow making it even more difficult to raise the funds. Eventually, it did happen and Dad achieved his dream. He certainly didn't like the idea of the union but he had no choice and he really didn't like it when the union went on strike. Like it or not he followed the rules. Dad made sure that he found work and did all that he could to support his family.
When we (the children of Emilio and Carmen) were old enough, we worked in the summer months and sometimes after school and on Saturdays. During the fruit harvesting season, we worked and in late October and November we picked cotton. The boys worked with our dad on other jobs and some worked as caddies at the Kings Country Club that was just south of Laton on the other side of the Kings River. We girls did baby sitting and learned housekeeping skills. We were never taken out of school to work. SCHOOL WAS A MUST!
One of our first recollections as children was, "You need to get an education," almost to the point we'd think, "Not again." Neither parent had a formal education. Dad had to help with the subsistence of his family and attended school only to the fifth grade. Mom was told that she couldn't go to high school because it “wasn't for girls”. So, after graduating from the eighth grade, she no longer attended public or any other school. While not continuing their education both parents continued learning in their own way. Dad learned by working and observing, by asking and trying. He could read and could have done more reading but he was mostly engaged in being active. Mom read whatever material she could get her hands on; often she said that as a child she would hide magazines under her mattress so that her dad, Jose, couldn't see them. She didn't read in front of him. Mom also learned by observing and by trying and never did give up learning. Her mother, Luz Carrillo Azevedo, taught her as well. Mom helped Grandmother Luz with chores and cooking for the many men that my grandpa, Jose Azevedo, hired to work for the farmers.
Our maternal grandmother, Luz Carrillo, was born in 1895 in Mexico. Her parents were Tomas Carrillo, who was born ca 1875 in Mexico and died in Kings County in about 1936 and his wife was Francisca Cabral who was also born in Mexico ca 1875 and died in California. The Carrillos had left Mexico early in the Mexican Revolution (ca 1903) which was about 10 years earlier than the Lopez family leaving Mexico. Tomas, Francisca and daughters Luz and Rosa along with his brother settled for a while in Colton, California where they started a pastry business. Within a few years they left Colton and made their way up to Hanford in Kings County where they settled.
Tomas Carrrillo (born ca 1875) was the grandfather of Carmen Azevedo Lopez.
We, the children of Emilio and Carmen, came from an intense farm labor background. All of us, to a degree, worked on the land. The work included pruning trees in the intense cold to picking grapes in the intense heat. There was cotton to be weeded, hoed and once matured, picked by hand. Among the many fruits to be picked were the prunes which were the hardest on the body especially the knees. The rock like clods played havoc on our knees. The blackberries were no picnic either because the thorns that could not be avoided pierced our fingers and other parts of our bodies. After pruning the grapevines, the vines had to be tied. My brothers and especially Dad spent many long nights and early hours irrigating.
In the summer came the harvesting of apricots, peaches and grapes. Many of the apricots were cut by hand and placed on wooden trays, then put on the ground to dry, just as some of the peaches were. Mom worked in packing houses where fruits were packed for shipping. She later became a floor lady and oversaw other workers. There were a great many more fruits and vegetables that saw the Lopez children. In the summer months we moved to camps near the farm work and were always ready and happy to get back home. Camping meant sleeping on the floors of sheds, vacant and smelly chicken coops; or on boxes that some of the farmers loaned us. One thing for sure, we were always home in time to start school. If there was work to be done, we worked on Saturdays or after school, but rarely and only when there was great need would be work during school time.
We knew that working in the fields wasn't where we wanted to be but how could we get an education and who would pay for it? Our folks helped and we did odd jobs, yes, in the field, baby sitting, at the golf course and we also did without many of the luxuries that other students might have had. It's not to say that we didn't enjoy ourselves because we did! We had a well-rounded and balanced life.
Mom was a smash of a homemaker and had a gift for handling money. Dad didn't bring much in, but she sure made it stretch. She cared for all of us and taught us to respect, love, responsibility, to share and so much more. Both she and Dad shared those values. They were both extremely giving parents. Mom spent hours in doing community service yet she never neglected her home or her family. She helped at school, took others to the doctor and translated for those who couldn't speak English. These are only a few examples of what she did. She was a real power-house! And, oh yea, she made sure she spent time helping us with our homework, even if it meant helping us while she was cooking. We'd sit on a chair next to the stove and she listened to us read and gave us our spelling words. Incidentally, she was a whiz at spelling and there wasn't a word that she couldn't spell.
In the summer came the harvesting of apricots, peaches and grapes. Many of the apricots were cut by hand and placed on wooden trays, then put on the ground to dry, just as some of the peaches were. Mom worked in packing houses where fruits were packed for shipping. She later became a floor lady and oversaw other workers. There were a great many more fruits and vegetables that saw the Lopez children. In the summer months we moved to camps near the farm work and were always ready and happy to get back home. Camping meant sleeping on the floors of sheds, vacant and smelly chicken coops; or on boxes that some of the farmers loaned us. One thing for sure, we were always home in time to start school. If there was work to be done, we worked on Saturdays or after school, but rarely and only when there was great need would be work during school time.
We knew that working in the fields wasn't where we wanted to be but how could we get an education and who would pay for it? Our folks helped and we did odd jobs, yes, in the field, baby sitting, at the golf course and we also did without many of the luxuries that other students might have had. It's not to say that we didn't enjoy ourselves because we did! We had a well-rounded and balanced life.
Mom was a smash of a homemaker and had a gift for handling money. Dad didn't bring much in, but she sure made it stretch. She cared for all of us and taught us to respect, love, responsibility, to share and so much more. Both she and Dad shared those values. They were both extremely giving parents. Mom spent hours in doing community service yet she never neglected her home or her family. She helped at school, took others to the doctor and translated for those who couldn't speak English. These are only a few examples of what she did. She was a real power-house! And, oh yea, she made sure she spent time helping us with our homework, even if it meant helping us while she was cooking. We'd sit on a chair next to the stove and she listened to us read and gave us our spelling words. Incidentally, she was a whiz at spelling and there wasn't a word that she couldn't spell.
Emilio & Art ca 1945 or 1946
Religion was a big part of our lives. Dad led the way along with Mom. It was and still is a way of life for us. We learned a great deal. We had to memorize, read, think, ask, answer and write. We had visiting missionaries share meals with us. This provided us with an opportunity to ask questions and continue our education. Attending Mass on Sunday was a wonderful event. It was an opportunity to socialize and to learn. Much of what we did in our lives was centered on church and religious activities. Being Roman Catholic, we had many occasions to celebrate the sacraments.
Our grandfather, Manuel Lopez, was a reader. We would often see him under the shade of a tree reading and many times it was the Bible that he would be holding. He said, "To be educated didn't mean being college educated or having a degree but, the total person must be educated. Book learning is part of it but not all of it. It's who you are, what you do, what you know and how you use it." That is what I've grown to know is what he meant. He was correct. It’s a way of thinking. A way of being.
Our maternal grandmother, Luz D. Azevedo, was also a reader. She read in Spanish but she spoke some English and also read in English. She would take her Bible to Church when we went for the evening services. Here again, was another example of what we saw and experienced by personal examples and also a glimpse of what each of us was exposed to that would lead us to what we were to become or at least give us the opportunities that others might not have had.
While believing as our grandpa believed that to be an educated person doesn't mean just, "book learning." I know well that knowing how to read, write and do math are of greatest importance. I also believe and know that some individuals have done marvelously well with minimal basic skills, while others have done well in teaching themselves. I also know that many individuals have developed extremely well their God given skills in the area of memorization and have hidden from others their inability to read. Not that these individuals couldn't learn but, for them, it just didn't happen for any number of reasons. Understandably and also realizing that these individuals, for the most part, can learn with the skills they possess but are unlimited in their achievements. With support and their willingness to learn, their achievements are boundless. No doubt about it, reading, writing and math are of the most important. And yes, for many professions, high level education is a must.
That being said, higher education may not be for everyone. Some individuals may have chosen not to attend a college or university for reasons known only to them. Just as in our family there are those who chose to attend an institution of higher learning for a period of time, then they took a different direction and contributed to the wellbeing of their families and to their communities just as much of those who attended a university. They too have supported and encouraged their offspring to get as much education as possible, whether it was a trade-school or college.
SALVADOR (LHS Class of 1951) - Sal especially remembers riding in the school bus going to play basketball against Sierra High School. The bus was very old and didn’t have much power so it could only creep up the hills. Sal was also in the Drum and Bugle Corps called Los Reyes. He had lots of friends at Laton High and he remembered at a basketball game where he threw a ball that hit one of the players in an eye and he was devastated because it blinded the player for a while.
He started classes at COS (College of the Sequoias) but decided to leave school and go to work because our father had been in a terrible car accident and couldn’t work for a long time. Sal’s dream was to coach and teach so eventually he resumed his education at COS then later at Fresno State. At Fresno State he majored in physical education with a Spanish minor. He eventually worked toward a General Secondary credential.
Following his graduation, he taught Spanish and coached elementary school students in baseball and basketball. He was a P.E. & Spanish teacher. He started his career in Laton and eventually went to Lindsey then Hanford and ended his career at Acres Elementary at the Lemoore Naval Air Station where he taught P.E. and Spanish to sixth graders and at Stratford where he taught P.E. and Spanish to 6th, 7th and 8th grades.
As a boy, Sal caddied at the Kings Country Club and he soon developed a fondness for golf. While a student at Fresno State, he was also on the Fresno State Golf Team that was the District Eight Champions in 1959. Because of this achievement, Sal was honored on Saturday evening, September 30, 2023, at the Fresno State Bulldogs football game when they played against the Nevada Wolf Pack.
He pursued his interest in golf and as a result has enjoyed many pleasant hours playing and watching others play the game. He has always managed to find time to play in MAGA, the Mexican American Golf Association. As a young and proficient golfer, he won the State MAGA tournament and as a State Tournament Champion he earned the opportunity to play with Lee Trevino in San Francisco.
RICHARD (LHS Class of 1952) - As a child, Richard and his friends would walk along the railroad tracks from Laton to the Kings Country Club looking for golf balls and caddying for the golfers. That was his first introduction to the game of golf. He participated in many sports, and in 1952 he was the pitcher when the Laton High School Baseball Team won the Valley Championship for the Sierra League Central Section team. From school records, that team has been the only team to have won a Valley Baseball Championship. As so many of the Laton boys, Richard participated in all varsity sports. As the other Lopez boys, he also marched for the Hanford Los Reyes Drum and Bugle Corp.
Richard enjoyed his time hanging around Jack’s Barber Shop in Laton and liked the idea of becoming a barber. He eventually decided to attend barber school and while attending the school, he would practice cutting his brothers’ and sisters’ hair but sometimes he would really ‘goof’ and cut more hair than was needed. He would laugh and say, “Don’t worry, it will grow back.” He opened a barber shop in Lemoore and eventually one of his sons became a barber and joined him at that shop. Richard’s family grew and every summer he enjoyed taking them to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, just as our dad and taken his own children.
OLIVIA (LHS Class of 1953) - Olivia was a ‘joiner’ and very active in school. She, along with other students, enjoyed many school activities, especially the games, slumber parties, school dances, hay rides, playing in the band, wiener roasts and as a Pep-O-Vim. As a freshman, along with other freshmen, was invited to join the girls’ basketball team. That year the Laton High Girls’ Basketball Team won the GAA Championship.
She considered social work as well as teaching as a career and chose to teach. She started her career in Hanford, then Laton Grammar School and later at the Laton High School where she was also an advisor to the Junior Class. Following her years in Laton, she moved to Merced where the first immigrants at that time arrived from Laos. She was teaching ESL (English as a Second Language). The Hmong children were placed with the Spanish, Korean, East Indians and French students in her classroom according to their grade level. She volunteered tutoring students and adults to help them learn to speak and write in English. As a member of AAUW she, along with other members, started a “Career Fair” for girls. Later they took it to the middle schools so the boys could be included.
Along with her elementary and secondary credentials she had majored in Art and minored in Linguistics so with these credentials along with her bilingual credentials, she was asked at times to teach where there was a special need.
In her career she felt fortunate to have taught in every grade from the first to the twelfth as well as art classes at Merced City College. It was in 1999, at the end of her teaching career in Merced, that she received a letter from Laurie E. Lang who was the Senior Vice President of the Disney Learning Partnership. In part it read, “Congratulations! You have been nominated by a number of different people for the 1999 Disney’s American Teacher Awards, which honors creativity in teaching. This nomination demonstrates that your teaching has truly touched your school community. We salute you for your talent and impact on students.” She also wrote, “The American Teacher Awards were created to give extraordinary teachers the recognition they truly deserve but rarely receive. These are the teachers who find creative ways to stimulate curiosity, engage the imagination and pass the joy of learning on to each and every one of their students.”
JOSEPHINE (LHS Class of 1955) – Josephine chose to become a full-time homemaker for her family. She, like her mother, was there for her children and others who might need some assistance and continued to do so. One of her favorite activities was to visit the residents at various convalescent homes. She would spend time keeping company with various individuals. She was honored for her volunteerism.
She and Joe were very generous in opening their home to siblings who were fortunate to live with them while attending Fresno State. She continues to give of her time to her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, family members, and is willing to help whenever asked.
Josephine used her ability primarily as a business. She chose to help family members, friends and others who couldn’t afford a seamstress. In high school she became interested in sewing and joined the Future Homemakers of America. She also enjoyed music and joined the Laton High School marching band. When she enrolled at COS (College of the Sequoias), in addition to the required classes she needed to graduate, all of her electives were toward becoming a seamstress such as sewing, tailoring, pattern making, alterations and any class that would help her become a seamstress. She shared her talent and was eager to help others. Josephine followed her talent and chose to become a seamstress. She sewed everything from aprons to suits. She also sewed her wedding gown, as well as her bridesmaids’ dresses.
Josephine often donated blood to the Central Valley Blood Bank and recently it was estimated that through the years she had donated about 20 gallons of blood. God Bless you Josephine.
EMILIO (LHS Class of 1957) - Emilio was born with a great deal of creative ability. As a young person he enjoyed taking things apart but there were those times when he couldn’t put them back together. He had good ideas to produce items that could have made life easier and had he been able to follow through he would have made many individuals happy. He was a self-made carpenter and he really enjoyed wood carving and whittling. His drawings were so professional that representatives from Disney Studios came to talk to him. They were interested in his pursuit of refining his ability and eventually joining the Disney Studios. He considered accepting the offer and after giving it much thought, he decided not to accept the offer.
Some of his classmates remember how he would entertain the students on the school bus coming home after a game at a rival school. He would get a ‘pretend’ mike and sing and tell jokes.
Emilio was attracted to the Track and Field Sports. He was a distance runner and was League Champion at the 1320-yard event.
In his Senior year, he was elected Class President. In addition to his activities at school, he belonged to the Los Reyes Drum and Bugle Corp. After graduating from Laton High School he joined the Coast Guard. After the Coast Guard, he worked at various jobs before he was hired by the Armstrong Tire Company as a foreman and quality controller. It was from there that he finally retired.
Our grandfather, Manuel Lopez, was a reader. We would often see him under the shade of a tree reading and many times it was the Bible that he would be holding. He said, "To be educated didn't mean being college educated or having a degree but, the total person must be educated. Book learning is part of it but not all of it. It's who you are, what you do, what you know and how you use it." That is what I've grown to know is what he meant. He was correct. It’s a way of thinking. A way of being.
Our maternal grandmother, Luz D. Azevedo, was also a reader. She read in Spanish but she spoke some English and also read in English. She would take her Bible to Church when we went for the evening services. Here again, was another example of what we saw and experienced by personal examples and also a glimpse of what each of us was exposed to that would lead us to what we were to become or at least give us the opportunities that others might not have had.
While believing as our grandpa believed that to be an educated person doesn't mean just, "book learning." I know well that knowing how to read, write and do math are of greatest importance. I also believe and know that some individuals have done marvelously well with minimal basic skills, while others have done well in teaching themselves. I also know that many individuals have developed extremely well their God given skills in the area of memorization and have hidden from others their inability to read. Not that these individuals couldn't learn but, for them, it just didn't happen for any number of reasons. Understandably and also realizing that these individuals, for the most part, can learn with the skills they possess but are unlimited in their achievements. With support and their willingness to learn, their achievements are boundless. No doubt about it, reading, writing and math are of the most important. And yes, for many professions, high level education is a must.
That being said, higher education may not be for everyone. Some individuals may have chosen not to attend a college or university for reasons known only to them. Just as in our family there are those who chose to attend an institution of higher learning for a period of time, then they took a different direction and contributed to the wellbeing of their families and to their communities just as much of those who attended a university. They too have supported and encouraged their offspring to get as much education as possible, whether it was a trade-school or college.
SALVADOR (LHS Class of 1951) - Sal especially remembers riding in the school bus going to play basketball against Sierra High School. The bus was very old and didn’t have much power so it could only creep up the hills. Sal was also in the Drum and Bugle Corps called Los Reyes. He had lots of friends at Laton High and he remembered at a basketball game where he threw a ball that hit one of the players in an eye and he was devastated because it blinded the player for a while.
He started classes at COS (College of the Sequoias) but decided to leave school and go to work because our father had been in a terrible car accident and couldn’t work for a long time. Sal’s dream was to coach and teach so eventually he resumed his education at COS then later at Fresno State. At Fresno State he majored in physical education with a Spanish minor. He eventually worked toward a General Secondary credential.
Following his graduation, he taught Spanish and coached elementary school students in baseball and basketball. He was a P.E. & Spanish teacher. He started his career in Laton and eventually went to Lindsey then Hanford and ended his career at Acres Elementary at the Lemoore Naval Air Station where he taught P.E. and Spanish to sixth graders and at Stratford where he taught P.E. and Spanish to 6th, 7th and 8th grades.
As a boy, Sal caddied at the Kings Country Club and he soon developed a fondness for golf. While a student at Fresno State, he was also on the Fresno State Golf Team that was the District Eight Champions in 1959. Because of this achievement, Sal was honored on Saturday evening, September 30, 2023, at the Fresno State Bulldogs football game when they played against the Nevada Wolf Pack.
He pursued his interest in golf and as a result has enjoyed many pleasant hours playing and watching others play the game. He has always managed to find time to play in MAGA, the Mexican American Golf Association. As a young and proficient golfer, he won the State MAGA tournament and as a State Tournament Champion he earned the opportunity to play with Lee Trevino in San Francisco.
RICHARD (LHS Class of 1952) - As a child, Richard and his friends would walk along the railroad tracks from Laton to the Kings Country Club looking for golf balls and caddying for the golfers. That was his first introduction to the game of golf. He participated in many sports, and in 1952 he was the pitcher when the Laton High School Baseball Team won the Valley Championship for the Sierra League Central Section team. From school records, that team has been the only team to have won a Valley Baseball Championship. As so many of the Laton boys, Richard participated in all varsity sports. As the other Lopez boys, he also marched for the Hanford Los Reyes Drum and Bugle Corp.
Richard enjoyed his time hanging around Jack’s Barber Shop in Laton and liked the idea of becoming a barber. He eventually decided to attend barber school and while attending the school, he would practice cutting his brothers’ and sisters’ hair but sometimes he would really ‘goof’ and cut more hair than was needed. He would laugh and say, “Don’t worry, it will grow back.” He opened a barber shop in Lemoore and eventually one of his sons became a barber and joined him at that shop. Richard’s family grew and every summer he enjoyed taking them to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, just as our dad and taken his own children.
OLIVIA (LHS Class of 1953) - Olivia was a ‘joiner’ and very active in school. She, along with other students, enjoyed many school activities, especially the games, slumber parties, school dances, hay rides, playing in the band, wiener roasts and as a Pep-O-Vim. As a freshman, along with other freshmen, was invited to join the girls’ basketball team. That year the Laton High Girls’ Basketball Team won the GAA Championship.
She considered social work as well as teaching as a career and chose to teach. She started her career in Hanford, then Laton Grammar School and later at the Laton High School where she was also an advisor to the Junior Class. Following her years in Laton, she moved to Merced where the first immigrants at that time arrived from Laos. She was teaching ESL (English as a Second Language). The Hmong children were placed with the Spanish, Korean, East Indians and French students in her classroom according to their grade level. She volunteered tutoring students and adults to help them learn to speak and write in English. As a member of AAUW she, along with other members, started a “Career Fair” for girls. Later they took it to the middle schools so the boys could be included.
Along with her elementary and secondary credentials she had majored in Art and minored in Linguistics so with these credentials along with her bilingual credentials, she was asked at times to teach where there was a special need.
In her career she felt fortunate to have taught in every grade from the first to the twelfth as well as art classes at Merced City College. It was in 1999, at the end of her teaching career in Merced, that she received a letter from Laurie E. Lang who was the Senior Vice President of the Disney Learning Partnership. In part it read, “Congratulations! You have been nominated by a number of different people for the 1999 Disney’s American Teacher Awards, which honors creativity in teaching. This nomination demonstrates that your teaching has truly touched your school community. We salute you for your talent and impact on students.” She also wrote, “The American Teacher Awards were created to give extraordinary teachers the recognition they truly deserve but rarely receive. These are the teachers who find creative ways to stimulate curiosity, engage the imagination and pass the joy of learning on to each and every one of their students.”
JOSEPHINE (LHS Class of 1955) – Josephine chose to become a full-time homemaker for her family. She, like her mother, was there for her children and others who might need some assistance and continued to do so. One of her favorite activities was to visit the residents at various convalescent homes. She would spend time keeping company with various individuals. She was honored for her volunteerism.
She and Joe were very generous in opening their home to siblings who were fortunate to live with them while attending Fresno State. She continues to give of her time to her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, family members, and is willing to help whenever asked.
Josephine used her ability primarily as a business. She chose to help family members, friends and others who couldn’t afford a seamstress. In high school she became interested in sewing and joined the Future Homemakers of America. She also enjoyed music and joined the Laton High School marching band. When she enrolled at COS (College of the Sequoias), in addition to the required classes she needed to graduate, all of her electives were toward becoming a seamstress such as sewing, tailoring, pattern making, alterations and any class that would help her become a seamstress. She shared her talent and was eager to help others. Josephine followed her talent and chose to become a seamstress. She sewed everything from aprons to suits. She also sewed her wedding gown, as well as her bridesmaids’ dresses.
Josephine often donated blood to the Central Valley Blood Bank and recently it was estimated that through the years she had donated about 20 gallons of blood. God Bless you Josephine.
EMILIO (LHS Class of 1957) - Emilio was born with a great deal of creative ability. As a young person he enjoyed taking things apart but there were those times when he couldn’t put them back together. He had good ideas to produce items that could have made life easier and had he been able to follow through he would have made many individuals happy. He was a self-made carpenter and he really enjoyed wood carving and whittling. His drawings were so professional that representatives from Disney Studios came to talk to him. They were interested in his pursuit of refining his ability and eventually joining the Disney Studios. He considered accepting the offer and after giving it much thought, he decided not to accept the offer.
Some of his classmates remember how he would entertain the students on the school bus coming home after a game at a rival school. He would get a ‘pretend’ mike and sing and tell jokes.
Emilio was attracted to the Track and Field Sports. He was a distance runner and was League Champion at the 1320-yard event.
In his Senior year, he was elected Class President. In addition to his activities at school, he belonged to the Los Reyes Drum and Bugle Corp. After graduating from Laton High School he joined the Coast Guard. After the Coast Guard, he worked at various jobs before he was hired by the Armstrong Tire Company as a foreman and quality controller. It was from there that he finally retired.
ARTHUR (LHS Class of 1959) - Art enjoyed playing and watching various sports but basketball was his favorite. He later used his skills as he coached at the schools where he taught as well as volunteering when he had the opportunity.
Art was the Laton High School Student Body President in his senior year. When the Laton High basketball team played in the Sierra League B-Valley tournament, they won. During his Senior year he was selected to be on the league Varsity Basketball team. He also played in the Drum and Bugle Corps. While in high school, he and three of his friends got together and formed a band. They called themselves “The Four Bits”.
He majored in Elementary Education at Fresno State as he wanted to teach at the high school level and coach basketball. He decided to return to Fresno State for a secondary credential. He majored in Physical Education and Spanish. He taught at the Laton Elementary school before teaching at Laton High School. While at the high school he was also the advisor to the Spanish Club and the Block L Club.
Later he attended Fresno Pacific College to do grad work. He worked for the National University where he taught in the Credentials Department. He, along with other students, started the first chapter of the Mexican-American Education Association at Fresno State College.
ANDREW (LHS Class of 1967) - Andy made friends easily and they would often join him at his home then walk to school together. Sometimes it was the same before the games. He was a quarterback in football and was voted the most valuable player at the League’s Championship Game. He really enjoyed basketball and was also a member of the Track and Field Team. His event was the shotput and at Reedley City College he was a kicker for the football team.
At Fresno State he majored in Linguistics and Spanish. For a time, he worked for an insurance company and later worked for the United States Government prior to being transferred to the State of California where he continued to work in the SID field (Sexually Transmitted Diseases). He worked with both the doctors and migrants. He drew blood from the migrants and if needed he would deliver medicines to them. His territory was from Santa Barbara to Sacramento.
After Andy passed away, a scholarship was established in his name and a conference room in the health department was named after him.
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We are the children and the spouses of the children of Emilio and Carmen Lopez; Salvador and Gaylia Lopez, Richard and Mary Lopez, Olivia and Bill King, Josephine and Joe Montejano (LHS class of 1954), Emilio and Betty Lopez, Arthur and Linda Scherf Lopez (LHS class of 1962), Andrew and Susanne Lopez. They are the parents, with the exception of Olivia and Bill who didn't have children, who contributed to the twenty-five Bulldogs or so who graduated from Fresno State.
Our parents had a dream for their children, and it came to pass. Why? They first believed in God and had faith. We also live in a country that believes education is the path to freedom and no one can take that away from us. On behalf of all the Lopez children, we thank our parents for having the courage, positive attitude, foresight, the will and especially for their total support in being there for us whether we chose to attend and graduate from a four-year college or not. Also, for all they sacrificed so that we could have a life that didn't require backbreaking work, but we had an opportunity to choose from a variety of professions.
In closing, we repeat "Mom and Dad, without you and God, none of this would have been possible.” "You need to get an education," you would say. " You need to get an education."