Some children are guided by family.
Others by neighbors.
The children of Patagonia have, historically, had both. As well as the bonds of youth, connections that remain intact despite the passage of time.
Maureen De La Ossa, Cynthia Matus-Morriss, Emma Matus-Voss, German Quiroga and Sylvia Benedict—all with deep community roots—shared memories of their early years here during the Saturday, May 3 “Living Treasures” event at Patagonia Public Library.
Gems, however, weren’t limited to that quartet at the front of the room. Audience members Bill Bergier, Mollie Wright, and Linda Vensel contributed to the nostalgia, an interactive volley of people and places of the past. Jade DeForest, library employee organizing the event, is hopeful for more such events.
On hand for this inaugural talk was a capacity crowd of 62 who laughed, smiled and chuckled at the ensemble’s youthful recollections: a flipped outhouse—Halloween prank—with De La Ossa inside; roller skating in Cady Hall, the Opera House and a rink positioned behind St. Therese of Lisieux Catholic Church. And, of course, the dances.
Dances were an opportunity for ranch owners, cowboys and townspeople from the communities of Canelo, Washington Camp, Mowry, Duquesne and Patagonia to stay in touch. Dance sites include Harshaw, Elgin and the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, Sonoita. Live bands were imported—some from Nogales. Others musicians were local. But, as the story goes, the music could go on until sunrise, encores encouraged by the passing of a hat.
If the hat trick didn’t work, there was always Emerson.
“Memo” and Carmen Matus would fetch an Emerson record player from their car. They’d spin records, 78s, featuring Red Foley and other cowboy crooners. Little girls danced with little girls. Little boys with little boys.
Until the Granino Boys showed up.
Game changer. Girls now had partners: Tony, Louis, Bernie and Alex.
Back to Emerson. Needle skipping? “Daddy would sharpen it with a knife,” Matus-Voss said. And when the kids became too tired to dance, there were pillows and snacks in the vehicles.
In addition to dances, there were other ways locals stayed in touch sans phones.
“Blaine Lewis’ wife (Laura) was the mail carrier. She kept everyone informed about what was going on,” Quiroga said. And if you needed something, just ask Laura. She brought it along on her route through Harshaw, Lochiel and the San Rafael Valley.
There was also softball—another opportunity for socializing. Game location changed constantly. Men played. Women cooked. “And us children, we’d climb (trees), scream and yell and ride our bicycles,” said Matus-Voss.
Potlucks were another excuse to gather. Particularly on ranches where cowboys, ranch owners and local families laid down the spread. “That’s how we co-mingled,” said De La Ossa.
Other memories that came from the audience:
“I remember my dad had the first TV in town,” said Bergier. That TV is on display at The Patagonia Museum.
Vensel, for her part, was Matus-Morriss’ 4-H sewing teacher, 4-H being a popular youth activity.
And Wright confessed to a fondness for dancing, though modestly she declined to name a favorite partner.
At the event’s start, Linda Shore, acting town librarian and president of the library advisory board, asked the quartet to reveal something no one knew about them.
Quiroga offered that he moved to Tucson at age 6 (1958). However, his love for this community never waned. As a youngster, summers were spent with family here. And even today, his ties are strong as president of the Patagonia Museum. “Those years,” he said of his childhood, “were the best six years of my life.”