Faye D. Arredondo

This biography is but snippets of my Mother of whom each who reads or hears it knew. You’ll have your own personal thoughts or memories of her that could have been added, but how can one really convey the full essence of someone’s life when it is comprised of personal time of sharing moments of life with her. So I write of a few moments of her life and I’m sure that you can fill in so many, many more.

Autumn is a wonderful season to be born, and a wonderful time to be laid to rest. On the autumn day of November 27, 1920, Faye De La Rosa was born to Jose and Guadalupe De La Rosa in Oscura, New Mexico. She would share her love for New Mexico and stories of her youth in the Land of Enchantment. She learned compassion and sharing with others through her parents. Stories of crisp apples, sauerkraut in the barrel, homemade lunches shared with a teacher, piñones, riding her horse, remembering her mother dressed in her chaps and riding gloves astride her own horse and my mother saw a picture of a strong and proud woman; her mother. How her father would have his daughters take cut fire wood during winter to a neighboring widow when he noticed that she hadn’t enough or none for the winter months to come, and additional moments that were part of her youth which were memorable.

She married young at the age of fifteen and bore her first child a son, Juan Peña, at the age of eighteen. He was a sickly baby and passed at eight months and is buried at Alamogordo, New Mexico. In a troubled marriage, she shared with me that when her son’s casket was lowered into the ground that that was it and was time to file for divorce and leave and start a new in California where her family had already gone and settled.

She arrived in Colton in the early forties, in her twenties and began to work for the Knopsnyders who owned and operated Knopsnyder Mortuary. They took her under their wings and treated her as family. Bobby and Tommy were her charge and were very fond of her and protective in their own young way. She was included as a guest when they’d vacation at their summer beach home. Again, she’d share her fond memories of them; learning how to make candied yams, great tuna sandwiches, turkey dressing and being questioned by young Tommy if she had eaten Bobby’s piece of chocolate pie, a lot of traditions that we still, as a family, carry on to this day.

Her memories of creating new friendships in Colton. Going to the Palladium in LA to dance and cut a rug, hear the big band sound, stroll down town, Colton, with her friends and for the first time read the sign of the times “white trade only” at the local cafe, but did that detour her, no, went in alone, sat down, ordered a cold soda (on a very hot day), and the owner asked her if it was hot enough for her outside. No problem, no problem at all; to the amazement of her friends who waited outside. She and her younger sister, Ruth, were two of Colton’s beauties among others. She, Claudette Colbert, in dresses and suits and Ruth, so, Kate Hepburn, in her trousers. Loving sisters until the good Lord called Faye’s spirit home.

She met a young man from Corona, Arturo Arredondo, at Colton’s Fleming Park. He went to war as many other young men, they wrote each other; they married later, and I was born in 1947 their only child. My mom will complete the full circle of their life together and be laid to rest next to my father, and when my autumn years come to pass, I too, will be laid to rest above my mother and next to my father. Our family of three will be as one, again.

I grew up knowing and seeing a woman of compassion, strength, and faith. When she worked for Blue Seal Laundry and wore the regulation white uniform she always put a splash of her personality, her bit of panache. She’d wear a hanky on her shoulder and I always saw how she stood out, such a beautiful woman. For me to be told that I look like she is such a complement that is dear to me. Even though she was a working woman, she kept up the needs of the home; as a teenager I’d see her mopping the kitchen floor at 1:00 A.M. or so and still go to work that morning.

Hearing and witnessing all the memories I have of her; strength, compassion, faith, assertiveness, all the unique qualities that made my mom the daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, family member, friend and neighbor; I hope to be to all who come my way. The deep love she had for Chris, Theresa, Adrian and Cecilia and other family members they hold in their hearts, and they showed her in return. What she gave in love and blessings to all who crossed her path, they were also blessed.

So in autumn she was born and in autumn she will be laid to rest. She lived through ninety-one autumns; ninety–one glorious autumns of living, happiness, sadness, everything that created a full life. Now she has an eternity with her son and other family members and friends in their perfection, glory in the peace and calmness of our Lord’s Kingdom. They’ve all seen the face of God, the Promise has been completed.

So I will not say, “Good bye.” to my mom; I say, “ ‘til we’re together, again.”