Felicitas Robles Martinez

Felicitas Robles was born on November 3, 1917 in Tucson, Arizona to Juan Granillo Robles and Maria Refugia Alvarez. The first child of young “Cuca” and “Chief,” she was named for her paternal grandmother, though she disliked her name and was known to most as Feliz. In those days Tucson was a wild western town, and Arizona had been a state for only 5 years. After a few years in Tucson, the young family moved to San Diego. Throughout the 1920s they lived in a small house in the Logan barrio where Feliz attended school. As a child, she loved playing tetherball and was quite proud that she often beat the boys in her class. After some time in San Juan Capistrano, the growing family settled in Santa Ana in the early 1930s.

In Santa Ana she met Pedro Castro, Jr. They married in February 1935. Daughter Dora arrived in November, followed by Joe in 1936, Mary in 1938, and Ruth in 1940. By her 23rd birthday, Feliz had four small children to care for. World War II began, and her husband “Pete” was called up to serve in 1944. Near the end of the war, a tuberculosis epidemic spread through the Santa Anita barrio where Feliz was staying with Pete’s family. She contracted TB and was hospitalized with two of her sisters-in-law for 18 months. During this period her children stayed with their Grandma Cuca while Feliz endured painful daily treatments.

Soon after Pete’s return from the South Pacific, the couple split up. Feliz filed for divorce, which was quite rare for her culture and the time period. She worked at a hot dog stand outside the movie theater in Santa Ana to support herself and her children. These years were quite a struggle for her emotionally and financially.

After learning to be an independent and self-supporting single parent, Feliz and a friend in the neighborhood were set up on a double date. She ended up preferring her friend’s date and he took a liking to Feliz. She started dating Rafael Martinez and they soon married.

A few years into their marriage, the family moved to the tiny country crossroads called El Toro where Rafael was working. “Town” consisted of a general store, a dance hall, and a beautiful train station where the train rarely stopped. Their small home, nestled among olive trees, hosted many weekend visitors from the city. Friends and their families loved the idyllic pace of quiet country life. They would hunt rabbits in the eucalyptus grove known as Lake Forest and owned a pet deer named Bambi.

They moved back to Santa Ana for a while, then back to El Toro once more. Eventually they took up residence at Rancho Capistrano where Rafael was the ranch caretaker. After a brief stint back in Santa Ana, with her children all married and starting their own families, Feliz and Ralph moved to the country once again. With daughter Ruth and son-in-law Vincent, they purchased a large lot in Norco with two homes, remembered affectionately by all of the grandchildren as “The Ranch.” The extended family seemed to gather every weekend at the ranch in Norco. If it wasn’t somebody’s birthday, Ralph and Vincent were slaughtering and butchering a pig, or the grandkids played volleyball on the expansive lawn.

With Rafael nearing retirement, they bought a home and moved to Riverside. Feliz soon began to have difficulty moving around. She used a walker for many years. After Ralph passed away she began using her wheelchair more. Though she lived there independently for quite a few years, eventually she moved to Palm Terrace, where she spent her last years.

For most of the last 8 decades, Feliz lived within sight of the Saddleback peaks and a few miles of the Santa Ana River. She was a consummate collector. If you ever sent her a greeting card, invitation, or photo, she held on to it. Her mind remained razor sharp into her late 80s. She could easily remember the exact date she moved to Santa Ana and the exact layout of a home she sold 35 years ago. She loved her pets. Her cats were often given middle names – Morris Oliver and Macho Babe. Much of the time she also had a dog or two. She was part of that great generation of women who sent their husbands and brothers off to fight for their country in far-flung unfamiliar places, staying home and raising the kids while praying for the men to safely return from service overseas.

Feliz was a paradox in many ways – a strong-willed and fiercely independent woman who never learned to drive. A strict mother and formidable grandmother who discovered her soft and loving side late in life. She cared deeply for all of her friends and family, but sometimes found it difficult to express her feelings to them. Felicitas demonstrated her love through her actions. She never believed in making it too easy to ask for her help, though she never turned anyone down. More than anything else, she was someone you could always depend on.

She was preceded in death by both of her husbands; all four of her children Dora Lopez, Joe Castro, Mary Velasquez, and Ruth Ysais; two grandchildren; one great-grandchild; six of her eight siblings; and many of her dearest friends.

Felicitas Robles Castro Martinez is survived by her brother Fernando Robles, sister Margaret Torres, 17 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren, 19 great-great-grandchildren, sons- and daughters-in-law, nieces, nephews, and lifelong friends.