Sunday, December 30, 2007

Josie Centeno

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

This is Josie S. Centeno. She died Dec. 27 from complications during surgery on her hip, which she broke in a fall on Christmas Eve. She was 81.

She was the mother of my sister-in-law, Barbara. I knew her as a loving matriarch, a gracious hostess and one who considered me part of her extended family.

Centeno, the former Josie Saiz, of San Acacia, N.M., is survived by her children: Carmen Bennett and husband, Jim; Rita Campbell and companion, Jose Gallegos; Barbara Bralley and husband, Guy; Carolyn Aranda and husband, Arthur; Steve Centeno and wife, Juliet; her sister, Adela Armijo; her brother, Jim Saiz and wife, Lucy; her sister in law, Lorraine Saiz; ten grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; many other sisters in law, brothers in law, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Mrs. Centeno was preceded in death by her husband, Nick Centeno; her brother, Sam Saiz and her parents, Damacio and Cipriana Saiz.

I was honored, as a part of the extended family to be requested to photograph Mrs. Centeno’s immediate family for an 80th birthday gift. Each branch of the family wore different colored shirts to signify what she had called “all my flowers in my garden.” There are three missing grandchildren, and one of their wives.

The children are in the top row from the youngest on the left: Steven wearing yellow, Fran wearing turquoise, Barbara wearing red, Rita wearing black, and Carmen wearing blue.

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