Ramona

 

LAPL Digital Collection. On Olvera Street, 1936.

Picking up from yesterday's post, I'm tracing backward to follow the records on Ramona Oropesa, mother of the three girls sent to the Los Angeles Orphan Asylum in 1889 and 1892. Based on my research, Ramona was the daughter of baker Favendo Oropesa. She was born in downtown Los Angeles in April 1863, in an adobe house located on the future site of the LA Times building. Favendo's bakery appears in the LA City Directory for 1882, located close to where Frank Campuzano and Jose Maria Campuzano lived, along with long time friends in the Orfila family. Favendo appears in the 1872 City Directory at 33 Upper Main Street.

I can't tell when Frank Campuzano and Ramona Oropesa met, but I can picture Frank playing guitar serenading Ramona in the Plaza near Olvera Street in 1880 (the photo above is not them, but of a musician and dancers at the same spot in 1936). Their relationship overlaps the dates in which Frank was married to Rosario Hinojosa. I do find it tough to understand how Frank and Ramona sent the girls to the orphan asylum.

By 1892, Ramona was in a relationship with Aladino Giovanetti (who appears in the 1894 City Directory and newspaper articles between 1892-1897 as Giovanetti Aladino). Their first daughter Elvira Giovanetti was born in December 1892.

In the 1896 City Directory, Ramona appears with Aladino Giovanetti living at 665 Upper Main, the same address where Ysidora Camposana is listed as living while working as a cigar maker for G. Tognetti. Aladino was also the proprietor of The Pacific Saloon.

1896 City Directory, Los Angeles.

Aladino and Ramona had at least the following children:

- Elvira Giovanetti, b. 1892

- Aladino Giovanetti, b. 1894

- Natalino Giovanetti, b. 1898

- Adelina Giovanetti, b. 1900

- Lawrence Anthony Giovanetti, b. 1903

- Ramona Giovanetti, b. 1905

It appears Ramona also worked in the saloon, and worked as a cigar maker, while raising the young children.

After years of living together, the two received a marriage license on 13 September 1905 in Los Angeles.

FamilySearch. CA County Marriage Records.

I haven't found the family in the 1910 US Census, but they appear quite regularly in the Los Angeles City Directory between 1902-1918. In 1913, Aladino was involved in wine sales. He may have gone into business with liquor merchant Louis Degiorgis. By 1920, Aladino, Ramona and family appears in the US Census living in Sanger, Fresno County, California, working on a large commercial vineyard. They were also hosting Ramona's grandson, Dominic Sulpizio, and a boarder, Pedro Enciso.

1920 US Census, Fresno County, California.

The family returned to Los Angeles sometime after 1920. It appears Aladino may have died sometime before 1924, as Ramona is listed as a widow to Aladino in the 1924 City Directory. In the 1930 US Census, Ramona was living with Pedro Enciso in El Monte, Los Angeles County (the same Pedro who was a vineyard laborer in the 1920 US Census in Fresno). Ramona and Pedro were married in Santa Ana, Orange County on 17 January 1939. Six years later, Ramona sought a divorce from Pedro. The news article about the case provides some key details about her early life in Los Angeles.

LA Times, 13 Jan 1945.

Ramona passed away on 8 January 1962 in Los Angeles, almost 99 years old.