Dr. Post

After the death of her mother, Anita Calneh Post applied to the doctorate program at Stanford University. She completed her oral requirements in June 1931.

Arizona Daily Star, 25 Sep 1931.

Anita's doctorate built from her Masters thesis on "The Spanish dialect in Southern Arizona" (see University of Arizona, 1917).

Arizona Daily Star, 25 Sep 1932.

Arizona Daily Star, 22 Oct 1932.

According to another article, she used only two chapters from her book on Southern Arizona Spanish as her doctorate thesis.

Arizona Daily Star, 24 Jun 1932

Anita's work was praised in Spain by the Academia Española, official royal institution overseeing the Spanish language.

Arizona Daily Star, 28 Oct 1934.

She continued her research at Stanford in the summer of 1935, and traveled with her brother and niece Marie Post.

Arizona Daily Star, 18 Aug 1935.

Arizona Daily Star, 20 Sep 1936.

Arizona's First Organ

Arizona Daily Star, 26 Jun 1960

Above is an organ brought to Yuma, Arizona by Albert. G. Post in 1875. The organ was donated by Anita Calneh Post to the University of Arizona museum. She spoke about the organ in a talk to the Archaeological Society of Arizona in November 1916.

Arizona Daily Star, 21 November 1916

By 1960 the organ was on display with the Arizona Pioneers' Historical Society, which is now the Arizona History Museum at 949 E. 2nd Street in Tucson.

A bit more on Anita's Archaeology Work

Anita became a leader in the Archaeology Society of Arizona. She used her singing skills to learn traditional Navaho songs and perform traditional Spanish songs at events in Arizona. An example of her work can be seen in this clipping from 1927, along with a performance in traditional dress from 1936:

Arizona Daily Star, 1936.

Arizona Daily Star, 20 Mar 1927.

Cousins

While following references to Anita Calneh Post in the Arizona newspapers, I have occasionally stumbled across a familiar name, like this example from December 1915:

Arizona Sentinel, 30 Dec 1915.

Natalie Dalton and Anita Post often performed together in Tucson.

Arizona Daily Star, 12 Apr 1914

Arizona Daily Star, 11 Oct 1914

After thinking about this some more, it occurred to me that Anita and Natalie were cousins. Natalie was a daughter of Maria Jesus Vasquez and Winnall Dalton, and her grandmother was Concepcion Suastegui, half-sister of Esther Suastegui. Natalie was a year younger than Anita and was also a highly regarded vocalist in Tucson. Natalie's family made regular trips to Los Angeles and San Diego and owned land in California. I had wondered who Esther and Anita might have been visiting there, and it looks like the Dalton family were regular hosts for them. Seeing this reminds me to look back again at Borderman, Federico Ronstadt's memoirs, for mentions of Esther and Anita, and for potential future posts on the Dalton siblings.

Arizona Daily Star, 9 Jan 1916.

Arizona Daily Star, 7 Jan 1917.

The regular performances involving the two, and other members of the Dalton and Ronstadt families shows the tight connection between these cousins, descendants of Francisco Suastegui. I will have more on the Dalton family in the near future after I wrap up my posts on Esther's children.

Airport in Dar es Salaam

Photo by Patrick Jones. Julius Nyerere International Airport, 29 Jul 2017.

Following my return from a 24 hour trip on Mafia Island, I managed to snap a few photos at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The government is building a larger terminal next door, but for now travelers coming and going in Tanzania can experience this example of Brutalist architecture. I also captured a few photos from the smaller domestic Terminal 1.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Outside the airport in Dar. 29 Jul 2017.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Terminal 1 at Dar. 29 Jul 2017.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Emirates flight passing in front of small planes.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Departing Dar for Mafia Island. 28 Jul 2017.

Mariana and Garland

Before continuing on the path of recalling the impressive life of Anita Calneh Post, I need to step back and recap the life of her namesake aunt, Mariana Suastegui Post. As noted in my post on the families of my 5th-great-grandfather Francisco Suastegui, Mariana was the last daughter of Francisco Suastegui and second wife Concepcion Menendez, and a sister of Esther Suastegui Graham.

Mariana was baptized on 15 May 1859 in Magdalena, Sonora. Her obituary below indicates that Mariana came to Yuma as ward of her half-sister Maria Engracia Suastegui Burke in 1873. This makes me think her father Francisco must have died around then, probably in Mexico.

Esther and her first husband Albert G. Post introduced Mariana to her husband, Albert's brother, Garland Post. Mariana was living in Albert and Esther's home in the 1880 US Census. They hosted the wedding of the couple on 18 October 1884.

Arizona Sentinel, 25 Oct 1884.

Garland and Mariana had a daughter, Maria Post, on 26 August 1889. After the birth of their daughter, they relocated to Yamhill County, Oregon, roughly 1200 miles from Yuma. They had a son, Albert Post, on 13 September 1890. Maria died sometime in April 1890.

Mariana returned to Yuma to visit Esther in February 1893. She stayed through June 1893. A few months later, she died in Yamhill County in July 1893, her life cut short at the age of 34.

Arizona Sentinel, 10 Jun 1893.

Arizona Sentinel, 15 Jul 1893.

Garland Post died of typhoid fever on 21 September 1894. The news of his passing appeared in the Yuma, Arizona newspaper on 29 September 1894.

Arizona Sentinel, 29 Sep 1894.

Young Albert Post was adopted by his uncle Fred Lewis Post and his wife Alice and remained in Oregon, at least through 1911.