Luz Delgado (1854-1907) & Manuel Valdes (1846-1928)

Daughter of Felipe S. Delgado and Benigna Garcia de Delgado, Luz (Lucesita) was born February 1, 1854 and died March 9, 1907. On May 19, 1871, she married Manuel Valdes who was born October 3, 1846 and died October 8, 1928. Manuel Valdes was the mayor of Santa Fe in 1892.

Children:

Antonio (September 23, 1873-February 2, 1915). He married Helen Norris.

Felipe (January 21, 1876-July 4, 1958). He married Melinda Digneo (February 22 1876 –unclear,-April 23, 1960). They had Johnny, Lydia (married Stump), Louis.

José (December 19, 1877-June 28, 1954), José married Adela Crumbeck (January 8, 1877- June 24, 1946). The children were Lucy, Josephine, José Jr., Rosario Teresa.

Manuel (July 18, 1880-January 7, 1892),

Federico (1882). He married Rosina May Thornton (October 29, 1880-November 20, 1962). They bore Fred (married Thelma), Leonard (married Marie) (see obituary below), Leonard's twin sister Marian (married Karlson), Nancy.

Maria Josefa (July 30, 1884-June 3, 1886),

José Luciano (March 6, 1886-November 1, 1886),

José Conrado (September 6, 1887-January 13, 1892),

Juan B. (April 7, 1890-January 1, 1963). He married Theodora (Dora) Papa (born November 4, 1892). They had John G. (b. March 27, 1913), Eugene A., Lawrence T., Joseph E., former mayor of Santa Fe).

Conrado P. (March 14, 1892). He married Maxine Elmore (1892?-August 28, 1983). They had George (June 28, 1936-January 2, 1987), Patricia (born March 25, 1938, died in infancy), Teresa.

Josefita (March 9, 1896-November 21, 1958). She married Frank Lucero (born August 21, 1887). They had Rita J. (March 8, 1934), Pauline L. (October 29, 1932).

Manuel Valdez, Head, born October 1846, Bookkeeper-groceries

Luz Delgado Valdez, born February 1854, wife

Antonio, born September 1873, clerk-groceries

Federico, born September 1882, Janitor- Archbishop

Juanito, April 1890, at school

Conrado, born July 1892

Josefita, March 1896

Luz died a year before her mother did and they are buried together in Rosario Cemetery, next to Felipe S. Antonio and Jose L. The dates on her tombstone are 1854-1907.

Leonard T. Valdes, age 80, died peacefully on Saturday.

He was preceded in death by his loving wife Marie.

He touched the hearts of many people and will be greatly missed. He loved people and spent his life helping anyone in need. He had a long, active life. Everyone experienced his kindness and generosity along with his words of wisdom and a great sense of humor. He always welcomed people in for a "cold cup of coffee or a hot beer".

He was born in Santa Fe in 1922, living on Canyon Road all his life, living the last 43 years in the home he loved and built with the help of his older brother Freddy. He graduated from St Michael's in 1939 and served in the Air Force. Early in his career, he went into the accounting profession with Meliton Sandoval and Ray Arias. He worked under Governor Burroughs as Budget Officer of the N. M. Bureau of Revenue in 1959. Later he started his own accounting practice in the Lensic Building. In I966, he was appointed Director of the Public Employees Retirement Assoication, serving until his retirement in 1988.

He is the longest-tenured director during PERA's 54 year history, helping to make it one of the best retirement plans in the country. As director, he alway made himself personally accessible to anyone having questions about retirement from custodians and clerks, to supreme court justices and governors. After retirement, he spent his time caring for his grandchildren, Gina and Christina and raising Christina until his health condition worsened.

For 40 years he managed the affairs of the Acequia del Llano. All his life he practiced strict water conservation, knowing we must protect our precious, limited water resources. He was a faithful Catholic and a lifelong Democrat, placing great importance on providing good educational opportunities for our youth (instead of expensive prison cells later) quality care for the elderly, and adequate food, shelter and health services for those in need. One of his favorite activities was taking people out to dinner. In fact, he has a reservation for two tonight, to take Marie out to the "Pink Adobe in the Sky"!

He is survived by his son, Mark; grandchildren: Gina and Christina; older brother, Fred Valdes and his wife Thelma; twin sister, Marian and her husband Earnest Karlson; brother in law, I W Li; sister in law Diane Pick; nieces Esther Hall, Dorothy Gallegos, Linda Wheeler, Rosina May Thomas, Leonore Herrera, Chalee Tainor; nephews: Tito Karlson, Jeff Li, Jack Trainor and Jason Trainor; special "adopted duaghter", Cyndy Lynch; and numerous other family members. Serving as pallbearers are: Henry Garcia, Jeff Li, Representative Ben Lujan, Jason Trainor, Gene Valdes and Joseph Valdes. Eulogist is Antonio M. Martinez.

Visitation is at Berardinelli Mortuary today, Wednesday, September 4, 2002 at 6 p.m. with a rosary to be recited at 7 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Thursday, September 5, 2002, at 10 a.m., St. Francis Cathedral. Memorial donations may be directed to St. Elizabeth's Shelter, 804 Alarid St., Santa Fe 87505, or Big Brothers Big Sisters, 1225 St. Francis Dr., Santa Fe, NM 87505. St. Francis Dr., Santa Fe, 87505. Arrangements are under the direction of Berardinelli Family Funeral Service, 1399 Luisa Street, 984-8600.

SEP. 5, 2002 — Leonard T. Valdes - a longtime director of the Public Employees Retirement Association - died of congestive heart failure Saturday. He was 80.

During his tenure, the PERA building on Paseo de Peralta was built, and the building was used as an investment for the state retirement fund. Valdes successfully pushed for improved benefits for state workers, said his son, Mark Valdes. Leonard Valdes worked with the association from 1966 to 1988. Mark Valdes said his father was a generous person.

In the winter, at the family’s residence on Upper Canyon Road, Leonard Valdez used his four-wheel -drive snowplow to clear his neighbors’ driveways.

Leonard Valdes was also concerned about Santa Fe’s limited water supply. "Where are we going to get more water?" he would ask, instructing his children to "turn the faucet off right away." Leonard Valdez wanted his children to be honest.

Mark Valdes recalled how when he was 9 years old, he and his cousin, Tito Karlson, went fishing in the restricted Santa Fe Canyon and cooked their catches there. Later, the duo discovered they had started a 5-acre fire in Nichols Reservoir. When Leonard Valdes found out the two had started the fire, "He took us down to the federal magistrate and told him what we had done," Mark Valdes said. Leonard Valdes’ grandfather was Manuel Valdes, the mayor of Santa Fe in 1892.

Leonard Valdes is survived by his son, Mark Valdes; his grandchildren, Gina and Christina Valdes; his brother, Fred Valdes; and his twin sister, Marian Karlson.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. today at St. Francis Cathedral.