Chris Coduto / For the Arizona Daily Star 2007

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Tucson's Day of the Dead: Remembering those who have departed

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This weekend's annual Día de los Muertos celebration for family and friends began about 15 years ago in the home of Raúl Ramirez and his wife, Jean Fierro Ramirez. [ Relatives of the couple always celebrated the day. But in the early '90s, Day of the Dead, as it's called in English, became more real to Raúl because he had embarked on a spiritual journey. For Jean, it was the passing of her father that solidified the celebration. [ Día de los Muertos, which dates back thousands of years in the indigenous cultures of Mexico, transcends borders and cultures today — especially in Southern Arizona. It is a time to clean graves, set up altars at home to honor the dead and celebrate their lives with food and song. [ Raúl and Jean's maternal grandmothers — Margarita Villegas Jimenez and Emilia Garcia Fierro— taught the traditions to their families and remain in their thoughts as the focus of the annual celebrations.

Margarita and Emilia were strong women who came from the Mexican state of Zacatecas. They settled in Morenci, about 125 miles northeast of Tucson, with their husbands, who were miners. Margarita arrived in 1907 at 17, and Emilia in 1917 at 23.

Saturday night, some 50 relatives from California, Texas and throughout Arizona gathered at the West Side home to honor their ancestors, friends, youths and even strangers who have died.

Inside and out, several altars assembled for the occasion paid tribute to those who left their mark among the living.

Side altars include one remembering César Chávez, civil rights leader and founder of the United Farm Workers union. Another is for youths whose troubled lives impacted Raúl, 63, a family service coordinator with the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections.

A main altar near the dining room area was adorned with historical photographs of the maternal grandmothers and their families, including children who passed on from illness or during birth.

Irreplaceable treasures like many original black-and-white photos link their ancestors to present generations, and both Raúl and Jean faithfully record their families' histories for the future generations.

Velia Jimenez Morelos, Raúl's 87-year-old mother, is a gold mine of knowledge, helping piece together family history and sharing stories behind the photographs.

One precious picture shows the funeral of her sister, Carmelita Jimenez, who died from a suspected heart condition on July 1, 1928, at age 6. Children who pass are referred to as "angelitos" (little angels). Carmelita lies in a coffin dressed in white, while her close friends, also dressed in white with wreaths of flowers on their heads, accompany the coffin.

By then, the family lived in the mining community of Sonora, Ariz., in Pinal County. Sonora was a segregated community for Mexican and Mexican-American families who worked for Ray Consolidated Copper Co., recalled Morelos.

In another photo, Morelos' mother, Margarita, stands near Carmelita's grave on Nov. 2, 1930, after cleaning the site at a cemetery in Ray. Remains were eventually relocated to a cemetery in Kearny when the underground mine expanded and became an open pit, said Morelos.

With her visitors, Morelos also shared a 1925 photo of her father, Felix Jimenez, and sister, Carmelita, inside the family's grocery store and meat market. Jimenez stands behind a counter and Carmelita sits on the counter inside La Comercial (The Merchant).

From Jean came the details about a photo of her grandmother Emilia with her sons Juan, 4, Fabian, 1, and Ignacio, 2. Fabian, who is Jean's father, sits in Emilia's lap. She also pulls out a 1918 photo of her grandfather, Fabian Fierro, who is wearing a suit and is seeking a permit from the Mexican Consul in Clifton to travel to Camargo, Chihuahua.

These and dozens of other photographs are displayed throughout the Ramirez home during the two-day celebration that ends today.

Resting among the religious icons on the main indoor altar was a wooden image of the Virgin of Guadalupe carved nearly 20 years ago by Cheto Alvarez, an elder who lives in the Río Yaqui Valley in Sonora. Alvarez is now blind as a result of diabetes, said Raúl.

The altar held marigolds — traditional flowers for the celebration — and some items the deceased used or enjoyed when they were alive. They include prescription eyeglasses, a gold bracelet, packs of Lucky Strike and Pall Mall cigarettes and tequila.

Jean first set a plate of food for the spirits on the altar. It included a tamal, beans, rice and calabazitas con queso. After all, they were invited guests, too.

With some four generations of the couple's family assembled, it was a time to reunite in spirit with those who have passed, and recall stories about their lives and the values they imparted, said Jean, 61, a retired Tucson Unified School District teacher.

Each lighted candles, placed them on an outdoor pine and oak altar Raúl built, and spoke about the person the candle honors. In all, more than 100 candles glowed in the evening.

"Every year it is different, depending on the people who come. One year many of the young mothers did not come because they were tending to sick children, or having more babies," said Jean, laughing while recalling that year.

More than anything, said Jean, this family tradition unites them while the younger generations learn about their rich history and culture.

The celebration continued on into the night, and after everyone left, Jean and Raúl recited a rosary together and prayed for the living.

"Times are really difficult right now because of the downturn in the economy and there is a backlash against immigrants. It's scary. I feel it, and we need to teach our children resolve," said Jean.

Today, relatives and friends will return to the Ramirez home to do more catching up on their lives. They will share more home-cooked foods into the late afternoon before they depart back to their homes.

Visit www.azstarnet.com/ dayofthedead for an interactive look at a Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead altar and to download skeleton masks to decorate and wear.

"Times are really difficult right now because of the downturn in economy and there is a backlash against immigrants. It's scary. I feel it, and we need to teach our children resolve."

— Jean Fierro Ramirez

wife of Raúl Ramirez