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1
Vigil Family
Chatter
Volume 10 June 2011
“Educación es la luz del mundo”
Education is the light of the world
The Juan de Jesús Vigil Family Foundation is a 501(c)
(3) organization established in 2005 by the descendents
of Juan de Jesús Vigil dedicated to maintaining
opportunities for scholarship and grants to qualified
descendants of Juan de Jesús Vigil.
www.juandejesusvigilfoundation.com
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Dear Family and Friends:
Has it really been over a year since we sent out a full family
newsletter? It is unbelievable how fast time flies.
During these past 18 months much has happened:
We awarded a scholarship to John Lucero in 2010
We hosted the 5th
reunion of the descendants of Juan de
Jesus Vigil in Taos, NM
We added Jose Perez to the Vigil Board of Directors
A dear friend and Board member, Claudia True, lost her
battle with cancer
We awarded 5 scholarships for the 2011 school year
We expanded the types of programs supported by the
Foundation to include Certificate Programs and single
courses that enhance job skills
Thank you to everyone who made the 5th
Vigil Family Reunion
such a success, including the Reunion Chair, Carolyn Romero, the
members of our Board of Directors, and all of the people that
joined our party. We also appreciate the work of Connie Hallahan
who put together the magnificent Family Quilt.
We are starting the process to rebuild our scholarship fund for next
year. Our annual Golf Tournament and BBQ will be held on
Saturday, August 6, 2011 at the Applewood Golf Course in
Arvada, CO. Registration information for the golf or for the BBQ
were mailed in early June. You can also download information
from our website.
We are working with the Front Range Gold Exchange on August
6th
. We are asking family members to either bring their old or
unused gold jewelry to the golf tournament or mail it to us before
then so that we can get 10% of the value of their gold they are
willing to sell.
Juan De Jesús Vigil
Family Foundation
Board of Directors
2010-2011
Executive Committee
John H. Vigil, President
JoAnn Phillips, Vice President
Mimi Vigil, Secretary
Carl Salazar, Treasurer
Carolyn M. Romero, Member
at Large
Members
Rosemary Salazar
George F. Vigil
Rose Theresa Vigil
Beverly Vigil Sasse
Jose Perez
Phillip Vigil
2
“I have dealt with Rodney and Deb and know them. They are fair with their prices and pay
immediately in cash. I have one gold earring I lost the partner to, and a few other things that I do not
wear anymore that I will contribute.” Mimi Vigil
We cannot continue to succeed without your support. Even if you cannot attend the Golf Tournament
and BBQ, please consider making a donation to the Juan de Jesus Vigil Family Foundation. If we
all make a $25 contribution, we can continue to provide scholarships and grants in 2012. Mail your
contribution to the Juan de Jesus Vigil Family Foundation in the enclosed envelope.
Thank you for your continued support of the Juan de Jesús Vigil Family Foundation.
Sincerely,
John H. Vigil
REUNION 2010
5th Vigil Family Reunion
Another Terrific Success!!!! Taos, New Mexico
August 6 – 8, 2010
Neither rain, nor heat nor recession would keep the descendants of Juan de Jesus Vigil from gathering in
beautiful Taos, NM. Approximately 100 people renewed friendships, shared stories, and generally had a
great time. It was great to learn about how we all had overcome challenges, celebrated successes and
remembered those who had passed on over the last 5 years. Many people planned their vacations around
the weekend, rafting, golfing, and shopping in the Taos Square.
The activities began Friday night with light snacks, a few drinks,
and entertainment. The Kachina Lodge holds Navajo dance
demonstrations, a real treat for many of us who do not see this art
form regularly.
Andrea Romero and Dennis Hattan
began selling raffle tickets immediately
for the money tree donated by Lillian
Hattan. It was fun to watch people try to
figure out just how much was hanging
from that tree.
Florida Vigil was autographing her book of poems, generously donating the
proceeds from the sale of her books to the Vigil Family Foundation. The Vigil family Cookbook was
also a hit. What a mix of traditional and not so traditional recipes. We sure have a broad taste for food.
3
Saturday was a very
busy day. Half of the
group toured the Taos
Pueblo, learning about
the culture, viewing the
pueblos, and buying food
and jewelry from the
Navajo families.
A few family members
played golf, including Joseph Apodaca, Sr., the senior member attending the reunion. We can only hope
we are able to enjoy so much life with our family and friends when we are in our 90’s.
Saturday was a scorcher, but the kids didn’t seem to mind.
They played games and ate ice cream. Blowing bubbles was
especially popular. It sure made the swimming pool a popular
gathering place.
Saturday night was the main event. John Vigil once again ran
an interesting program. We were welcomed by the Honorable
Mayor, Darren Cordova. Mayor Cordova presented a
proclamation proclaiming “The Vigil Family Day in Taos.”
The Board members presented some of the letters we received
from dignitaries including NM Governor Bill Richardson, US
Senator Mark Udall (CO), and Congressmen John Salazar (CO) and Jarid Polis (CO).
Ms. Anita Lee Murphy provided the Key Note presentation
sharing with us a brief history of Taos and the value and benefits
of genealogy and the study of family. She shared several resources
available to us to continue researching our family history.
In keeping withtradition, John Vigil acknowledged several people
for some fun achievements:
Senior member in attendance: Joseph Apodaca, Sr.
Youngest member in attendance: Braylon Eloy Vigil
Person traveling the longest distance: Anthony Maes (Prague,
Czech Republic)
The Juan de Jesus Vigil Family Foundation presented its 2nd
Lifetime Achievement Award to Carolyn
Romero. Along with being editor of our newsletter, Carolyn has spent more than 25 years reseraching
and documenting the Vigil Family history.
In 1984, Carolyn attended the 1st Vigil reunion in
Albuquerque. The stories she remembered hearing while in
the kitchen of her Grandma, Margaret Belarde Vigil, and her
Aunt Rita (Vigil) Gallino, came to life as names and faces
were joined. She was fascinated by how such an eclectic
group of people were intertwined as a result of the life
decisions of one man and one woman.
David Raskin, Anita Lee Murphy, and
Mary Alice Raskin
You did a wonderful job this weekend
at Taos. Thanks for giving us all a
good time with the Family this
weekend. You’re awesome, thanks
again!
~J.R. Vigil~
4
She started with developing a database of the family members she met in
Albuquerque. The hours turned into years as she contacted people for
information and began reading in the Denver Public Library. In 1986, she
started taping conversations with the elder members of the Vigil family.
Now there are over 100 tapes of stories going back to memories from the
early 1900s to present day.
We look forward to when Carolyn publishes her 2nd
book about the Juan
de Jesus Vigil family.
Dennis Hattan, one of the Vigil
family poets, traveled from Illinois to
share his recent poem, “They’ll be
With Us Always”, dedicated to the Family Reunion. We have
included it in this newsletter so you can enjoy it, too.
Before the entertainment started, it was announced that JoAnne
Phillips was the winner of the money tree.
We were treated to something special when John Chandler pulled
out his guitar and began singing for us. It was just a prelude to the
program he would provide on Sunday.
The sun was bright once again on Sunday. The conversation shifted
to the silent auction and who would be the winner of the Vigil quilt.
We egged each other onto buy more raffle tickets. Thank you to
everyone who donated a square, and to Connie Callahan for putting
the quilt together. The winner was Julia Walker Romero from
California.
Mimi Vigil once again coordinated the auction for the many items
generously donated, to raise additional funds for scholarships. Of
course there was more food and more conversation and LOTS of
pictures, too many for this newsletter.
We will be updating
the website shortly,
adding a section for
the 2010 Reunion.
We also plan to add a
section for each of
the 5 reunions that we
have had. Do you
remember what you
looked like 25 years
ago?
5
ONE MORE REUNION THING
We have a few items still available for sale:
Short Sleeve Shirt - Large (5 left) $15.00
Books:
Trujillo Creek in Early Days $ 7.50
– 4th
Edition
By: Anne Lucero
Vigil Family Cookbook $15.00
By: Andrea Romero
Embracing Life: Poems that Inspire
the Heart and Soul $14.95
By: Florida Vigil
Vigil Family Directory (1 left) $ 5.00
Contact Carolyn Romero at (303) 514-0620 or
carolyn.romero@comcast.net for more
information.
Hi Carolyn,
I received the quilt today.
I was completely amazed
at how beautiful the quilt
looked. It brought tears to
my eyes. I feel very
fortunate to have this and
am looking for a place to
display it in my home.
Please thank all those who
contributed to the making of this wonderful piece
of family history.
Thanks Again,
Julia Walker Romero
REQUEST FOR MORE
ORAL HISTORIES
Since July 2005, we have obtained the oral
histories for more than 70 people. If you are
willing to participate in this project, please
contact Jan Lindgren at jan@lifesreflections.com
or at (303) 980-0432. If you are not in the
Denver area, we can make arrangements to take
your history over the phone.
A note from Jan Lindgren:
Since the Vigil reunion in 2005 I have given
each of you interviewed a free copy of your own
tape/s.
I have kept an audio taped copy of each of your
interviews over the years and would like to offer
you an opportunity to have your story converted
to cds or a zip drive. The process is time-
consuming as it has to be played minute to minute
so the cost is $40 per tape. Once you have those
cds you can make as many copies on cds, zip
drives, etc. as you wish.
For those prior to 2005, I have a copy of each
person’s story as does Carolyn and I can make
you or your immediate family a copy, knowing
you haven’t heard your own story.
Check out my website www.lifesreflections.com
to see what has been written about the Juan de
Jesus family!
FOUNDATION UPDATE
In August 2010, the Scholarship and Grant
committee met and selected one outstanding
student to receive a scholarship from the Juan de
Jesús Vigil Family Foundation.
John Lucero resides in Thornton, CO and is
currently attending Heritage College in Denver,
majoring in Esthetics. He was recently named
"Outstanding Student" for the year 2010. John
attended the 2010 Vigil Family Reunion and
thanked everyone for the opportunity to continue
his education.
In June 2011, as a result of the successful reunion
and your generous contributions, we awarded 5
more scholarships.
6
Andrew Apodaca will be attending Red Rocks
Community College studying to be a Sports
Trainer.
Amanda Vigil is attending Trinidad State Junior
College studying Nursing.
Benique Lucero is attending the University of
Phoenix studying Accounting.
Sarah Oates is attending Eastern New Mexico
State University and is enrolled in the Pre-Med
program.
Adam Vigil will be attending the University of
Colorado, Boulder studying Political Science and
Pre-Law.
NEW: The Board of Directors has added grants
for people who are not attending full degree
programs. The grant committee will meet
quarterly to approve requests for funding for
Certificate programs or for individual classes to
help the applicants increase their job skills.
Applications for scholarships and grants can be
downloaded from the website or contact John
Vigil at (303) 650-0470 or jhvigil1440@msn.com
WELCOME TO THE FAMILY
CARL RIO (Hilario)
We are happy to
announce the birth
of our new great
grandson, Carl
Rio, born
11/1/2010 at 8:38
am; 7 lbs 11 oz
21 1/2 inches long.
He was born at
Boulder Community Hospital.
Love,
Rosemary and Carl Salazar
ELIAS CRUZ SALAZAR (Manuel)
Well here he is, my 1st great
grandchild. I don't know how
that happened but isn't he
just a bundle of joy and so
very handsome already.
Born: 8/16/2010
Daddy: Elijah L. Salazar
Mommy: Ayrin R. Valdez
(Herald)
Rose Therese Vigil
SAD GOOD BYES
ROBERT APODACA (Celedon)
(Excerpt from Life’s Reflection Interview on 5/15/2007)
When I worked at American Linen I met a good
looking gal named Georgia. I was very interested
in her. She is still good looking. She grew up in
Denver and is Catholic like me. She has two
brothers and two sisters. Her maiden name is
Lomeli, which is Mexican and Italian. I got along
with her parents very good; they treated me well.
We were married in 1972. We drove to
Yellowstone for our honeymoon that year. It was
our first time up there and it was pretty
impressive.
We had one child together, Robert J. Apodaca,
also known as Bobby. He was born in 1973. He
started school in Arvada and then he went to
Arvada Junior High then Arvada High School. He
was involved in Little League and very interested
in football and baseball. I went to all his games.
We often went fishing and camping on the
Western slope.
The best vacation was when we went to
California as a family. We would visit my sister
Judy and Georgia’s side of the family. We would
also go sightseeing and went to Disneyland.
Bobby was just a few years old at the time. When
my son was growing up was the happiest time of
my life.
7
Over the years I have learned a lot about myself
and about relationships. The best advice I can
give you on marriage is that you have to work on
it. It takes a lot of work. You have to have a lot of
trust and work together. And keep the lines of
communication open. The best advice I can give
to you on life is to take care of your family.
STEVE VIGIL (Celedon)
May 23, 1954 - July 4, 2010
Steve, 56, was born in Denver,
Colorado to Celedon and Rita
Vigil and raised in Lakewood,
Colorado. He passed away while
camping and boating at Chatfield
Reservoir.
He graduated from Alameda High School,
became a master plumber and obtained a
Colorado State Master Plumber License - Class
A. Steve earned a BS degree in Business
Administration through the University of
Phoenix.
Steve worked with his father, Cel, in plumbing
and mechanical contracting before starting his
own business. Steve was troubled by many health
issues which affected his ability to continue in his
profession but he continued to dabble in his trade
and then became very active in his church.
Steve loved his family, especially his children.
Steve relished any opportunity to be with any or
all of his grandkids. Steve was a good father,
grandfather, son, brother, nephew and cousin. He
was a wonderful friend to many and took great
pride in helping and mentoring young people to
turn their lives around. He was active in his
church providing counsel and guidance to many.
Steve loved the music of Stevie Nicks and
Fleetwood Mac. He would always say Stevie
Nicks was his baby. He would brag about the
Stevie Nicks concerts he attended and figuring
out ways to get closer to her. Once he was able to
touch her and even took a very close photo of her.
Boy was he slick! He enjoyed playing his bongo
drums and had reignited his love of playing
guitar. He longed to ride a Harley Davidson
motorcycle again and loved to share stories of his
Harley adventures. Two of his favorite pastimes
were boating and fishing. Steve was also famous
for his flirty attitude with beautiful women. He
loved to make pretty women blush and he was
good at it. Steve had a great sense of humor. He
loved to harmlessly tease his family and friends.
Steve lived his life to the fullest to his last day
with several of his loving children by his side.
Steve will be missed by many but he will always
be with us in our hearts and the beautiful
memories he helped create with so many of us.
GABRIEL VIGIL (Manuel)
February 14, 1947 - April 5, 2010
Gabriel Merced Vigil joined the Navy at the
young age of 17 and retired from there with an
honorable discharge on June 27, 1968. He retired
from the post office in OH.
He made his home in OH, up until he returned to
his roots in Aguilar, CO in 2005.
Claudia True Juan de Jesus Vigil Foundation Board Member
Claudia True was born in
Tunica Mississippi on Aug
16, 1953. She joined the
Army in 1970 where she
served as a helicopter
mechanic and attained a
Marksmanship Badge
(M16).
Claudia earned her BA from
Metro State College and her
Masters Degree in Social
Work from Denver University. She received
training from the Ministry of Peacemakers where
she was very involved and taught class in homes
and different church's in the Denver area.
She is survived by her husband Mark and 2
brothers and 1 sister. Claudia was also the co-
owner of Butts Rental where she worked part-
time.
She was a personal true friend of Rosemary
Salazar who recruited her and her husband Mark
to serve on the Vigil Educational Foundation
Board. We will all miss her.
8
FAMILY NEWS
WEDDINGS
Rose Therese Vigil and Jose Perez were
married on April 23, 2010.
I now have another
bit of news for you
all....brace
yourselves. Jose
and have tied the
knot. All was very
impromptu. We
applied for the
license one week
and on Friday, 4/23,
went to
the Littleton
courthouse.
James Vigil and Nicole Valdez were married on
August 21, 2010
300th
ANNIVERSARY OF ALAMEDA, NM
On January 2, 1710, the lands constituting the
Alameda Land Grant which included lands where
the village was located to Corporal Francisco
Montes Vigil and shortly thereafter, on January
27, 1710, he was formally placed in the
possession of these lands.
It is my understanding that Corporal Francisco
Montes Vigil was the great grandfather of Juan
De Jesus Vigil. This information and event was
called to my attention by our cousin Agnes Vigil
Birosak.
John and Jackie Vigil attended Heritage Day
Celebration on May 15-16, 2010. In attendance
were Agnes and Jack Birosak representing the
descendants of Col. Francisco Montes-Vigil, the
original recipient of the Alameda Land Grant
granted by Spain and based in the village of
Corrales, NM.
LOOKING FOR PICTURES
Hello, my name is James. I was going through
your photo gallery and noticed a picture of my
grandfather's aunt Encarnacion, wife of Hilario
Vigil. I was just wondering if you had any other
old pictures of, the Herrera family. Please let me
know I'd really appreciate it.
James Herrera jdherrera66@gmail.com
BE PART OF THE FUTURE
As we mark the 5th anniversary of the Juan de Jesús
Vigil Family Foundation, it is amazing to stop to
acknowledge the opportunities and dedication of our
wonderful family.
In January 2011, Jose Perez (Rose Therese’s husband)
joined the Foundation Board. Jose has an accounting
background and will be helping with the website.
Phillip Vigil joined the Foundation Board in June
2011. Phillip recently published a book entitled Early
Roads to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. We are
working with Phillip to permit you to order a copy of
the book from our website.
The Foundation is searching for three more board
members who are willing to make a difference in the
lives of the descendants of Juan de Jesús Vigil through
the gift of education. We need people who are just
willing to just get involved. Call Carl Salazar at (303)
429-4105 for information.
9
FUNDRAISING UPDATE
On behalf of the Juan de Jesús Vigil Family Foundation Board of Directors, I would like to thank you for your
past support and contributions. Your gifts are important to our Foundation. As a result of your generosity, we
awarded scholarships totaling $2,500 to one deserving student during 2010. The demand for scholarships
increased in 2011, resulting in5 scholarships awarded.
The Juan de Jesús Vigil Family Foundation is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization. The organization was
established in 2005 by the descendants of Juan de Jesús Vigil, dedicated to maintaining opportunities for
scholarship and award grants to qualified and deserving descendants of Juan de Jesús Vigil.
The Foundation is governed by a volunteer board of directors that represent a cross section
of our community and who are committed to making a difference for the educational success
of the hundreds of Juan de Jesús Vigil descendants.
The Foundation honors the name of Juan de Jesús Vigil and promotes our Vigil family legacy into perpetuity. The
Mission for our Foundation is to promote educational scholarships, grants, and to provide support to charitable
causes that will benefit the descendants of Juan De Jesús and Maria Bustos Vigil.
We would like to thank our 2010 donors for their generosity and support of the Juan de Jesús Vigil Family
Foundation. They are: Torchbearer - DIAM OND (> $1,000)
Carolyn Romero
Torchbearer - Platinum ($500 - $1,000)
Mark & Claudia True * John H. and Joyce Vigil * Rose Therese Vigil * George and Florida Vigil
Torchbearer - Gold ($250 - $500)
Agnes Birosak * George and Florida Vigil
Financier ($100 - $249)
Joseph D. Apodaca
Dr. Donald Bruno
Lillian Hattan
Alex Reuter
Mary Romero
Bernice Vigil
Friend (< $100)
Jamie Brown
Carol Ann Crow
Dorie Ann Foust
Janyce Lindgren
Anne Lucero
Diane Mason
Matilda Mestas
Nelson & Company
Novak Agency
Dave & Gloria Nugent
Carl & Rosemary Salazar
Pauline Salazar
June Valentine
Brett Vigil-Gowen
John F. Vigil
Mimi Vigil
IN M EM ORY OF
Robert Apodaca * Francis Chisolm * Vince Co bo
Carolyn Romero John H. and Joyce Vigil Ann Zelma Cobo
M ARY HURTADO * JERRY ROM ERO
Anne Lucero Dorothy McQueen
IN HONOR OF
M r. & M rs. Joseph Hattan
Carolyn Romero
Please help us by returning the enclosed donation envelope with your contribution. Any amount will help and
your donation is tax deductible. Thank you again for your continued support.
10
THEY’LL BE WITH US ALWAYS
While seeing all of you here together as a Union
I feel the strong pride of this Family reunion
I see the love between sisters and brothers Mothers
and fathers and so many others
I’m taken back to memories of the past
With family together having a blast
Memories of stories about people I never met
Others that have past whom I’ll never forget
They’re still in my heart like so many others
Some mothers, some fathers, some sisters, some
brothers
Let us not forget those who could not be here
And bring them here in our hearts and minds
For they’ll always be with us
In this family of love
By: Dennis Hattan 08/02/2010
11
12
JUAN DE JESUS VIGIL FAMILY FOUNDATION ANNUAL GOLF OUTING
And BBQ Cookout
Save the date APPLEWOOD GOLF COURSE
AUG . 6TH 2011 GOLDEN, CO 80401
TEE TIME: 2:00 PM
100% of the net proceeds support the Scholarship program. Please help by: 1. Sponsoring a hole HOLE SPONSOR
2. Sponsor a team GOLD $500.00 INCLUDES TWO FREE PLAYERS
3. Be a golfer ($100 per player SILVER $300.00 INCLUDES ONE FREE PLAYER
4. Come to the BBQ BRONZE $200.00
For Information, Contact: Carl Salazar 303-429-4105, csalazar41@msn.com
4745 Coffeetree Dr. Loveland, CO 80538
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