Peter (Pedro) Garcia |
| Posted 2008-05-04 by Maurine |
| Wickenburg Sun, Wickenburg, Arizona - January 29, 1854 PETER GARCIA, LIFETIME RESIDENT OF THIS COMMUNITY, SUMMONED at 68 Pete Garcia had lived longer in this community than any other man. He was born June 29, 1885 at the Vulture Mine and had spent all of his 68 years in Wickenburg and the immediate vicinity. When he passed away early last Friday morning at the community Hospital his lifetime had spanned a period which saw Wickenburg go from a thriving mining town almost to the edge of oblivion and then, caught up in the surge of people westward following World War II, expand into the steadily growing town of today. Pete Garcia was the youngest of 15 children born to Mr. & Mrs. Ignacio Garcia, Sr., pioneer residents of Arizona and benefactors of the town of Wickenburg where they moved in 1879 after Mr. Garcia had served from 1860 as Indian agent for the government at Ehrenburg on the Colorado river. The Senior Garcia who acquired extensive land in this areas donated that on which the Elementary School stands as well as a strip went from the Hassayampa River for the creation of a portion of Center Street. Pete Garcia lived an interesting, colorful life; he had many friends and he was held in high regard by the people of the town. His account of happenings in the earlier days of the town were always interesting and he was a reliable source of information for those seeking knowledge of persons and events of bygone days. He once told the editor of this newspaper how, as a boy, his father gave him messages to deliver to Henry Wickenburg, than living in seclusion at the home where he later died. It was something of a cross-country trip for young Pete, from his father’s ranch on the Prescott road known later in these latter days as the Remuda Ranch farm) to the Henry Wickenburg residence. And there was an adventurous note in those trips too; Henry Wickenburg. Pete told us, always kept his gun within arm’s length. Pete Garcia tended bar for many years at the Garcia Saloon which occupied an adobe building at Center and Valentine streets, torn down a number of years ago to make way for the building now housing the Centre. He also staked out a gold claim some 20 miles out off the Constellation Road which he called the gold Nugget Mine. When Dr. Floyd B. Bralliar came to Wickenburg, the two men entered into a partnership in operating the min. As many as eight men worked the mine to the days before the outbreak of World War II. Although his health had not been too good in recent years, his death at the Community Hospital last Friday, after two days of confinement there, came as a shock to his family and many friends. Funeral services were held at the St. Anthony’s Church Saturday morning, conducted by the Rev D. F. O’Sullivan. A Rosary was said at the home of his son, William, on Second Street, Saturday night and burial took place at 2 p.m. Sunday in the Garcia Cemetery, pallbearers were Toy Green, Ben Ortega, Coney Orosco, Nachio Garcia and Paul Olvera. Surviving are the widow, Mrs. Thomas Garcia, four sons and three daughters. The sons are William of Wickenburg; Fred of Los Angeles, Pete, Jr. of San Bernardino and Gus of Tucson. The daughters are Mrs. Amelia Padilla of Los Angeles, Mrs. Delores Green of El Paso and Mrs. Margaret Dominguez of San Bernardino. All the children were here for the funeral services. Also here was his only surviving brother Gabriel Garcia of Taft, Calif. The two surviving sisters are Mrs. Frances Hernandez of Wickenburg and Mrs. Claude Burson of Hermosa Beach, Calif. Mr. Garcia is also survived by 13 grandchildren and three great grandchildren. See Also: Find A Grave |
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