BajaNomad

MAMA ESPINOZA'S 105TH BIRTHDAY OCTOBER 16 2012

ELINVESTIG8R - 10-19-2012 at 05:24 AM

Singing Las Mananitas to Mama Espinoza the first thing in the morning when she woke up.

shari - 10-19-2012 at 06:26 AM

sweet...I LOVE her jammies. Muchas felicidades mi estimada...you are a legend...mi respetos por una dama increible. sigue adelante!

thebajarunner - 10-19-2012 at 08:15 AM

Amazing!!
I only met her 41 years ago,
have not seen her in a long long time
but she is certainly a Baja institution.

Let's all hum a few bars of "Las Mananitas" in her honor....

Taco de Baja - 10-19-2012 at 08:26 AM

Incredible. What an amazing lady. Very happy birthday wishes.

Amazing to think that my dad used to bring and donate clothes to her orphanage back in the 1950s, and maybe even in the 1940s, and she is still alive and helping the people of the area.

BajaBlanca - 10-19-2012 at 08:38 AM

thanks for sharing ! feliz cumple, senora !

pappy - 10-19-2012 at 10:05 AM

awesome!

TMW - 10-19-2012 at 10:10 AM

Thanks, may she have many more.

David K - 10-20-2012 at 01:33 AM

You know, she is a cool lady... we enjoyed visiting with her in July, 2009 (just 3 months before her 101st birthday... as she was born in 1908, per her book).

Two years ago, ELINVESTIG8R posted about her 104th birthday party: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=48552

I am sorry we got into an argument over the year, back then... but he is now at least a year closer to what I was saying with this year's claim she is 105, instead of 106.

Happy Birthday Anita... Hope you have mucho mas, no mater what the number is!



Hook - 10-20-2012 at 10:54 AM

She's now within eight years of making it into the current list of the top ten oldest people alive right now. Admittedly, that's still a ways to go and the list can change, but that's still some accomplishment.

I believe she is the oldest person I have ever met that is still alive. I met her at the restaurant back in the late 80s.

Surely, someone has asked her, recently, why she feels she has lived so long. What was her reply? Diet? Location? Physical activity? Good genes?

Lobster burros??????? :lol:

Bob H - 10-20-2012 at 11:09 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by thebajarunner
Amazing!!
I only met her 41 years ago,
have not seen her in a long long time
but she is certainly a Baja institution.

Let's all hum a few bars of "Las Mananitas" in her honor....


Mama was only 64 then!

We met her back in 1991' when she was only 84.

Amazing lady!

willardguy - 10-20-2012 at 11:20 AM

wonder if she ever crossed paths with that whippersnapper fernandez fellow (104)?:spingrin:

dtbushpilot - 10-20-2012 at 11:48 AM

Quote:
Surely, someone has asked her, recently, why she feels she has lived so long. What was her reply? Diet? Location? Physical activity? Good genes?

Lobster burros??????? :lol:



I doubt that it's because she's been eating at "mama's".:O:O

bajafam - 10-21-2012 at 12:53 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Hook

Surely, someone has asked her, recently, why she feels she has lived so long. What was her reply? Diet? Location? Physical activity? Good genes?

Lobster burros??????? :lol:


We asked her two years ago when we met her. Her response? "All I need is my rice, my beans and my sunshine."
Love her!

GregN - 10-22-2012 at 10:21 AM

I have a chapter about Mama Espinosa in my book "Baja Legends." When I interviewed her in 2000, I was told she was only 90, born on October 16, 1910. A couple of years with her, more or less, doesn't matter -- she's still a Baja legend.

David K - 10-22-2012 at 10:48 AM

Here's the list SHE gave of her sibblings... Unless she was a twin and not the youngest child, she couldn't have been born before 1908:

1890: Arturo
1892: Angelio
1894: Juan
1896: Eduardo
1898: Emelio
1903: Teresa
1905: Eugenio
1906: Adelaida (106 years ago)
1907: Amalia (105 years ago)
1908: Anita (104 in Oct. 2012)

So, by Mama's own writing she is 104... or if the book she told me was correct is the truth, then she is 102. Greg's great book on Baja's great people and places also puts her at 102 this year.

This is all from Mama Espinoza, not me... and I would never say Mama is lying.

Personally, I like the 1908 version, for one it is her autobiography... and secondly the mention of no registration (or certificates issued) until 1910 would mean that 1910 would be the oldest documentation date (102 years ago). So no earlier certificate exists, according to Mama's own words.

[Edited on 10-22-2012 by David K]

Ateo - 10-22-2012 at 10:54 AM

That is straight up good genes. Siblings are 104, 105, 106!!!!!!!

mcfez - 10-22-2012 at 11:07 AM

Baja Legends...............what a GREAT book you put out there! Fact is...it's one of my top ten favorites. Looking forward to more of your stuff......
Quote:
Originally posted by GregN
I have a chapter about Mama Espinosa in my book "Baja Legends." When I interviewed her in 2000, I was told she was only 90, born on October 16, 1910. A couple of years with her, more or less, doesn't matter -- she's still a Baja legend.

David K - 10-22-2012 at 11:13 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ateo
That is straight up good genes. Siblings are 104, 105, 106!!!!!!!


Only Mama is still alive...

Ateo - 10-22-2012 at 11:18 AM

Woops. My mistake. I misread those years you posted next to the names as current ages. My bad.
Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Quote:
Originally posted by Ateo
That is straight up good genes. Siblings are 104, 105, 106!!!!!!!


Only Mama is still alive...

David K - 10-22-2012 at 11:23 AM

No worries...

GregN - 10-23-2012 at 04:09 PM

Hey McFez. Thanks for the compliment. Looks like I'll be doing a signing of Baja Legends at the El Caballo Blanco in Loreto in mid-May, 2013 .