Cousins: The Family of Paca and Pedro in Fresneda, Spain

Maria Angela and her mother, Francesca (Paca) Ruiz with Steven (2009)

Our last group of cousins consist of Francesca (Paca) Ruiz Martos and her husband, Pedro Nuñez Camuña.  We are related through Pedro Nuñez Camuña bloodline.  Before our trip to Spain in September, 2012, it was with great sadness to learn from our cousin (Janet M.) after her visit to Spain a couple months earlier, that Paca Ruiz died a few months earlier. Steven liked her very much.  Steven jotted notes for our family tree during his 2009 visit.

Before I met Maria Angela, I was vicariously introduced to her by a honking van outside our apartment in Puerta de la Torre.  The bakery truck's arrival lured all the children and Steven out the door quickly...donuts, breakfast rolls, bread and cookies littered the back end and our cousin was the delivery man: Paco Nunez Ruiz who is Maria Angela's brother.  While munching on donuts, I learned his brother, Antonio, owned the bakery and a store in Fresneda, a very small burg nearby.

Steven soon put their family 'together' for me and it was our next stop along a winding village road and into a small parking lot.  The building was shaped like an "L" with a small store adjacent to the home of Maria Angela and her husband, Manolo.  They ran the store for their oldest brother, Antonio.  (Of course, in Spain, the oldest brother always inherits... and typically the younger siblings are employed at the family business).

Adrian, Maria Angela, Steven and Esther in Huertacilla, Spain

The children of Paca and Pedro are Antonio, Juan, Josefina, Maria Angela and Francisco (Paco).  The day of our visit, a very short blonde woman with the bluest eyes like the sky greeted us: Maria Angela.  She did not speak or understand   English, clearly frustrated that we couldn't converse but Steven, as always, translated for us and it made it easier.  Maria Angela nodded and shyly smiled but if only... I'd studied the language harder.  I understood about 30% so at least I wasn't completely lost in the conversations.

On the other side of the "L" is a small cafe with tables and chairs crisscrossed along the tiled patio just outside the door to the store.  It was here that we conversed over Spanish café con leche and tapas with dessert quickly following.  Maria Angela's children are named Adrian (8) and Esther (6).  Esther pulled out a book from school and shyly extended it to Steven.  English!  Maria Angela hopes to learn from her daughter and talk to us in English on another visit.  (smiles all around here).