Tragedy on the River - Six Deaths in One Day

Have you ever lost a loved one? Most people today can say that they have. Some more than others. But, in reality, how many of us can say that we lost nearly our entire family on the very same day? Sometimes in horrible accidents an entire family may perish, and over the years I have came across some headstones that elude to that. But while visiting the Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in Hayward, California, I was introduced to one of the saddest, most tragic stories that I am about to share now with you.

I cannot take the credit for finding these graves. No, that has to go to my main squeeze. I was walking around with him at the cemetery when he pointed out the graves to me and said, "look at their death dates. Notice anything strange?"  They were all the same date:  July 9, 1955.

And then, all of a sudden I felt a spark inside. A feeling I had thought that I had almost lost completely. You see, for the past year or so, I hadn't been researching and writing like I used to, and frankly, it was a bit discouraging. I was beginning to think that I had lost that inspiration, that magic I once felt to uncover a mystery and to share the stories of those forgotten ones I have been sharing for the past 15 or so years. But within that very moment, that feeling came raging back to me, and I just had to know what happened to these beautiful people. I had to find their story, so I could share it with the world.

So, when I got home I started digging. Once I uncovered the tragic story, I found myself in tears, and I found myself so very heartbroken for the family who survived to feel the loss of so many loved ones, gone all in one tragic day.

"River Takes Six Lives"

That was the headline in the newspapers dated July 11, 1955.  

So what happened? How did six people die in the river? It seemed so hard to comprehend. 

According to the Madera Tribune, the Villa, Ramirez and Killingsworth families had decided to have a picnic at the river just about 12 miles west of Modesto, at the Maze Bridge along Maze Blvd and the San Joaquin River. 

Clemente Villa, father of  daughters Santo (18), Henrietta (14) and Gloria (7) along with his other daughters Vickie, and Lucy and  Lucy's husband Trino (26), and two grandchildren, Peter (3) and Mary (2) went to the beach area along the river with friends Mrs. Killingsworth and her daughter, Irma (7). The Ramirez family were visiting from Decoto (which was just north of Fremont, California). 

Tragedy struck while Santo Villa was wading in the water while holding onto the children in a chain formation. Everyone was holding onto the other, and when Santo took a step forward she stepped into a deep hole and the current pulled her under. This was when all the children were pulled into the deep water with her.  Immediately Clemente, Trino, Lucy and Mrs,. Killingsworth jumped into the water after the children. 

Clemente was able to save Irma (Mrs. Killingsworth's daughter). Lucy and Mrs. Killingsworth, could not reach anyone, and the newspapers claimed they barely were able to fight their way back to shore. Trino, the father of young Peter and Mary, dove in after them, but never came back up. 

Sheriff's deputies were called to the scene, and eventually began to drag the river to retrieve the bodies of the victims once they realized it would be more of a recovery mission, than a rescue. That afternoon, as the boatmen were pulling Trino's body from the river, his wife Lucy was heard screaming from the beach area, "No! No! No!, That's my Trino!" 

Reverend Fr. William Kennedy arrived to the scene to console the bereaved.  Clemente stood there hugging his other daughter Vickie and praying at the edge of the beach. All but one of the bodies were found that day. On Saturday, the following day, the body of three-year-old Peter Ramirez washed up a quarter of a mile from the area they had went under.

All six of the victims:

Trino Ramirez and his two children, Peter and Mary, and his three sister-in-laws Santos, Henrietta and Gloria were all laid to rest together side by side at the Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in Hayward. Their dates of birth and dates of death say nothing about the life they led, nor the way that they died. 

However, the death dates matching is an indication that something tragic happened that day on July 9, 1955.

                                                        Trino Ramirez ( 6/12/1927 -7/9/1955)

                                                         Peter Ramirez (3/3/1952-7/9/1955)

                                                        Mary Ramirez (3/2/1953-7/9/1955)

                                                        Santos Villa (4/2/1937 -7/9/1955)

                            

                                                         Henrietta Villa (7/15/1940-7/9/1955)

                                

                                                         Gloria Villa ( 9/19/1947-7/9/1955)

Let us remember this tragedy with love and respect, and let us walk away from this story with the thought that life is very short. This poor family lost not one, not two, but six of their family members in the blink of an eye. I cannot fathom to imagine how Clemente felt, losing three daughters, a son-in-law and two beautiful grandbabies. How Lucy could go on living after watching her two babies and the love of her life disappear into that fast moving water. It breaks my heart just thinking about it.

Let us take this story and learn from it. Let us learn that we never know how much time we have with those around us. Remember to tell those whom you love, that you love them. Never let a day go by without letting them know how much they mean to you. Because we never know what is just around the corner. 

Rest in Peace Villa-Ramirez family.

(Copyright 2021-- J'aime Rubio, www.jaimerubiowriter.com)