Dionicio B Lopez, son of Faustino Lopez and Isabella Jesus Belarde was born about April 1874 in New Mexico. At age 22 he married Francisca Villescas in Dona Ana County, New Mexico on 08 Dec 1896. Nothing more has been found regarding this marriage but apparently they had no children. Four years later Dionicio is working at the Confidence Mine just 2 miles from Mogollon, New Mexico.

On 10 Dec 1906 in Silver City, NM Dionicio marries a second time. His youn bride is Juliana Galaz is from Georgetown, NM. During the next 18 or so years they will have about 12 children, some not living beyond infancy.

Dionicio is a retail grocer living in Clifton, Graham County, Arizona by the 1910 Census. He and his wife Julia have one son, Luis. Daughter, Anna, or Annie as she was called, born 13 Sep 1907 in New Mexico was the first child of Dionicio and Julia Galaz. Just seven months after the family moved to Graham County, AZ little Annie contracted Diptheria and died 05 Mar 1910 in Metcalf, Graham County, AZ during a huge outbreak of the deadly disease.

In 1915 the family traveled back to New Mexico in time for Julia to deliver twins, a boy they named Gustavo "Gus" and a little girl who didn't survive. Two years later the family is in Miami, Gila County, AZ where son Albert Galaz Lopez is born. Moving to find work and a better life, the family is in Pomona, Los Angeles County, CA by 1919. They stayed in the Southern California area for the next few years, living in Fullerton, Orange County, CA where Dionicio worked as a farmer.

The 1920 Census enumerator incorrectly identified this Lopez Family and many others on the same pages as having been born in Mexico, being Aliens, and being "non US citizens". None of this was accurate. Eventually Dionicio and Julia made their way north to live in Modesto, Stanislaus County, CA.

The 1930 Census identifies the family in two locations... on 08 Apr Dionicio is living in a tent home on the County Road, Colusa, Colusa County, CA with his children Rebecca, Arthur, Gus, Albert, and Daniel. Both Albert and Daniel attend school while the others are working as farm laborers. While Dionico works with his older children his wife Julia is found on 15 Apr living at 602 11th Street in Modesto, Stanislaus County, CA with their two youngest, William and Foster. Julia listed her entire family and the enumerator listed them all with the surname of DeLopez.

During the next five years Dionicio often lived apart from his family, having become ill with tuberculosis. He wrote many letters to his wife and family according to his granddaughter.

Dionicio was originally buried in Plot B, S-16, A-3, GR 48, but was re-interred 12 Jan 1970 to his wife Julia's grave site of Plot J, S-42, A-6, GR 30.

Bio provided by Sheila Ruiz Harrell