Maria del Refugio Ramirez

Maria del Refugio Ramirez (February 10, 1922 — March 27, 2010) was the first Queen of Fiestas Patrias, an annual parade celebration Mexico's Independence in the U.S. state of Indiana. The Fiestas Patrias Parade was established in 1924.[1]

portrait by Julia Sorrenti

Life

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She was born in Ixtlán de los Hervores, Michoacan. She immigrated in 1917, initially to Kansas City. In 1925, she arrived in Indiana Harbor section of East Chicago, Indiana. In 1926, she was crowned the first Queen of Fiestas Patrias parade. A tradition that began in 1924.[1] In October 1928, she left Indiana Harbor, with her widowed mother Josefa Cedillo Ramirez to Guadalajara, Mexico.[2] In 1947, she returned to Indiana Har with her husband Rafael Godinez. She had two children, a step-son, Rafael Jr. and Sandra (nee Godinez) Valdes.[3][4][5]

References

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  1. ^ a b Martinez-LeGrand, Nicole (2024-08-22). "Indiana's Oldest Latino Hoosier Tradition Turns 100". Indiana Historical Society. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  2. ^ Del Hogar, El Amigo (1928-10-31). "Farewell Letter to the Mexican Colonia". Indiana Historical Society.
  3. ^ "Fiestas Patrias Parade and Indiana's First Mexican Queen". Indiana Historical Society. 2022-09-14. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  4. ^ Martinez-LeGrand, Nicole; Gonzales, Daniel (2022). Hoosier Latinos. ISBN 978-0-87195-463-3.
  5. ^ joseph.pete@nwi.com, 219-933-3316, Joseph S. Pete (2023-03-03). "New history book chronicles the Latino experience in Indiana and Calumet Region". nwitimes.com. Retrieved 2024-10-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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