Beloved Land

"Dona Ramona Benitez Franco was born in 1902 on her parents' Arizona ranch and celebrated her hundredth birthday with family and friends in 2002, still living in her family's century-old adobe house. Dona Ramona witnessed many changes in the intervening years, but her memories of the land and customs she knew as a child are indelible." "Through oral histories and an array of historic and contemporary photos, Beloved Land records a way of life that has contributed so much to the region. Individuals like Dona Ramona tell stories about rural life, farming, ranching, and vaquero culture that enrich our knowledge of settlement, culinary practices, religious traditions, arts, and education of Hispanic settlers of Arizona. They talk frankly about how the land changed hands - not always by legal means - and tell how they feel about modern society and the disappearance of the rural lifestyle."--Jacket.