Dolores “Lola” Witko

I was named after my Tia, Dolores who was my mother Lala's favorite sister. I spent many times with Tia and uncle Nick as a young child..they were like my second parents..Those were beautiful memories for me. I could sense the love they had for each other, making each other laugh, and playfully teasing one another...The last time I visited her when she was still coherent, she told me she dreamt of my mother every night..I thought that was beautiful. Thank you Tia, for all the wonderful memories you gave me. May you rest in peace. I am happy you are now with Nick, all of your siblings and family and friends who've gone before. You've left a beautiful legacy...

My mom, Mary Ann Thibodeau, daughter of Estella, really loved all of her aunts very much! Thank you so much Charlene for all of this great history that you've preserved and shared! Our deepest condolences for your loss!

My condolences

Mom passed away yesterday, just four months shy of her 102nd birthday. Lola Medina (Padilla) Witko was the 12th child, and the last to pass away out of fourteen siblings born to Beneriza Martin and Jose Demetrio Medina. The family was originally from Levy Nolan, New Mexico. By the time Mom and her younger siblings were starting their own families most of the extended Medina families had moved to Santa Fe, NM where they created something of a compound at the top of Del Norte Lane. I grew up among lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins. Of course, several of my uncles, including my father, Carlos Montoya Padilla, had been conscripted for military service as we were in the middle of World War II.

Growing up within such an extended family was always an adventure on Del Norte Lane. The adjacent Arroyo was a raging stream of frothy water turned to ice in winter or blooming with fragrant shrubbery during the summer. The landmark Cross of the Martyrs was but a brisk hike up the hill. I still remember the landscape walking up towards the Cross with my Medina cousins. The terrain was dotted with hundreds of fragrant piñon trees while a special mystery lay just beneath our feet. The ground we walked on was studded with endless shards of indigenous pottery which we all coveted, bartered over, and took back to Grandma and Grandpa´s house where we built imaginary dwellings in and around Grandpa Medina´s garden. So many places to explore in our little slice of the world.

Mom and her closest sibling "besties," Tia Lala and Tia Francis, grew up in a great era. Among the music of their time was the orchestral music of Guy Lombardo, Glen Miller, and Benny Goodman. Mom also loved Patti Page, especially her rendition of The Tennessee Waltz. She was about eighteen when she married my father. Dad was also born and bred in Santa Fe and graduated from St. Michael´s College. Their union produced me and six years later, my brother Richard, and in short order, my sister Charlene.

By this time, we had all moved to Los Angeles where my Paternal Grandmother owned a diner. After several years of an off-and-on-again marriage, Mom and Dad divorced and Mom married Nicholas Witko, who was a wonderful partner for Mom. Raoul and I were already married by then and starting our own family. Sadly, we lost our dear Nick way too soon, and after several years of living on her own Mom came to live with us in Claremont, just in time to babysit our grandchildren who arrived in short order. Our son Raoul Jr. and his wife Laura had Leo in 2001, then Sofia in 2003. In 2004 our daughter Yvonne and her husband Ron Coleman adopted Harper Grace, then Mateo in 2005. After some 41 years of marriage, Raoul and I were ecstatic to have four grandchildren! Mom would sing to them, read to them, and of course teach them all how to play cards.

In 2013 Mom went to live with my sister Charlene in Ontario. However, when my sister became extremely ill, Mom came back to live with us in 2017. By this time Mom was having difficulty walking and before long she was completely bed-bound, in the last three years she went through several rounds of Hospice Care. I cannot say enough about this extraordinary organization, they are a tremendous resource for families faced with the challenges of caring for their elderly loved one. We are especially grateful for the unwavering care, friendship, and companionship of nurse Frankie Marchant who visited Mom regularly throughout all these years. Frankie always sparked Mom´s memories of past events and stories of her childhood. Fair to say that she has become a dear friend.

Despite many years of physical confinement coupled and advancing macular degeneration and hearing loss, Mom managed to have as full a life as possible. A few years ago, our son-in-law, Ron, gave Mom an Alexa for her birthday, so we scraped the transistor radio. Mom quickly learned to use voice commands to call her family and relatives, listen to her favorite music, and of course, follow her beloved Dodgers! What a legacy she leaves behind, many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and recently the first great-great-grandchild came into the world. What might the world hold for the next generations of her progeny? RIP dearest Mom what an amazing journey you have had.

Always so special visiting with both Nick and her at Dad (Mac) & Doris's house in Santa Ana. Remember one time my Dad was sick and my brother Zeke (Joe) was waiting to go in to see him and when called (Family only) both her and and Aunt Lola got up to go in and he says to me "Who are those ladies?" , Seems so sad we all didn't have a chance to get know one another.. I loved visiting with them, hearing the stories of growing up and getting to know them is very special. Thank you Charlene for keeping me in the loop of this great family. Eleanor (Nora) Medina Hutchins

I remember traveling with my mom to CA and visiting family there including Aunt Lola. Our condolences for your loss.