It was Mexican Independence Day, September 16th, 1928 when Trinidad and Joaquina Aramburo went from El Centro, California to visit family in Mexicali, Mexico. Joaquina was expecting the couple’s first child, a girl, but wanted to be with family to celebrate. The town was alive with commotion in enjoying the national holiday. With all of the excitement, Joaquina realized that her baby was ready to be welcomed into the world. Alice was born that same day.

Alice enjoyed growing up in Imperial Valley and San Diego with her four younger sisters, close enough to visit family in Mexicali regularly. She has fond memories of spending time at her grandmother’s ranch, running errands together, watching her grandmother sew her own clothing, and making homemade cheese.

While attending San Diego High School in the 1940’s, Alice met her high school sweetheart, Hector. He and Alice were a couple grades apart, so they didn’t have classes together or have many opportunities to converse. They would see each other around school and finally got to know each other when they attended the same school football game. Hector approached Alice and started a friendly conversation. The rest is history. They started dating, got married after high school and started a family together. Alice was a stay at home for their two children until the kids were in their teens and Hector worked in an upholstery business. Alice was an active member of the PTA, even traveling to a PTA conference in San Francisco at one point to support their children’s education. After the kids were in high school, Alice decided to rejoin the workforce and started working at Macy’s.

Over the years, the Garcia family took many trips together to go camping or sight-seeing. Alice and Hector have traveled throughout Mexico, the USA and Europe, making friends in different cities along the way. Upon retiring, Alice joined a retirees group for individuals who worked at Macy’s and met with the group on a monthly basis. In her free time, she enjoyed gardening and cooking for family. Alice thoroughly enjoyed taking care of a beautiful garden of roses and orchids. She later took a class and learned to make her own clothing, just like her grandmother.

Alice today can frequently be seen walking around the community with a friend or two, chatting about the day. She often has a kind smile on her face and doesn’t hesitate to offer a listening ear to anybody looking to chat. We appreciate and admire her warm, friendly personality and look forward to conversing with Alice each day.