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1951
Elsie had more “A”s than Fonzie! She absolutely enjoyed school. As she told me when I was young, “Books allow you to go anywhere in the world you want.”
Elsie read so much, that she read every book in her high school library. The school district had to “import” some new books from La Juara for Elsie to read.
1952
Elsie’s Junior-year report card.
Elise’s junior-year school portrait.
1953
Elsie served as Senior Prom Queen 1953. The top right picture shows her in her white prom dress. The middle picture shows Elsie with her sisters and mom on her visit back to Antonito after she moved to Denver.
Elsie’s 12th-grade report card. Elsie had almost 12 years of perfect attendance. She missed half a day during HS to take her sick dad to the hospital. This effort shows in her grades.
Elsie’s senior picture. I can remember this picture hanging on Grandma Trujillo’s wall for most of my childhood.
1954
Elsie in Denver during 1954.
1955
Elise begins a career with Denver Housing Authority.
Elsie hanging out at various Denver area locations.
Elsie in front of her place on Mariposa Street.
1956
Elsie did something unprecedented for a young Hispanic woman of the 1950s; she traveled ALONE to the East coast. Elsie took a Greyhound bus from Colorado to the New England. She mainly visited the Boston and New York City.
Elsie at Boston Harbor
Elsie in various locations during her trip to Boston/NYC.
Rockefeller Center.
The view from atop the Empire State Building.
Elsie enjoying lunch on the top of the Empire State Building.
Elsie at the Charleston River.
Elsie at Lynn Beach.
Elsie’s hosts.
Elsie outside Denver Housing Authority Projects
Dec 1, 1956 Ernie and Elsie tie the knot and the Padilla family is born…
1957
When Elsie and Ernie married in late December, they were a bit financially strapped. With a new baby and a new husband to care for, pictures were not a priority. Thus, no known pictures exist of Elsie in 1957.
1958
The top picture features four generations of Padillas. Great grandma Chacon; grandma Nena; Elsie & Ernie; Little Ernie.
During 1958, Elsie had her hands full with her first child: Little Ernie. Ernie Sr. and the new baby immediately bonded. Ernie Sr. was a dotting dad and the two were inseparable.
Besides backyard parties, Ernie Sr. loved going to the area around Antonito. The Conejos river seemed to have some sort of spell on Ernie Sr. I think the fish called out his name and beckoned him to return there year-after-year.
Ernest F. fishing with Bert at Los Pinos.
1959
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