VANCOUVER, Canada (Vozlusitana.com), September 29, 2008:
By Susan Garcia Wong
The marriage of Isaías and Maria Nazaré Garcia, fifty years ago, was not what we are all accustomed to: two people meet, fall in love, then get married. Their courtship, or lack thereof, and wedding were not the norm in today’s world, but back in those days in Portugal it was very common.
Maria Nazaré Silvéria was born on April 10, 1935 to Maria Mendosa and José Silvéria. The couple had nine children; Maria Nazaré was the third born and eldest daughter. She was only three months old when the oldest child in the family, Mateus, died of scarlet fever at the age of four.
Maria Nazaré lived, with her seven brothers and sisters and parents, in a town called Espalhafatos, on the island of Faial in the Açores. Being the eldest daughter, Maria Nazaré helped her mother care for the younger siblings. Even at the age of four Maria Nazaré was peeling potatoes and beans, sweeping the floor and making beds.
Maria Nazaré started school when she was 7 years old, but she only stayed for three years because she didn’t like school. She preferred to stay home and work.
Every day except Sunday, Maria Nazaré worked around the house and on the family farm. Sunday was the family’s day off, to attend church, to rest and to visit extended family, including the avós.
Isaias was born Isaias Garcia da Rosa on August 21, 1931 in Faial, Açores; but when the family registered in the city for his birth certificate, the officials decided that Garcia was enough and dropped the da Rosa.
Maria and Manuel had eleven children. The fourth, sixth and eleventh born sons, all named Tony, passed away very early in life. Isaias was the eighth born child to Maria and Manuel Garcia da Rosa.
The family was known in the area as the Casaltas, a nickname that was given because the family lived in the first two-storey house in Faial.
Isaias started attending school in his hometown at the age of 7. Five years later, at the age of 12, Isaias dropped out of school and began to work full time on his family’s farm. He worked on the farm for years, but Isaias was eager to make more money and to do more with his life.
Notices were put up in the local church stating that Canada was opening up its country to immigration. Most men in Faial were hesitant; they had never heard of Canada before.
Isaias could not afford to travel, but Isaias’s mom borrowed thirteen thousand escudos from friends, to help her son pay his way to Canada.
Twelve thousand escudos paid for a two-week stay in São Miguel, as well as the boat trip to North America. That left one thousand escudos to be changed into US dollars for preliminary expenses in North America.
When Isaias arrived in Canada with one thousand escudos to spare, he decided to return the leftover money to his mom in Faial so that she could start repaying the loan to the family friend.
On Saturday, March 6, 1954, at 10 a.m., Isaias left the only home he knew to begin his journey. He arrived in Halifax and then travelled to Montreal, where he worked for two different farmers for a period of two and a half years. During this time Isaias visited his aunts and uncles for two and a half weeks in East Providence.
From Montreal, Isaias decided to go to Oxnard, California to visit his aunt and uncle. Isaias got a job working on a farm and stayed there for three and a half months.
No longer wanting to endure the cold winters in Montreal, Isaias then travelled to western Canada. Arriving in Vancouver, Isaias took a room on Main Street where many other immigrant men lived.
Isaias was advised to talk to an English/French speaking woman who owned a corner grocery store on Keefer Street downtown. Granny, as the men called her, would search for jobs in the newspaper and then help set up interviews for the immigrant men who knew very little English.
Every day after breakfast Isaias would go to see her in hopes of a job. Most of the other immigrants were selective about the job offers but Isaias was hoping for anything, just to get him started.
One morning he and a friend were ready to leave for Victoria for a great job, but at the last minute the promised job fell through. When Isaias arrived back at his room, a friend told Isaias that Granny was looking for him.
Isaias went to Granny’s grocery store just after 1 p.m. that day and was told of a job prospect at a private school. Granny made an arrangement with the school to meet Isaias the following day. She also noted which buses he had to take, along with notes for each of the drivers, so that Isaias would be let off at the right stops along the way.
The next day, as he always did, Isaias sat in the front of the bus, close to the driver, to ensure that where Isaias needed to go was not forgotten.
Nervous when arriving at St. George’s School, Isaias decided not to enter through the front door, but instead cautiously went around to the back door. Isaias was not alone; he and another applicant were competing for the job. To test their dedication and ability, Isaias and the other applicant were put right to work cleaning a classroom.
Isaias’s work was well received and he was hired on the spot. Isaias worked at St. George’s School in Vancouver for 40 years, until he retired in June of 1997.
Isaias had been gone from his hometown for three years when he ran into Jorge, a friend from Faial, in Vancouver. Jorge asked if Isaias had any contact with Nazaré Silvéria who was still back in Faial waiting in hopes to hear from him again one day.
Isaias finally sent Nazaré a letter asking if she had a boyfriend. She didn’t so the letters continued for a while until Isaias asked if she wanted to come to Vancouver and get married.
Nazaré’s older brother José and her sister Filomena were already living in Toronto at the time. Nazaré too wanted to leave the small Açores island for a better life.
She decided to take that leap in life and leave her parents, siblings, extended family and homeland for a man she knew very little about and for a country of new possibilities. The two arranged to be married by proxy as soon as possible so that they could start their life together.
The ceremony in Faial on Saturday, July 6, 1958 seemed like any other typical wedding. There was the beautiful bride Nazaré, her family, the groom’s family and the groom’s brother, José, standing in proxy for Isaias.
The ceremony took place at the church in Espalhafatos. Photographs were taken in the city, followed by a small reception at the bride’s uncle’s home in the town of Ribeirinha. Nazaré and her family were living with the uncle temporarily because an earthquake had damaged Nazaré s family’s home.
At the wedding reception Nazaré sat in front of a homemade wedding cake, with a picture of Isaias on top of the cake. Nazaré was surrounded by wedding gifts. These gifts included a watch from Isaias (bought by his mother with money he sent), handmade linens, a cake knife set, a rosary and a few more sentimental gifts that would travel with her to Vancouver.
A simple yet memorable day was the beginning of a new chapter in the lives of both Isaias and Nazaré. Isaias was nervous to see his new bride. He hadn’t seen her for over three years. He was living at St. George’s school, in a room a floor above the boarding school boys, but when Nazaré was to arrive, Isaias would move to a suite in one of the teacher’s homes on the school grounds.
Finally the day came when Nazaré was going to arrive in Vancouver from Toronto where she had stayed to visit with her brother for a week. Isaias dressed up in a suit given to him by his cousin in California. A teacher then took Isaias to the airport to welcome his bride. When they finally got to see each other on January 16, 1959, the only thing Isaias said to Nazaré, after giving her a hug and a kiss was: “how was your flight?” Isaias was a man of very few words, even back then!
When the couple arrived at their new home, the teacher and his wife, who had brought along a cake, welcomed them.
Shortly after Nazaré arrived in Vancouver she too began working at the school, in the kitchen whenever she was needed. Soon she was working in the school kitchen full time.
Nazaré worked at St. George’s School for nine years, until she and Isaias started their family. She returned to the school in 1987 and worked there another ten years, until she and Isaias retired together, completing a total of 59 years of service to St. George’s School.
Legally married for six months, but separated in two different countries, Isaias and Nazaré only started being together when Nazaré moved to Vancouver. It was in Canada that they started to really get to know one another. They had never dated, never really talked, and now they were Mr. and Mrs. Garcia. There was a lot of catching up to do. Now that they were finally together, it was time to get to know each other. This would explain why the couple waited nine years before having children. But once they started they didn’t stop, having one almost right after the other, especially at the beginning.
While in the hospital after giving birth to their first-born child Elizabeth, a visiting friend of the couple jokingly commented that he didn’t think Isaias liked children because the couple had waited so long before having a baby. Isaias responded, “we will be back here in another year with one more!”
Little did Nazaré know that it would be true. Exactly one year and a day later, their second child Diane was born. Two years later came Richard. Then Susan arrived two years after that. Johnny was the last child to be blessed into this family, one and a half years later. The family that was just two for so many years was now seven, with a lifetime of memories awaiting them.
The life story of Isaias and Nazaré Garcia is not uncommon among the many immigrants who, at the time came to this country in search of a better life, not only for themselves but also for their families. Isaias and Nazaré’s journey has paved the road to an amazing life.
Isaias is a hard working person who is always willing to do what he can for his family and for others. From an early age Isaias understood the value of a dollar and never took anything for granted. He worked full time for two years at the school before he bought himself a television. When it was time to buy a home Isaias made sure that he had enough money. He was even penalized by the bank for paying off his mortgage too quickly. Isaias and Nazaré purchased their home for $16,000 and they still live in it today.
Like her husband, Nazaré works hard in everything she does. She raised five children without a mother or father nearby to lean on or to turn to for support. At the same time, she never turned anyone away who needed help. She is caring, warm and full of life. Nazaré was dedicated to assisting an elderly retired teacher from St. George’s School who taught both her and Isaias English when they arrived in Vancouver. Nazaré cared and did things for this teacher because she wanted to, but also because Nazaré couldn’t assist her own aging mother, living in the Açores.
Although the couple are similar in many ways, they are also different in others. Isaias is quiet by nature and will generally not engage in long conversations unless the subject is about St. George’s School, gardening or his projects around the house. Nazaré on the other hand, loves to make conversation and can usually be caught on the phone or talking out the window to her sister Judy who lives next door.
I sometimes wonder how this Garcia marriage has lasted so long, but realize that the key to their success is hard work and a mutual dedication to raise a healthy, happy and safe family. Along with their generosity towards others, everything just falls into place. Thank you for teaching us this great lesson in love and life that we will pass down to our own children and families.
© 2006 VOZLUSITANA, Vancouver, Canada.
October 1, 2008
CANADA: The Amazing Story of Isaias and Nazare's 50 Golden Years of Marriage
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Fifty Years of Marriage: Maria Nazaré and Isaías Garcia: 1958 - 2008
VANCOUVER, Canada (Vozlusitana.com), September 29, 2008:
By Susan Garcia Wong
The marriage of Isaías and Maria Nazaré Garcia, fifty years ago, was not what we are all accustomed to: two people meet, fall in love, then get married. Their courtship, or lack thereof, and wedding were not the norm in today’s world, but back in those days in Portugal it was very common.
Maria Nazaré Silvéria was born on April 10, 1935 to Maria Mendosa and José Silvéria. The couple had nine children; Maria Nazaré was the third born and eldest daughter. She was only three months old when the oldest child in the family, Mateus, died of scarlet fever at the age of four.
Maria Nazaré lived, with her seven brothers and sisters and parents, in a town called Espalhafatos, on the island of Faial in the Açores. Being the eldest daughter, Maria Nazaré helped her mother care for the younger siblings. Even at the age of four Maria Nazaré was peeling potatoes and beans, sweeping the floor and making beds.
Maria Nazaré started school when she was 7 years old, but she only stayed for three years because she didn’t like school. She preferred to stay home and work.
Every day except Sunday, Maria Nazaré worked around the house and on the family farm. Sunday was the family’s day off, to attend church, to rest and to visit extended family, including the avós.
Isaias was born Isaias Garcia da Rosa on August 21, 1931 in Faial, Açores; but when the family registered in the city for his birth certificate, the officials decided that Garcia was enough and dropped the da Rosa.
Maria and Manuel had eleven children. The fourth, sixth and eleventh born sons, all named Tony, passed away very early in life. Isaias was the eighth born child to Maria and Manuel Garcia da Rosa.
The family was known in the area as the Casaltas, a nickname that was given because the family lived in the first two-storey house in Faial.
Isaias started attending school in his hometown at the age of 7. Five years later, at the age of 12, Isaias dropped out of school and began to work full time on his family’s farm. He worked on the farm for years, but Isaias was eager to make more money and to do more with his life.
Notices were put up in the local church stating that Canada was opening up its country to immigration. Most men in Faial were hesitant; they had never heard of Canada before.
Isaias could not afford to travel, but Isaias’s mom borrowed thirteen thousand escudos from friends, to help her son pay his way to Canada.
Twelve thousand escudos paid for a two-week stay in São Miguel, as well as the boat trip to North America. That left one thousand escudos to be changed into US dollars for preliminary expenses in North America.
When Isaias arrived in Canada with one thousand escudos to spare, he decided to return the leftover money to his mom in Faial so that she could start repaying the loan to the family friend.
On Saturday, March 6, 1954, at 10 a.m., Isaias left the only home he knew to begin his journey. He arrived in Halifax and then travelled to Montreal, where he worked for two different farmers for a period of two and a half years. During this time Isaias visited his aunts and uncles for two and a half weeks in East Providence.
From Montreal, Isaias decided to go to Oxnard, California to visit his aunt and uncle. Isaias got a job working on a farm and stayed there for three and a half months.
No longer wanting to endure the cold winters in Montreal, Isaias then travelled to western Canada. Arriving in Vancouver, Isaias took a room on Main Street where many other immigrant men lived.
Isaias was advised to talk to an English/French speaking woman who owned a corner grocery store on Keefer Street downtown. Granny, as the men called her, would search for jobs in the newspaper and then help set up interviews for the immigrant men who knew very little English.
Every day after breakfast Isaias would go to see her in hopes of a job. Most of the other immigrants were selective about the job offers but Isaias was hoping for anything, just to get him started.
One morning he and a friend were ready to leave for Victoria for a great job, but at the last minute the promised job fell through. When Isaias arrived back at his room, a friend told Isaias that Granny was looking for him.
Isaias went to Granny’s grocery store just after 1 p.m. that day and was told of a job prospect at a private school. Granny made an arrangement with the school to meet Isaias the following day. She also noted which buses he had to take, along with notes for each of the drivers, so that Isaias would be let off at the right stops along the way.
The next day, as he always did, Isaias sat in the front of the bus, close to the driver, to ensure that where Isaias needed to go was not forgotten.
Nervous when arriving at St. George’s School, Isaias decided not to enter through the front door, but instead cautiously went around to the back door. Isaias was not alone; he and another applicant were competing for the job. To test their dedication and ability, Isaias and the other applicant were put right to work cleaning a classroom.
Isaias’s work was well received and he was hired on the spot. Isaias worked at St. George’s School in Vancouver for 40 years, until he retired in June of 1997.
Isaias had been gone from his hometown for three years when he ran into Jorge, a friend from Faial, in Vancouver. Jorge asked if Isaias had any contact with Nazaré Silvéria who was still back in Faial waiting in hopes to hear from him again one day.
Isaias finally sent Nazaré a letter asking if she had a boyfriend. She didn’t so the letters continued for a while until Isaias asked if she wanted to come to Vancouver and get married.
Nazaré’s older brother José and her sister Filomena were already living in Toronto at the time. Nazaré too wanted to leave the small Açores island for a better life.
She decided to take that leap in life and leave her parents, siblings, extended family and homeland for a man she knew very little about and for a country of new possibilities. The two arranged to be married by proxy as soon as possible so that they could start their life together.
The ceremony in Faial on Saturday, July 6, 1958 seemed like any other typical wedding. There was the beautiful bride Nazaré, her family, the groom’s family and the groom’s brother, José, standing in proxy for Isaias.
The ceremony took place at the church in Espalhafatos. Photographs were taken in the city, followed by a small reception at the bride’s uncle’s home in the town of Ribeirinha. Nazaré and her family were living with the uncle temporarily because an earthquake had damaged Nazaré s family’s home.
At the wedding reception Nazaré sat in front of a homemade wedding cake, with a picture of Isaias on top of the cake. Nazaré was surrounded by wedding gifts. These gifts included a watch from Isaias (bought by his mother with money he sent), handmade linens, a cake knife set, a rosary and a few more sentimental gifts that would travel with her to Vancouver.
A simple yet memorable day was the beginning of a new chapter in the lives of both Isaias and Nazaré. Isaias was nervous to see his new bride. He hadn’t seen her for over three years. He was living at St. George’s school, in a room a floor above the boarding school boys, but when Nazaré was to arrive, Isaias would move to a suite in one of the teacher’s homes on the school grounds.
Finally the day came when Nazaré was going to arrive in Vancouver from Toronto where she had stayed to visit with her brother for a week. Isaias dressed up in a suit given to him by his cousin in California. A teacher then took Isaias to the airport to welcome his bride. When they finally got to see each other on January 16, 1959, the only thing Isaias said to Nazaré, after giving her a hug and a kiss was: “how was your flight?” Isaias was a man of very few words, even back then!
When the couple arrived at their new home, the teacher and his wife, who had brought along a cake, welcomed them.
Shortly after Nazaré arrived in Vancouver she too began working at the school, in the kitchen whenever she was needed. Soon she was working in the school kitchen full time.
Nazaré worked at St. George’s School for nine years, until she and Isaias started their family. She returned to the school in 1987 and worked there another ten years, until she and Isaias retired together, completing a total of 59 years of service to St. George’s School.
Legally married for six months, but separated in two different countries, Isaias and Nazaré only started being together when Nazaré moved to Vancouver. It was in Canada that they started to really get to know one another. They had never dated, never really talked, and now they were Mr. and Mrs. Garcia. There was a lot of catching up to do. Now that they were finally together, it was time to get to know each other. This would explain why the couple waited nine years before having children. But once they started they didn’t stop, having one almost right after the other, especially at the beginning.
While in the hospital after giving birth to their first-born child Elizabeth, a visiting friend of the couple jokingly commented that he didn’t think Isaias liked children because the couple had waited so long before having a baby. Isaias responded, “we will be back here in another year with one more!”
Little did Nazaré know that it would be true. Exactly one year and a day later, their second child Diane was born. Two years later came Richard. Then Susan arrived two years after that. Johnny was the last child to be blessed into this family, one and a half years later. The family that was just two for so many years was now seven, with a lifetime of memories awaiting them.
The life story of Isaias and Nazaré Garcia is not uncommon among the many immigrants who, at the time came to this country in search of a better life, not only for themselves but also for their families. Isaias and Nazaré’s journey has paved the road to an amazing life.
Isaias is a hard working person who is always willing to do what he can for his family and for others. From an early age Isaias understood the value of a dollar and never took anything for granted. He worked full time for two years at the school before he bought himself a television. When it was time to buy a home Isaias made sure that he had enough money. He was even penalized by the bank for paying off his mortgage too quickly. Isaias and Nazaré purchased their home for $16,000 and they still live in it today.
Like her husband, Nazaré works hard in everything she does. She raised five children without a mother or father nearby to lean on or to turn to for support. At the same time, she never turned anyone away who needed help. She is caring, warm and full of life. Nazaré was dedicated to assisting an elderly retired teacher from St. George’s School who taught both her and Isaias English when they arrived in Vancouver. Nazaré cared and did things for this teacher because she wanted to, but also because Nazaré couldn’t assist her own aging mother, living in the Açores.
Although the couple are similar in many ways, they are also different in others. Isaias is quiet by nature and will generally not engage in long conversations unless the subject is about St. George’s School, gardening or his projects around the house. Nazaré on the other hand, loves to make conversation and can usually be caught on the phone or talking out the window to her sister Judy who lives next door.
I sometimes wonder how this Garcia marriage has lasted so long, but realize that the key to their success is hard work and a mutual dedication to raise a healthy, happy and safe family. Along with their generosity towards others, everything just falls into place. Thank you for teaching us this great lesson in love and life that we will pass down to our own children and families.
© 2006 VOZLUSITANA, Vancouver, Canada.
VANCOUVER, Canada (Vozlusitana.com), September 29, 2008:
By Susan Garcia Wong
The marriage of Isaías and Maria Nazaré Garcia, fifty years ago, was not what we are all accustomed to: two people meet, fall in love, then get married. Their courtship, or lack thereof, and wedding were not the norm in today’s world, but back in those days in Portugal it was very common.
Maria Nazaré Silvéria was born on April 10, 1935 to Maria Mendosa and José Silvéria. The couple had nine children; Maria Nazaré was the third born and eldest daughter. She was only three months old when the oldest child in the family, Mateus, died of scarlet fever at the age of four.
Maria Nazaré lived, with her seven brothers and sisters and parents, in a town called Espalhafatos, on the island of Faial in the Açores. Being the eldest daughter, Maria Nazaré helped her mother care for the younger siblings. Even at the age of four Maria Nazaré was peeling potatoes and beans, sweeping the floor and making beds.
Maria Nazaré started school when she was 7 years old, but she only stayed for three years because she didn’t like school. She preferred to stay home and work.
Every day except Sunday, Maria Nazaré worked around the house and on the family farm. Sunday was the family’s day off, to attend church, to rest and to visit extended family, including the avós.
Isaias was born Isaias Garcia da Rosa on August 21, 1931 in Faial, Açores; but when the family registered in the city for his birth certificate, the officials decided that Garcia was enough and dropped the da Rosa.
Maria and Manuel had eleven children. The fourth, sixth and eleventh born sons, all named Tony, passed away very early in life. Isaias was the eighth born child to Maria and Manuel Garcia da Rosa.
The family was known in the area as the Casaltas, a nickname that was given because the family lived in the first two-storey house in Faial.
Isaias started attending school in his hometown at the age of 7. Five years later, at the age of 12, Isaias dropped out of school and began to work full time on his family’s farm. He worked on the farm for years, but Isaias was eager to make more money and to do more with his life.
Notices were put up in the local church stating that Canada was opening up its country to immigration. Most men in Faial were hesitant; they had never heard of Canada before.
Isaias could not afford to travel, but Isaias’s mom borrowed thirteen thousand escudos from friends, to help her son pay his way to Canada.
Twelve thousand escudos paid for a two-week stay in São Miguel, as well as the boat trip to North America. That left one thousand escudos to be changed into US dollars for preliminary expenses in North America.
When Isaias arrived in Canada with one thousand escudos to spare, he decided to return the leftover money to his mom in Faial so that she could start repaying the loan to the family friend.
On Saturday, March 6, 1954, at 10 a.m., Isaias left the only home he knew to begin his journey. He arrived in Halifax and then travelled to Montreal, where he worked for two different farmers for a period of two and a half years. During this time Isaias visited his aunts and uncles for two and a half weeks in East Providence.
From Montreal, Isaias decided to go to Oxnard, California to visit his aunt and uncle. Isaias got a job working on a farm and stayed there for three and a half months.
No longer wanting to endure the cold winters in Montreal, Isaias then travelled to western Canada. Arriving in Vancouver, Isaias took a room on Main Street where many other immigrant men lived.
Isaias was advised to talk to an English/French speaking woman who owned a corner grocery store on Keefer Street downtown. Granny, as the men called her, would search for jobs in the newspaper and then help set up interviews for the immigrant men who knew very little English.
Every day after breakfast Isaias would go to see her in hopes of a job. Most of the other immigrants were selective about the job offers but Isaias was hoping for anything, just to get him started.
One morning he and a friend were ready to leave for Victoria for a great job, but at the last minute the promised job fell through. When Isaias arrived back at his room, a friend told Isaias that Granny was looking for him.
Isaias went to Granny’s grocery store just after 1 p.m. that day and was told of a job prospect at a private school. Granny made an arrangement with the school to meet Isaias the following day. She also noted which buses he had to take, along with notes for each of the drivers, so that Isaias would be let off at the right stops along the way.
The next day, as he always did, Isaias sat in the front of the bus, close to the driver, to ensure that where Isaias needed to go was not forgotten.
Nervous when arriving at St. George’s School, Isaias decided not to enter through the front door, but instead cautiously went around to the back door. Isaias was not alone; he and another applicant were competing for the job. To test their dedication and ability, Isaias and the other applicant were put right to work cleaning a classroom.
Isaias’s work was well received and he was hired on the spot. Isaias worked at St. George’s School in Vancouver for 40 years, until he retired in June of 1997.
Isaias had been gone from his hometown for three years when he ran into Jorge, a friend from Faial, in Vancouver. Jorge asked if Isaias had any contact with Nazaré Silvéria who was still back in Faial waiting in hopes to hear from him again one day.
Isaias finally sent Nazaré a letter asking if she had a boyfriend. She didn’t so the letters continued for a while until Isaias asked if she wanted to come to Vancouver and get married.
Nazaré’s older brother José and her sister Filomena were already living in Toronto at the time. Nazaré too wanted to leave the small Açores island for a better life.
She decided to take that leap in life and leave her parents, siblings, extended family and homeland for a man she knew very little about and for a country of new possibilities. The two arranged to be married by proxy as soon as possible so that they could start their life together.
The ceremony in Faial on Saturday, July 6, 1958 seemed like any other typical wedding. There was the beautiful bride Nazaré, her family, the groom’s family and the groom’s brother, José, standing in proxy for Isaias.
The ceremony took place at the church in Espalhafatos. Photographs were taken in the city, followed by a small reception at the bride’s uncle’s home in the town of Ribeirinha. Nazaré and her family were living with the uncle temporarily because an earthquake had damaged Nazaré s family’s home.
At the wedding reception Nazaré sat in front of a homemade wedding cake, with a picture of Isaias on top of the cake. Nazaré was surrounded by wedding gifts. These gifts included a watch from Isaias (bought by his mother with money he sent), handmade linens, a cake knife set, a rosary and a few more sentimental gifts that would travel with her to Vancouver.
A simple yet memorable day was the beginning of a new chapter in the lives of both Isaias and Nazaré. Isaias was nervous to see his new bride. He hadn’t seen her for over three years. He was living at St. George’s school, in a room a floor above the boarding school boys, but when Nazaré was to arrive, Isaias would move to a suite in one of the teacher’s homes on the school grounds.
Finally the day came when Nazaré was going to arrive in Vancouver from Toronto where she had stayed to visit with her brother for a week. Isaias dressed up in a suit given to him by his cousin in California. A teacher then took Isaias to the airport to welcome his bride. When they finally got to see each other on January 16, 1959, the only thing Isaias said to Nazaré, after giving her a hug and a kiss was: “how was your flight?” Isaias was a man of very few words, even back then!
When the couple arrived at their new home, the teacher and his wife, who had brought along a cake, welcomed them.
Shortly after Nazaré arrived in Vancouver she too began working at the school, in the kitchen whenever she was needed. Soon she was working in the school kitchen full time.
Nazaré worked at St. George’s School for nine years, until she and Isaias started their family. She returned to the school in 1987 and worked there another ten years, until she and Isaias retired together, completing a total of 59 years of service to St. George’s School.
Legally married for six months, but separated in two different countries, Isaias and Nazaré only started being together when Nazaré moved to Vancouver. It was in Canada that they started to really get to know one another. They had never dated, never really talked, and now they were Mr. and Mrs. Garcia. There was a lot of catching up to do. Now that they were finally together, it was time to get to know each other. This would explain why the couple waited nine years before having children. But once they started they didn’t stop, having one almost right after the other, especially at the beginning.
While in the hospital after giving birth to their first-born child Elizabeth, a visiting friend of the couple jokingly commented that he didn’t think Isaias liked children because the couple had waited so long before having a baby. Isaias responded, “we will be back here in another year with one more!”
Little did Nazaré know that it would be true. Exactly one year and a day later, their second child Diane was born. Two years later came Richard. Then Susan arrived two years after that. Johnny was the last child to be blessed into this family, one and a half years later. The family that was just two for so many years was now seven, with a lifetime of memories awaiting them.
The life story of Isaias and Nazaré Garcia is not uncommon among the many immigrants who, at the time came to this country in search of a better life, not only for themselves but also for their families. Isaias and Nazaré’s journey has paved the road to an amazing life.
Isaias is a hard working person who is always willing to do what he can for his family and for others. From an early age Isaias understood the value of a dollar and never took anything for granted. He worked full time for two years at the school before he bought himself a television. When it was time to buy a home Isaias made sure that he had enough money. He was even penalized by the bank for paying off his mortgage too quickly. Isaias and Nazaré purchased their home for $16,000 and they still live in it today.
Like her husband, Nazaré works hard in everything she does. She raised five children without a mother or father nearby to lean on or to turn to for support. At the same time, she never turned anyone away who needed help. She is caring, warm and full of life. Nazaré was dedicated to assisting an elderly retired teacher from St. George’s School who taught both her and Isaias English when they arrived in Vancouver. Nazaré cared and did things for this teacher because she wanted to, but also because Nazaré couldn’t assist her own aging mother, living in the Açores.
Although the couple are similar in many ways, they are also different in others. Isaias is quiet by nature and will generally not engage in long conversations unless the subject is about St. George’s School, gardening or his projects around the house. Nazaré on the other hand, loves to make conversation and can usually be caught on the phone or talking out the window to her sister Judy who lives next door.
I sometimes wonder how this Garcia marriage has lasted so long, but realize that the key to their success is hard work and a mutual dedication to raise a healthy, happy and safe family. Along with their generosity towards others, everything just falls into place. Thank you for teaching us this great lesson in love and life that we will pass down to our own children and families.
© 2006 VOZLUSITANA, Vancouver, Canada.
