Today it is unthinkable that such large families exist; while in the last century there are many examples of large families with many children who got ahead despite the difficulties of the time. This is the case of a highly valued family in the Villa de San Juan de la Rambla, popularly known as Los de La Ladera, in reference to the place where the fifteen children of the marriage formed by Jesús Méndez González (1910) lived and were born. and Amelia Oliva Pérez (1922), both from the La Rambla neighborhood. It all began in 1942 when they got married in the hermitage of Nuestra Señora del Rosario, located in that neighborhood, and began their happy “family adventure”.
Jesús was always an example of a tireless worker: farmer, rancher and an efficient mediator of a farm located in La Ladera, where he moved to live and raise his large family. He even worked as Antonio Ruiz’s canalero. He never complained, always with full dedication to support his large family. He was happily married to Amelia, who, like so many women of the time, was responsible for providing a plate of food for her brood of children and taking care of the household chores.
The family did not stop growing and reached the number of 15 sons and daughters, the largest in the Ramblero municipality and one of the most prominent in the Islands. Canary IslandsAlthough they had to suffer the death of one of their daughters, just six months old, Rosario, who was born on April 16, 1947 and died in October of that same year.
And so they were born: Amelia (1943); Gabriel (1944); Maria Jesus (1946); Rosario (1947, although she died at 6 months of age); José (1949, died in 2015); Louis (1950); Maria Rosa (1951); Rosary (1953); Philip (1955); John (1956); Maria Theresa (1957); the twins Tomas and Carmelo (1959); Herminia (1961) and Jesus Maria (1963). In total 15 children: eight males and seven females.
We wanted that on these dates close to Christmas, when family members are reunited, this simple tribute be paid to this great ramblera family, highly appreciated in the Villa de San Juan de la Rambla for their cordiality and exquisiteness, friendly and affectionate treatment with the neighbors, also wanting to pay homage to this endearing couple who are a clear example of the desire to live, of overcoming themselves in very difficult post-war times, and that today, despite the death of two of the brothers, the rest of the thirteen members maintain a cordial family relationship.
To remember nostalgic moments of this great family, Herminia, better known as Miñi, served as interlocutor, who, showing off her kindness, and with surprise included by the request for information, pleasantly offered us some of the curiosities and anecdotes of her large family. .
“Oh Amelia, another one is coming”
All the children born of this beautiful couple were assisted by the famous Doña Lola, the midwife, who with her expertise helped bring them into the world and there was no need for the presence of any doctor, except in the last two births of: Herminia and Jesús Maria. The following anecdote serves to make known how the births were then, specifically at the birth of the twins Tomás and Carmelo, on October 21, 1959, when in the middle of labor, Doña Lola, said to the woman in labor: «Oh Amelia , that I think another one is coming…», and so it was.
When it was time to eat, there were two shifts. The younger ones ate first and then the older ones, although the latter helped their younger siblings who still did not know how to eat on their own with the food. They never lacked food because in their role as mediators, the farm was planted with potatoes and vegetables, there were banana trees and they even had cows, so milk as an essential product was also not lacking at mealtime. The older brothers tell us that most of the time the snack was a gofio ball that they made a hole in the center and put some sugar in it.
Christmas dessert yams
Miñi excitedly tells us that these Christmas dates were precious and worth remembering since every December 24, from very early on, Amelia, her mother, got down to the hour cooking the yams in a large drum, which motivated the family merriment, and then at dinner all together also enjoy red ball cheese or sugared almonds. The evening ended at dawn because the patriarch, Jesús, liked to play the guitar and his sons put their voices to famous Christmas carols.
Also unforgettable is the popular Three Kings Day, which began with the enthusiasm of Jesus, who from very early on blew a whistle, a signal to wake up that great progeny of brothers and sisters who went to the kitchen, a fixed place to discover the surprises of the gifts. .
A bus for Candelaria
And fulfilling a promise they decided to go see the Virgin of Candelaria for which they rented a bus to take the whole family, and it was an immense joy to see the bus arrive at the patio of their house in La Ladera to take them to Candelaria. It was complete because the maternal grandparents and some girlfriends and boyfriends of some of the brothers joined and, to regain strength during the trip, they brought hard-boiled eggs, bread, cheese and even a large sponge cake.
Curiosities from a not so distant past but that still survive in the retina of this appreciated and beloved family from San Juan de la Rambla: Los de La Ladera, of which the enormous role of Amelia, a great woman of their house, deserves to be remembered. that with her exemplary dedication and affection together with her beloved husband, she brought this immense family forward. Wonderful woman and mother who was also even a teacher because some of the older men couldn’t go to school and she taught them to read and write, in addition to the brilliant education that all her children received from her parents.
