The house at 333 W. Manhattan Ave. had been in the family from 1935 to 1995. It was bought for only $5,000. Though the home was technically considered a one-bedroom, the family of eleven made it work. They had converted the garage into a bedroom and had two other rooms to spare, with enough room for everyone. The house was full of life, love, comfort, and there was always someone around.
The Family House
The Padilla Family
The home was filled with love, laughter, and the constant buzz of family life. Rosalie's parents, Louise Gonzalez-Padilla and Oliver Padilla, were married on August 12, 1923, and together they built a vibrant household at 333 W. Manhattan Ave. They had eight children: Antoinette, the oldest, followed by Louise and Ollie, then Oliver, Rosalie, and Raquel, and finally Richard and Kathy. There was a nine-year gap between Oliver and Rosalie, a fact that made Rosalie's place in the family feel both unique and special. Later in life, Rosalie and her family welcomed her son Joey into the home, her parents adopting him when he was just three years old. Weekends were never dull, the Padilla family filled their days with simple joys: fishing trips, picnics by the river, drives through Tesuque, and games in the yard. It was a home steeped in tradition, rich with stories, and unforgettable because of the people who filled it.
Louise & Oliver Padilla
Louise Gonzalez-Padilla was a gentle, steady presence in the home. Though she worked part-time for the state when she was younger,
most of her time was devoted to caring for her family. She wasn't much for cooking, but what she truly loved was going on drives
- long, scenic rides with the car packed full of kids, laughter, and stories. In her later years, she opened her home
to Rosalie and helped raise her grandchildren, continuing the legacy of love that had always filled the house.
Oliver Padilla worked at Kaune's Grocery Store and had a sharp mind, known in the family as something of a mathematician.
On weekends, he brought the house to life with the smells of home cooking, he made sure to prepare extra food so the kids
had meals ready for Monday. During the week, Rosalie and her sister Raquel took over the cooking, a tradition that taught
them early responsibility and the joy of feeding others.
More than anything, Oliver loved to take the kids fishing. No matter how busy life got, he made time to gather the family, pack up the car, and head to the river. Both Louise and Oliver shared a deep love for nature and made it a point to bring their children on frequent picnics by the water, simple moments that became lifelong memories.
Rosalie's Favorite Things
Rosalie is always full of energy and joy. She loved to dance, she spent hours outside playing baseball, and hide-and-seek with her siblings. She went to Loretto Girls' School and often walked around downtown Santa Fe with her friends and siblings. They'd play by the river, build forts in the dirt, watch trains go by, and stop at the Santa Fe creamery to sing and dance. Whether it was a family picnic, a spontaneous drive, or pinon picking in the hills, she loved being outdoors and soaking in every moment with the people she loved.
The Circus Parade
Rosalie's Favorite Memory: One year, around 1942, the circus came to Santa Fe. Right off the train, they marched through downtown right down her street. Elephants, lions, tigers, bears, monkeys, and performers all doing tricks, paraded through the neighborhood to promote the show. Rosalie and her siblings sat on the wall their dad had built in the front yard and watched them all pass by. The elephants walked in a line, pulling carts and cages filled with animals, while acrobats and clowns danced and flipped alongside them. It was unlike anything she had ever seen. It's a moment she still thinks about often, and one of her most treasured childhood memories with her family.
Downtown Santa Fe
Rosalie loved hanging out downtown. The Lensic was their spot; movies cost just ten cents, or you could get in with canned goods
or fruit. She later worked there as a cashier, then at El Paseo Theater. Fridays meant dancing and singing at the Santa Fe Creamery
next door, one of her favorite places.
There was only one car in the family, so the kids walked just about everywhere - to school, the theater, the river, the creamery,
and friends' houses. Sometimes their dad would walk to work just so their mom could use the car to take them all on a drive.
When they weren't walking around town, they were playing outside. Across from their house was an empty lot where the kids would gather and play, and there was a ditch nearby where her brothers even built an underground fort. Rosalie's favorite activities included playing baseball at St. Francis School, dancing, ballet, and playing hide-and-seek outside. She especially loved being outside - going on drives, having picnics, apple picking in Tesuque, and just being out in nature with her family.
Sunday Drives
Some of Rosalie's happiest memories were the long family drives through Tesuque. Her mom, Louise, loved getting everyone out of the
house and into the car, even if it was packed shoulder to shoulder. The roads were winding, quiet, and full of tall trees and fresh air.
They didn't always have a destination, but the ride itself was the fun. Almost every weekend, they went on a drive to either Tesuque,
Española, Pojoaque, or Albuquerque.
Tesuque was their go-to place for apple and pinon picking. The whole family would pile into the car and spend the day under the sun,
eating as many green apples as they could. It was messy, sweet, and sometimes followed by a picnic.
Picnics by the River
Picnics were a regular thing; blankets laid out by the river, homemade food, and a bunch of kids playing tag or hide-and-seek. They'd drive out, or sometimes just walk to a nearby spot. These moments were loud, chaotic, and full of love. They went on many picnics, which were one of their favorite activities.
Fishing Trips with Dad
One of Rosalie's most treasured memories was when her dad, Oliver, would call out, "Let's go fishing!" Without much planning, the whole family, and sometimes neighbors, would jump into the car and head out. They'd strap the fishing rods to the top of the car and jump on. They'd drive to nearby rivers packed in with poles, snacks, and excitement. They didn't even need to catch anything to have a good time; it was about skipping rocks, telling stories, and spending a quiet day in nature together.