This tombstone sits on the gravesite of my Great Great Grandfather, Jozimas de Braga at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Oakland, California. His name is wrong and is age is off by a year. At least they were close!
Jozimas was a native of Maia, Ribeira Grande, Sao Miguel Island, Azores. He was born 17 Jul 1849 to Jacintho Jose de Braga and Rosa de Medeiros Pacheco.
He brought his family to Kauai, Hawaii, in 1882 after he and his wife, Maria da Conceicao de Mello, signed contracts to work for the Kealia Sugar Plantation. When they completed their contracts they moved to the Kilauea Sugar Plantation.
Maria died around 1900 and is buried on Kauai. Because their were two Maria de Braga’s on Kauai, I’ve yet to figure out which one is mine.
After Maria died, Jozimas moved to Oakland, CA in 1907 on the SS Mongolia. He he owned a house on E. 25th Street (along with everybody else in the family!) By 1910, he had given up ownership of the home. From that point on he lived with his oldest daughter, Maria, my Great Grandmother, and her family. His addition was probably welcome as my Great Grandfather, Theodoro Pacheco, had leprosy and died in 1914.
Jozimas died 14 February 1922 in Oakland, California of senility and old age. He was 72.
In this grave, but not declared on the stone, is Jozimas’ granddaughter, Sophie (Bonita) Guido. She died in 1931 at the age of 25. The wife of Manuel Joseph Guido left behind 3 children under the age of five.
It surprises me that Sophie’s name was not added to the stone. Her parents had done fairly well for themselves financial. Perhaps the affect of the Depression hit the family hard and the best they could do was add her to one of the family plots. I wonder if today anyone even knows the young woman is buried beside her Grandfather.
