Greetings Family! We would like to welcome everyone to the Arzaga Family Reunion 2002, Deep in the Heart of Texas. We’re all so thankful for everyone who took the time to gather once again and for some, the first time, as family and friends. It is a time for us all to be together again to visit with loved ones and to be happy along with the well wishes of those unable to attend.
When you think about it, a lot has happened since our last family reunion in July 1997. Our dearly beloved Mother and Grandmother, Constancia Leonardo Arzaga passed over in October 1999. Momma, along with our brother, Ely Arzaga Jr. and our sister, Evelyn Arzaga Sergent will long be remembered for their heart and soul and their spirit that have moved us in many ways. These sad occasions usually lend themselves to new beginnings as well. So as we pass through life’s turning pages of time, we go on and again are fortunate to have been blessed with numerous new members of our family. Starting with the tiniest new members, Antonio Leonardo Saccullo, born 2-20-02 to Todd and Jill Saccullo, Megan Dawn Button, born 8-10-01 to Melissa and Randy Button and then finally, Jaime Nicole Sergent, born 6-2-00 to James and Debbie Sergent That makes 20 grandbabies and 18 great-grandbabies for a total of 38 grandbabies. That's a lot of grandbabies!
Along the way, we have been also blessed with a new niece-in-law, Jill Crosby Saccullo who married our nephew Todd Ely Saccullo in June 1999. And, of course, we don't want to forget the new nephew-in-laws either. Randy Button wed our niece Melissa Marie Sergent Button in Nov. 2000 and Garrick Alexander wed our niece Tracie Taylor Dockery in Sept. 2001. More recently, in February of this year, we got a new sister-in-law when our brother-in-law, Harry Joseph Sergent remarried to Ida Stoker Sergent. In July 2001, Dad decided to remarry and we were blessed with a new stepmother. He wed Anna Valdez Sacro Arzaga from Whittier, California. She gives us 3 new stepsisters and 2 new stepbrothers - Rey, Rosie, Blessie, Sonya and Edgar.
Now, I know that it’s fairly common for people to say that they got a new niece or nephew or a new step mother etc., etc., but how many can actually say that they have a “newly found nephew”? It has to be one of the most shocking and thrilling events that could happen to a family. Our beloved brother Ely passed over in November 1970 and left, much to our surprise, a son who he never got the chance to meet. That son, who has his father’s eyes and speaks softly like his father, lives in Eugene, Oregon. He actually found us, he’s 32 years old now and his name is Joseph Andrew Roley Arzaga. He’s proven to be an outstanding and witty young man who we all will have the pleasure of getting to know and love. We are very proud of him and he makes us very happy. Of course, along with him come our new extended family; his biological mother, Lynn Erskine; his adoptive mother, Elizabeth Roley; his stepdaughter, Ashley; and his adoptive father Ed and Ed's wife Zora Belle Roley, as well as a few other siblings, aunts and uncles who represent only a small part of the Roley Clan.
So, as you can see, the Arzaga family continues to grow. As time goes by and as we each take our own path in this journey that is life, it is truly a blessing that we can all get together like this from time to time to share each other's company and to be happy with love on these special occasions.
