Connection An open forum publication allowing all voices to be heard since 1983
November 2011 Vol. 28 No. 10
ARIVACA YESTERDAYS The Story of John F. and Mercedes Kellner - Part 2
by Mary Noon Kasulaitis Aas told by their great-great-granddaughter, guest author Nisa Kellner
I
n 1907 John F. Kellner leased his ranch to Niebes Bildusello (aka Vilducea) for the period of one year, with first option to renew the lease the next year. The lease states that Bildusello agrees to keep all fences in good serviceable condition, and fumes and ditches also, to keep the house and property in good order, fruit trees irrigated and trimmed etc. And Bildusello would have all rights to the water. Furthermore Ramon Ahumada would act as agent for John F Kellner in his absence. In 1908 John F Kellner sold the store and boarding house and moved the family to Casa Grande. Young Johnny met one of the Tohono O’Odham Chiefs there and the Chief took a liking to young Johnny and gave him a filly from his herd.
Ramon Ahumada used to like to put together match horse races for sport and Ramon had a grey thoroughbred horse that would beat everything he raced against. When Ramon found out how fleet of foot Johnny’s filly was, he would arrange to borrow her when he had visitors from Sonora who he was hoping to set up a race with. The men would understandably balk at racing against Ramon’s “Grey” so Ramon would offer to race the filly against them and they would agree. The filly usually won. The Kellner children often visited Ramon and Nina for extended stays during their summers. One time when Aunt Vick was out riding with the vaqueros and Uncle, rounding up cattle, the herd stampeded and Uncle yelled to Vick to turn the herd. Aunt Vick was riding Grey, Uncle’s racehorse and she urged him into high speed. He leaped over obstacles and through the brush and Aunt Vick turned the herd. In the end her face was scratched, her
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blouse torn and her hair a mess but she couldn’t have been more elated at the success of her thrilling ride. Another time during a roundup, a mountain lion jumped into the temporary brush corral where the remuda was being held during the
night. The lion jumped onto her horse and clawed the horse’s back while biting the neck. The vaqueros shot over the head of the horse and scared the lion away. The horse was hurt but its wounds were not fatal. Aunt Vick said she would never forget the sound of the lion’s roar and her horse’s screams. About 1915 Aunt Vick and a couple of girlfriends were visiting Uncle Ramon and Nina at the ranch when Uncle received word that Pancho Villa’s men were headed their way. Uncle gathered the women and piled them into an old stripped out car, the only car at the ranch at the time. Aunt Vick drove the car sitting on an empty gas can, and as the car had no seats, the women were bounced around while Vick stripped the gears in her pertinacity to make their escape. With the women gone, Ramon and his vaqueros drove the horses and cattle into the hills, so Villa’s army wouldn’t find them. Young Johnny (grandpa) recalled
Mercedes Kellner with Lolita
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