I know, to many, this is going to be a controversial subject. Some people might even think it is unthinkable to post. But my reason for this page is more cautionary. If we know what happened to the people in our family, we know where to be cautious and what to avoid to live healthy. Whether we like it or not, genetics dictate our lives, not hope. A choice to avoid a certain thing could add years to our lives. A long time ago causes of death were published in obituaries, heck people even posed for photos with the diseased, many staged as a “last time together.” Maybe like wishful thinking. Death is hard on people and the effects are lasting, so it is best to maintain health to be around as long as we possibly can, isn’t it?
Geertruid "Gertie" nee Te Slaa Ribbink
Gertie was my chosen Great, Great, Great Grandmother. When my Great Great Grandfather William Ribbink immigrated here from Winterswijk , Holland in 1880, he came with his Mother and siblings. His Father had passed away in 1878. His whole family went to Michigan except William, he went to Iowa, where other Ribbinks had settled. In 1889 when William married my 2x Great Grandmother Mattie he stated his parents were his Uncle and Aunt.
Age at Time of Death: 54
Cause of Death: Inflammation of the Stomach (Gastritis or H. Pylori)
Date of Death: 30 Nov 1892 in Muscatine, Iowa
This is such an easily cured thing today. Such deaths are a tragedy.
Mattie Elizabeth Ribbink nee Walton
Mattie was my Great, Great Grandmother. My Great Grandmother was only 2 years old when her Mother died.
Age at Time of Death: 22
Cause of Death: Child Bed Fever (Puerperal Fever) Click to read more.
Date of Death: 7 Jan 1893 in Muscatine, Iowa
Mattie Died 9 days after giving birth to her third child, a son, Raymond Walton Ribbink. She was only 22.
This was a common cause of death until Joseph Lister, inspired by the work of Louis Pasteur, began to disinfect surgical items and introduced hygienic practices to the medical field.
Abraham Ribbink
Abraham was my chosen Great, Great, Great Grandfather (married to Gertie, top)
Age at Time of Death: 58
Cause of Death: Typhoid Fever
Date of Death: 8 Apr 1900 in Muscatine, Iowa
Sadly there was a vaccine created in 1896 but it was only for Military use at the time.
Catherine "Katie" Yoder nee Swartzendruber
Aug Katie was my Great, Great, Grandmother.
Age at Time of Death: 77
Cause of Death: Intestinal Trouble
Date of Death: 9 Aug 1935 in Wellman, Iowa
That is all that is listed on the record, perhaps a death certificate will provide more clues.
Baby Girl Iola Levias
Iola was my first cousin
Age at Time of Death: 9 Days Old
Cause of Death: Cerebral Hemmorhage due to Prematurity
Date of Death: 22 Nov 1946 at Highland Alameda County Hospital, Oakland, California
Little baby Iola (name was told to Aunt Pearl by Aunt Lucy shortly before her death in 2011) was born to Lucy Romero and Woodrow Levias on 13 Nov 1946. She would have been beautiful, I know. This mystery is very sorrowful, it become full of lament and confusion when you discover on her birth certificate that Aunt Lucy carried to 9 months, it doesn’t sound like a premature birth to me. No other children were born to Lucy, she said the doctors told her that her tubes were short and to fix it they would have to put plastic to make them connect and being a Jehovah Witness, it wasn’t something she wanted to do.
Viola Romero
Viola was my Aunt.
Age at Time of Death: 13
Cause of Death: Unknown at this time, family stories say it was Leukemia but her symptoms only match Chemotherapy treatment for Leukemia not Leukemia itself. No death certificate has been found.
Date of Death: 9 Feb 1947 at the Family Residence in Talpa, New Mexico
Viola’s death was such a tragedy it created much fear and superstition in My Grandmother Mabel. She used to tell everyone not to hang clothes to dry inside the house because that is why Viola passed away
Marcos V. Romero
Marcos was my Grandfather.
Age at Time of Death: 80
Cause of Death: Ventricular Arrhythmia due to a consequence of Atherosclerotic Heart Disease and other significant condition of Congestive Heart Failure
Date of Death: 17 Nov 1985 at their trailer that was next to Uncle Mark and Aunt Judy’s house in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico
In my honest opinion us Romero’s love BIG and that’s why our hearts get us in the end.
Mabel Romero nee Montoya
Mabel was my Grandmother.
Age at Time of Death: 77
Cause of Death: Cardiac Standstill- non capture of Pacemaker, Acute Myocardial Infarction with other significant conditions of Gastrointestinal Bleed
Date of Death: 11 Nov 1987 at Parkview Hospital in Pueblo, Colorado, where she had gone to live with her sister after her husband of 61 years had passed away 2 years, nearly to the day before.
Another death due to the heart.
Jack Wilson
Jack was my Grandfather.
Age at Time of Death: 64
Cause of Death: Cardiac Respiratory Arrest due to or a consequence of Bi-Ventricular Heart Failure and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Date of Death: 11 Feb 1987 at Holy Cross Hospital, Taos, New Mexico
Jack experienced Cardiac Respiratory Arrest after suffering from Heart Failure due to COPD, he was a smoker and it finally caught up with him and ended his life way too soon.
Marian Claudine "Deenie" Wilson nee Yoder
Deenie was my Grandmother.
Age at Time of Death: 66
Cause of Death: Massive Cerebrovascular Accident due to as a consequence of End- Stage Cirrhosis
Date of Death: 19 Jul 1987 at Holy Cross Hospital, Taos, New Mexico. She only lived for 5 months after her husband of 45 years passed away.
A common cause of death with liver failure was stroke. At this time I need to figure out if anyone knows what caused the cirrhosis. I refuse to speculate, something that I learned that nearly every story my Mother told was just that.
Lucinda "Lucy" Levias nee Romero
Lucy was my Special Aunt.
Age at Time of Death: 86
Cause of Death: Respiratory Failure, Pleural Effusion and End Stage Renal Disease
Date of Death: 31 Dec 2011 at Sister Dorothy’s House in Taos, New Mexico
Aunt Lucy was so very special to me, I grew up next door to her. She taught me so much. She got Kidney Failure after misunderstanding Doctors orders, she had very bad hip pain and the Doctor prescribed pain killers for it. She thought that she could keep taking her over the counter pain medication at the same time as the doctor prescribed pills. This was more than her kidneys could take unfortunately. And to top it all off none of the medicine helped her hip pain.
Kimberly "Kim" Joan Miera nee Wilson
Kim was my Mom.
Age at Time of Death: 58
Cause of Death: Atherosclerotic and Hypertensive Cardiovascular Disease
Date of Death: 05 Mar 2018 at her home in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico
My Mom dying young set a precedent of early and tragic deaths in the Wilson Family with Father at 64, Mother at 66 and Daughter at 58
Eulogio de Jesus Montoya
Eulogio was my Great, Great Grandfather.
Age at Time of Death: 73
Cause of Death: Interstitial Nephritis with Contributing Factor of Uremia
Date of Death: 06 Dec 1928 at 436 Savage Ave. Raton, New Mexico
Eulogio was a Methodist Minister. He was described as being very tall.