Victory Park
1201 N. Pershing Ave.
Stockton, CA  95203
(209) 940-6300   
info@hagginmuseum.org

On November 2, families in Mexico and the United States will observe Día de los Muertos by creating altars or ofrendas commemorating loved ones who have passed on. These altars include photographs and favorite items of the deceased, along with traditional items like flowers and candles.

In recent years, many museums and galleries have invited special guest artists to create ofrendas that can be shared with the public. This year, The Haggin Museum honors this Mexican tradition with an ofrenda in memory of Loretta Reynoso Alaniz (1917-2005), created by her three daughters.

Born in a tent in the midst of the Napa Valley vineyards where her family was harvesting grapes, Loretta Alaniz had no opportunity to go to school. In 1938 she moved to Stockton as a young bride. Her husband and two brothers died as a result of their participation in World War II. Shortly after their deaths, she endured the loss of her two young sons due to illness.

She raised three daughters as a single parent and was determined that they would receive educations. All lived up to her high expectations. Consuelo “Connie” Martinez. received her M.A. in Education from University of the Pacific and recently retired after thirty years of teaching in Stockton Unified School District. Maria Luisa Alaniz earned her Ph.D. from Stanford University and is currently a professor and chair of the Social Science Department of San Jose State University. Loretta Alaniz Corrales earned her B.S. in accounting at San Jose State University and is an International Examiner with the Internal Revenue Service.

Her daughters have created an altar at the museum that pays tribute to their mother’s deep spirituality and wisdom and recall her love of cooking and her beautiful gardens. They have chosen the words of Mother Theresa as the theme of the altar: “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” To them, these words reflect their mother’s generosity of spirit that touched the lives of a wide circle of family, friends, and community.