It was 50 years ago, in 1971, that Eleno Aguilera decided to come to Holbrook all the way from Ciudad Juarez Chihuahua Mexico, to visit his parents, Maria Del Refujio and Boney Gutierrez. Members of the Aguilera family said that at his arrival he absolutely “fell in love with the gorgeous City of Holbrook and made the decision to make it home.”
According to Eleno’s son Armando Aguilera, he was an industrious man so Eleno opened his own carpentry business along with his business partner, the late Paul Lerma and they named their company E&P. Eleno began meeting people of the community and met a well-known prominent businessman, Arthur Whiting. Whiting, with his father and brothers, built more than 100 Whiting Bros. Service stations along Route 66 and along the US highway system. Eleno and Whiting quickly built a strong friendship, with Eleno even building Whiting’s kitchen cabinets for his residence as well as other furniture pieces.
Eleno had left his entire family behind in Mexico and that he desperately wanted to bring them to Holbrook to be with him. When he learned this, Whiting insisted that Eleno bring them all to Holbrook. This included his wife Maria Elena Aguilera and 10 children. To do this, Eleno needed a letter of recommendation/work to signify that he and his family were not going to be a burden on the government. Whiting told Eleno, “Done deal! You can count on the letters.”
Thanks to the goodness and generosity of Whiting, the Aguilera family all arrived in the US legally. “Those of us who were of age were ready to work, while our younger siblings began school in the Holbrook Unified School District,” explained Armando.
On Friday, Nov. 30, 1973, 12 members of the Aguilera family arrived in Holbrook. Fifty years later, the Aguilera family has multiplied to over 204 members. Eleno and Elena have 10 children, 76 grandchildren, 90 great-grandchildren and 17 great-great-grandchildren, as well as all the spouses.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Armando said, “We would like to give a special thank you Paul Lerma family as well as Juan Lopez and family who received us in Holbrook with open arms.”
The Aguilera’s were not only allowed to create a home for their family, they also contributed greatly to the City of Holbrook with their hard work and dedication to the city they love.
