I enjoyed reading the February 27 article regarding James Ontiveros. I’m from the same ancestral line of Juan Pacifico Ontiveros. My mother strayed from her Los Alamos clan in 1935, moving to Santa Barbara and raised by an aunt and an uncle who was the pantryman at the Billings Estate. Billings owned the hall-of-fame race horse Lou Dillon.
I enjoy cabernet sauvignon and for two decades was a member of Parducci Winery, the very first winery in Mendocino County.
I met a ninth-generation cousin (Russell) two decades ago who is popular for his volunteerism in the Santa Barbara community at El Presidio, Mission, Soldados, parades, Fiesta, etc. I’ve attended many of the local celebrations over the years and never stop feeling that our families who lay side-by-side at the Old Sisquoc Church (presently San Ramon Chapel) aren’t smiling down on us!
Thank you for sharing the story and the history!
