Leonardo Cesena, c. 1890s.
According to granddaughter Lorraine Cesena Leach:
Leonardo Cesena was born Dec. 2, 1859, and died in Newhall on Jan. 30, 1928. He was buried
at the Ruiz Cemetery in San Francisquito Canyon [a month and a half before the St. Francis Dam
disaster]. Some say he was born in Spain or Italy and settled in the San Diego area and then
in Newhall, where he married Erolinda Rivera [Lorraine's grandmother]. Leonardo
worked for The Newhall Land and Farming Co., breaking their horses.
Leonardo and Erolinda had 12 children, plus some babies who died early.
The 12 who lived were: Vincent, Lonzie (died approx. age 12), Phillip (died in the St. Francis Dam flood),
Vincent, Leonard, Robert (Lorraine's father), George, Dan, Vidal, Oliver, Mary Clorinda Ramirez
Cesena, and Albertina Cesena Morales.
