Maria Petronila Hernandez Valdivia
General Information
Current Name
Maria Petronila Hernandez Mills
Current Location
United States of America
Name on Arrival
Maria Petronila Hernandez Valdivia
Age on Arrival
10
Date of Arrival
Friday, January 5, 1962
Relocated To
St. Patrick's Home, 5961 Franklin Blvd., Sacramento, CA
Stayed With
Blanca & Ramon Gordon, Florida City
Maria Petronila's Story
I was delivered to Florida City on January 5 1962, by “George” a name, my father made sure I knew upside down and sideways. I remember the night he told me I was to leave Cuba and come to the United S...
Maria Petronila's News Feed
Leave a public message for Maria Petronila.
Mi hermana he creado un network para los Pedro Pan, pero en este uno puede hacer lo que quiera de su pagina y adornarla como quiera. dejaselo saber a todos que conoces y solo tienen que registrarse en http://pedropan.ning.com y ahi me encontraran. Es buenisima y bonita pueden poner videos de cada uno o del youtube todo es para mejorar las cosas. Te veo alla..love ileana/minico
Message by
Ileana Arriola (Minico)
| Jul 22nd 2009
Hola, Mary. Acabo de leer otra vez tu historia y de nuevo me conmueve. Tambien me han gustado mucho las fotos que añadiste. Me has inspirado a buscar mis fotos guardadas y ayer mismo encontré un montoncito de FL City y de Albuquerque. Ahora tengo que comprarme un nuevo scanner para poder compartirlas. Espero que hayas pasado un alegre fin de semana. Ya seguiremos chachareando. Yoli
Message by
Yolanda Cardenas Ganong
| Jul 21st 2009
Hi Mary, looking at your pictures gives me a lot of pleasure and bring memories of a childhood that was truly wonderful. The house, your parents your little sister(so cute).That was the last time my brother,sisters and I saw her. carinos, Esther
Message by
Esther M Gutierrez Martinez
| Jul 18th 2009
OK - se puede borrar el que se envio ahora mismo, pero no los que recibistes antes. Asi que borre el 'test'- los que estan viejos hay que dejarlos. Le voy a escribir al Administrator. Cariños, Betty
Message by
Beatriz Amézaga-Wolf
| Jul 16th 2009
Mary, lamento lo de tu tio..pero ya tu lo esperabas.. No te escribi antes para darte el pesame pues estaba en el hospital y despues en el rehab hospital pues me operaron de total right knee replacement manana hace una semana que estoy en casa y mi hermana me estou poniendo al dia con los email after all I had only vaya ONLY 1968 emails de pipi !! ;-) y aun tengo muchisimos mas que leer. Asi que mi hermanita lo lamento pero duro decirtelo el ya esta en un mundo mejor que esto.. chaito y se te quiere...
Message by
Ileana Arriola (Minico)
| Jul 16th 2009
Mary, cuanto me alegro de haberte conocido;eres una gran persona. Cariños, Betty Amezaga
Message by Betty Amézaga | Jul 15th 2009
Mary, cuanto me alegro de haberte conocido;eres una bella persona.Disfruté tu historia y las fotos. Cariños.
Message by Anonymous | Jul 15th 2009
Hola Maria Petronila, I have been meaning to write to you since the first day that I saw your posting, after all I am a great admirer of your mother's last name. My father's family was from Sancti Spiritus so who knows, we might be related. I was reading your story today, and the part where you mention your father been taken prisoner by the Castro government hit home. My father was also taken the morning of the invasion, for eleven long days we searched for him. We later found that he was being held at the University of Santa Clara where so many men were being held that for a while it was standing room only. Many people don't know this part of our history and blame the Cubans inside the island for not fighting during the invasion. Most people are ignorant to the fact that the people that could have fought were rounded up in advance, because Fidel was obiously advised of the invasion ahead of time. With respect to what was said to you in Florida City about your home town, I have always felt that Sancti Spiritus was one of the most beautifull charming places that I have seen on this earth. Your Pedro Pan Sister.
Message by
Carmen Valdivia
| Jul 14th 2009
Hola Maria Petronila No me conoces soy otra Pedro Pan, Maria Elena Pazos, estaba escribiendo mi historia, y me parecia muy larga, y me puse a ver lo que otros estaban haciendo, y di con la tuya... se parece en algo a la mia, mi padre también le dijo a mi madre en ese primer discurso de Fidel, que había que marcharse de Cuba, y que empezará a guardar cosas, pues pronto no tendríamos que comer en Cuba. me ha parecido una historia muy bonita, yo acabo de empezar la mía, pero no he publicado nada, quiero que la lean mi hermana y mis primos, que también son Pedro Pans, antes de publicarla. Sigue así, hay que contar todo, incluyedno los miedos, y sustos! Me pareció muy simpático lo que te paso en Florida City, eso le pasa a cualquiera, si algún día nos conocemos te conaré lo que le paso a mi hermana.....!!!! Un abrazo y sigue contando es muy bonito
Message by
Maria E Pazos Alvarez
| Jul 14th 2009
But, Petronila, what were you feeling while in Sacramento? Dig deeper yet. Get beyond the facts. Better yet inject more feeling into the facts of the narrative. Surely, you must have felt very lonely and frightened every once in a while; confused and in dispair as well at other times. "No echabas de menos?" No doubt "sollozabas" at night in bed. Didn't you have a broken heart? Did you and the other Pedro Pan kids in Sacramento lean on each other for mutual support? Did you share "la angustia" of being separated from your parents. Petronila, dig even deeper yet into your heart and let it all pour out. I want to hear it all! Make me cry!
Message by Anonymous | Jul 13th 2009
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