Tranquilina (Nina) Pacheco

Tranquilina Pacheco and Eduardo Trujillo (son, musician)

Tranquilina (Nina) Pacheco shares her Manito Trail journey in “I Wasn’t Home,” a digital cuento by Amy Montoya and Michele Trujillo. Born in 1934 to José Luis Pacheco and Rosita Durán, Nina is the eldest sister of six brothers and sisters, mother of nine, grandmother of fourteen, and great-grandmother to nearly twenty-seven. She is affectionately called Grandma Nina by a great many more not only because of family ties but also because of her work taking care of both the elderly and the young. Nina moved to Hallville, Wyoming in 1953, following her husband Leopoldo to his job at Union Pacific Railroad. In 1957, she relocated back to Arroyo Seco to help take care of her father. Leopoldo eventually followed. She was regarded as a “Gramita” in the Taos Municipal Schools and proudly cared for her tía Casimira Madrid until Casimira passed away at the age of 105. She also worked as a cook’s assistant at Casa Córdova Restaurant for seventeen years. Nina was very involved in the Santísima Trinidad Church as a member of the choir from age fifteen and as a Guadalupana.