OUR FOREFATHERS FIRST GENERATION SECOND GENERATION THIRD GENERATION FOURTH GENERATION FIFTH GENERATION SIXTH GENERATION SEVENTH GENERATION EIGHTH GENERATION NINTH GENERATION TENTH GENERATION Family of José Onofre Ribeiro (1846-1907) Family Line of Atanasio Francisco Ribeiro Jr (1865) Family Line of Frederico Francisco Ribeiro (1866) |
|
|||||||||||
Dorothy Agnes Ribeiro(b. 7 May 1933 Hong Kong)Dorothy is the third child of Daniel Ribeiro and Ignez Fernandes  Dorothy was educated at Maryknoll Convent School in Hong Kong and Idalia da Luz School and Santa Rosa da Lima Convent School in Macau; then St. Mary’s College and Maryknoll Commercial School in Hong Kong. She married Donavon Dick Stewart of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Los Angeles, California in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Their divorce was finalized in September 1974 Los Angeles, California. The first member of the family to immigrate, Dorothy immigrated to the USA on 29th January 1959, with one trunk and two suitcases, a one-way ticket, six years of working experience as a secretary under her belt, and US$250 in her pocket. She sailed out of Hong Kong harbour at sunset, filled with nostalgia on leaving the family behind, looking at the Hong Kong skyline in all its beauty at that hour. She sailed on the “Ivaran”, a Norwegian freighter with only seven passengers. She was the youngest person on board. It took three weeks to sail from Hong Kong via ports in Formosa (Taiwan) and Japan, across the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco. It was an interesting experience watching tuna being loaded into the hold of the ship and being taken to the USA for canning. While on board, the senior American passengers took her under their wing, and she went sightseeing at the different ports of call. Sailing into San Francisco Bay on 22 February 1959 (Washington’s birthday and a public holiday, perched on the bridge of the Ivaran, under the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge, she was filled with hope, pride and joy for the chance of a lifetime of a brand new life in the USA. On arrival at Pier 9 Uncle Tony, Aunty Bea and a young David , were at the pier to welcome her, and that was the first time Uncle Tony saw a member of his immediate family since he left Macau around 1918. Dorothy resided at first with friends in the Richmond District, San Francisco. After ten days she went job-hunting and found a job as a Girl Friday in a privately-owned Import-Export firm, then moved to an apartment of her own to await her sister Mildred’s arrival, at the end of October 1959.  In 1963 she got engaged to Donavon Stewart, who preferred to live in Los Angeles, so she moved there to be with him. In 1964, Dorothy became a US Citizen and sent for her parents who were waiting for her to sponsor them as they were born in Macau and would have to wait twenty years for their visas. At the time, it was easier to get a visa if you were a Hong Kong-born (British subject) and of 50% European descent. Dorothy’s working experience included four years as a Stenographer in a Public Utility company in Hong Kong, two years as a Private Secretary with Coca Cola, Hong Kong, as well as the five years as a Girl Friday at the Import-Export firm in San Francisco. While living in Los Angeles she worked as an Executive Secretary in the legal department of a chemical firm, as an Administrative Secretary for an aerospace firm, and as an Executive Secretary for a medical corporation. She then returned to San Francisco in February 1974 and worked as a Patent Secretary and also as a Litigation Secretary in two law firms.  Dorothy retired from the workforce in 1995 and bought a unit in the senior community of “Rossmoor” in Walnut Creek, to live “happily ever after”. Her interests include travelling, reading, gardening, lawn-bowling, keeping in touch with friends and relatives all over the world via the internet, and going on little adventures. At present she belongs to two clubs in Rossmoor, the Lawnbowling Club and the Computer Club. Dorothy Stewart, “Rossmoor” 1101 Leisure Lane, #1, Walnut Creek, CA 94595, USA Tel: (925) 932-4728 Email Dorothy THEN AND NOW |
||||||||||||