Notes: From the Tucson Citizen, January 22, 1914
Sabino Otero, a native son is dead.
Sabino Otero, one of the oldest native sons of southern Arizona passed away at six o’clock this morning at his home on South Main street in Tucson, where he lived for nearly fifty years. mr. Otero was surrounded by members of his family, brother, nephews and nieces at the time of his death. He never married. Sabino Otero was born in Tubac in 1842. The Spanish government in 1834 seated the Otero Land Grant at Tubac on his grandfather Toribio Otero, who passed it to Manuel Otero, his father. The latter died when Sabino Otero was 19, leaving him at the head of a family of twleve children, who Sabino raised. He outlived all of these save his brother Teofilo Otero.
Sabino Otero was the father of his whole flock. He said that he never married because he had too many responsibilities. After raising the large family which his father left him, he raised the nephews and nieces and when they had grown up he raised grand-nephews and grand-nieces. and at the time of his death their children comprised the fourth generation, who were living in his home. From the time he was nineteen until the year 1881, Sabino Otero devoted his attention to farming the grant which he inherited and lands to the south below the Tumacácori Mission. He farmed lands at Buzani across the line. In those de American troops were situated at Tubac. He supplied the garrison. He used to travel at night to escape the renegade Apaches. They made serious inroads in his stock at times.
In 1881 he began to give his entire attention to the cattle business and at the time of his death had large herds grazing near Tubac on the east and west sides of the Baboquivari Mountains and in the Santa Rosa Valley.
Mr. Otero was taken sick last September but attended to business until a week ago when he took to his bed. He was entirely conscious until the end. Mr. Otero is survived by a brother, Teofilo Otero, two nieces, Ana María Coenen and Mrs. Anthony Coenen, and a number of grand-nephews and nieces and great grand-nephews and nieces.
Mr. Otero was always a very charitable man. He was a patron of the Sisters of St. Joseph, no only here in Tucson, but in Phoenix, Prescott, and Los Angeles. He practically built the church at Tubac and was a heavy contributor to church buildings in this diocese.
Funeral to be Saturday at ten in the Cathedral. |
