Normally,
our posts are short on commentary and heavy on photographs. This post will be
different.
We meet a
lot of incredible people across this state.
Every once in a while we meet someone who is absolutely profound: someone who piques our interest and fills our
brains with questions. Stella Naranjo is
one of those people – a native daughter, Mom, entrepreneur and fighter.
Meet Stella.
We met
Stella Naranjo several years ago. We
chatted with her on a drive from Albuquerque to Santa Fe. She told us some colorful stories about
herself. She told us stories of
adventures she had, personal defiance, and, changing some status quo attitudes in
Albuquerque. Stella Naranjo blazed the
trail for many women in Albuquerque and we want to give her written kudos for
being remarkable.
Since 1965
Stella has owned, and operated, Adobe Silver in Old Town.
Aside from running the front of the store,
Stella designs and crafts beautiful jewelry in the back room.
I recently met up with her, in her store, to
talk further about some of the stories she had shared earlier; stories that are
unique to her, a 75 year old woman who can run circles around most 40 year
olds.
Born and
raised in New Mexico, Stella grew up in both Albuquerque and Santa Fe. She moved between Loretto, Santa Fe and
Albuquerque High Schools. As an teenager, she tried to run away from home several times. At 15 years old, she finally succeeded. Stella left home and began her hitchhike journey
to Los Angeles. Stella began this right
of passage with a friend but soon found herself alone, on the highway, waiting
for a ride. She was picked up by an
older gentleman, and his driver, and taken to Los Angeles. Fortunately Stella had an Aunt in Los Angeles
who took her in temporarily.
The 1950’s
was a tough decade for any woman to be alone in a large city - especially a
fifteen year old girl with big dreams. When
Stella arrived in Los Angeles, she didn’t have a car and she was scared. Fortunately for us, wild spirits, and hearts,
can’t be broken. Stella found a job near Angel’s Flight and was soon able to
rent an apartment in the same building as her Aunt. I asked her how a 15 year old girl could get
a job in Los Angeles at that time. With a
hint of sly in her voice, she told me that her employers never knew how old she
really was.
Stella held
several jobs while in Los Angeles. She
worked in a factory, as office help and as a receptionist. She babysat for an Italian family for a
period of time.
She got
pregnant and her life changed drastically.
She would be encountering more challenges; marriage, starting a family,
and, a fast track to adulthood.
Six years
later Stella came back home, to New Mexico, her family in tow.
Stella’s
trailblazing really started to heat up in the early 1950’s. Needing a car, she took out a small loan for a
Fiat 500 that she purchased from Al Unser. Stella made small payments and
eventually paid off the loan. Little did she know that this car purchase would
later enable her to be the first, single, woman in Albuquerque to purchase her
very own house. In 1958 she approached
her banker and told him she wanted to buy a house. He was not optimistic about her chances of
securing a loan. The banker advised her
he would need to take her loan request to the board and they would vote on
whether to loan her the money. The
banker had her back; he was able to convince the mortgage board to loan her the
money because she has successfully paid off a car loan. During the 1950’s, some married
women in Albuquerque were able to secure mortgage loans. Single women, especially those with children,
were not.
The decades
sped by, her business flourished. She
became a staple in Albuquerque’s Old Town Plaza. She also became an influential mover and
shaker within the Old Town Merchant’s Association.
The roller
coaster of life moved up, down, and, fast for Stella until she was diagnosed
with Stage IV Renal failure. Her life
became complicated, again.
A severe and
debilitating medical condition is hard to deal with on any personal level. Stella has dealt with hers in style. We talked about her very strict diet and her
passion for food. She misses eating
whatever she wants. Our discussion about
food transcended to heaven (because, for some, food is heaven right here on
Earth) and what her personal definition of heaven was. She told me that her heaven would be that God
would allow her to travel the world and eat whatever she wants. According to Stella, good food is “better
than sex” – and I quote – “I can do without the husbands, but not the
food!”
Despite
energy issues, harsh medical treatment and the symptoms that come with renal
failure, she has managed to keep her doors open at Adobe Silver. She did have to make some management changes
when she found out her health had taken a negative turn. Her sister came into the business and they
changed the shop’s name to Casa Romero.
What
impresses me most about Stella is that she hits the ground running despite
where the road may take her. Stella has
her priorities in order. She is brave
and an Albuquerque treasure.
If you get a
chance, stop by Adobe Silver/Casa Romero and say hello to Stella. In this place you will find authentic jewelry
and an authentic woman.
