Grenfell, Celia, 1926-

Celia Rivero was born on October 31st 1926 in Las Vegas, Nevada to her parents, Margarita R. and Francisco G. Rivero. Her father moved from Tepic, Mexico to Las Vegas in 1917 and met her mother who came from Guadalupe de Los Reyes, Mexico. Celia lived in Downtown Las Vegas with her family for about sixteen years, before they moved to Vegas Heights which was a developing community in Las Vegas.

Celia Rivero did not attend high school but completed schooling up to eighth grade. She helped out in her father’s restaurant, Frank’s Cafe. In 1950, she found employment with Las Vegas Laundry, where she worked for about five years. She also worked as a maid at Sal Sagev, Monarch Laundry and Cleaners, and Nevada Laundry.

Eventually, she moved out of her family’s home into a house her father had built her in the same area. Her children were also brought up there and they attended and graduated from Western High School.

Source:

Grenfell, Celia. Interview, 1977 March 31. OH-00739. Transcript. Oral History Research Center, Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.