By Tremene Triplett
For the News-Gazette

At first glance, Lydia Martinez 73, of Kissimmee, may resemble any other mother who left her native Salinas, Puerto Rico in search of a brand new start in the United States.  

Like many before and after her, Martinez hails from a small town, and had heard of the big city of New York and all that it had to offer. It wasn’t long before Martinez made her move to the United States in 1961, with one son in tow, but leaving behind three daughters until she could send for them.

Martinez – the eldest of nine children – moved to Rochester, New York, where her brother, Luis Antonetti, established the family’s roots and built the family’s reputation as outstanding musicians. While Martinez’s English was bleak, she picked cherries and worked in clothing factories to support her family before ultimately gaining employment in 1969 at General Motors.

While Martinez’s story sounds ordinary to this point – what separates her from most is the strong, multi-generational family tree that has grown since her humble beginnings in the United States. Some 51 years later, the Martinez family is six generations strong.

“Mommy Lydia” as her grandchildren refer to her, is a proud daughter, mother, grandmother, great and great-great grandmother.

In this day and time of reality TV shows that exploit the frailties and dysfunction of families, the Martinez family can share a thing or two about family togetherness, love and overcoming.

“Unity, love, that’s what keeps our family strong,” said Mirta Castro, who is Martinez’s eldest child. “When we stick together, we motivate each other.  That’s our success. Music keeps us strong. Spirituality keeps us strong.”

Castro, 57, and also a Kissimmee resident, was left behind in Puerto Rico under the caring watchful eye of her maternal grandmother, Eufemia Barbosa, who is 93 years old and also a resident of Osceola County.

Barbosa was born in Salinas, Puerto Rico in the 1920s. She was an avid fisherwoman and worked in a sewing factory. In addition to strong work ethic, she also exemplified the keys to a long and healthy life.

“Grandma always told me that they would go and get lobsters and three rocks on the beach,” said Castro. “They would take lobsters and crabs and put them in the fire with three rocks and wood, and have a healthy good meal. My grandfather died at 116 years old.

“‘Mamisina’ told me one time about the aloe plant,” said Castro. “‘Squeeze it and put it on your face. She doesn’t have a wrinkle on her face (today).”

The combination of hard work and healthy lifestyle endears the matriarch of the family to Martinez, her eldest grandchild.

“I want to be just like her,” Castro said of her grandmother.

Barbosa has lived in the United States for 50 years, landing first in Rochester, N.Y., with her other relatives.

Martinez relocated to Rochester in the 1960s during the contentious struggle for civil rights.

“My mother did not know anything about Martin Luther King,” said Castro. “She saw people protesting and rioting. She had to learn real fast. She had to learn about race problems between blacks and whites.”   

Martinez worked on the assembly line at General Motors for 18 years building carburetors. Good weather and arguably the most famous resident of Central Florida brought her to these parts in 1981.

“I love the sunshine,” said Martinez. “I stayed in the Holiday Inn to visit Mickey Mouse.”

In 1986, Martinez moved to Kissimmee for good followed by her mother, daughter and other relatives. In the 26-year history of living in the area, the family has held firmly to their family values and defended against outside threats.

“So many families are broken because of the economy,” said Castro. “We want them to know that life gets better. Just pray to the Lord.  Prayer does work.  Just stick together. There is always a light in the dark tunnel.”

Mirta Castro’s son, Anibal Vazquez, 39, represents the fourth generation of the Martinez family. He offers another component to the family’s creed.

“Forgiveness,” is key said Vazquez. “We’ll brush it under the rug eventually. After a day or two we just forget it ever happened.  Some families don’t speak to each other, and keep on moving.”

Vazquez’s daughter, Melayka Vazquez, 19, represents the fifth generation of the Martinez family, and is proud of her family’s cohesiveness.

“We all live in Central Florida,” said Vazquez, who lives in Orlando. “We always get to see each other a lot. We all really care about each other. We have a lot of family party and events.”

Melayka married in September and gave birth to the newest edition of the Martinez family – sixth generation – baby Chloe Vazquez-Costa, who is a little more than 2-months-old.

“My baby shower had 42 people there,” said Melayka. “It was only family members there. We had to take two cars of gifts home. We get together a lot.  It helps with family unity.”

The fourth, fifth and sixth generations of the Martinez family got to Central Florida when mother, Mirta Castro, relocated to Kissimmee after following her mother’s footsteps of working at General Motors in Rochester for 17.5 years.

“I like to explore things,” said Castro. A co-worker at GM, “told me to follow my dreams. You only live once.”

Once in Kissimmee, Castro continued the family tradition of music, and played the congas as a Christian musician at the family’s local church.

Anibal Vazquez is Castro’s eldest child and attributes the family’s musical roots as one of its binding traditions.

“Around the holidays, my grandfather used to do ‘paranda’ – holiday singers,” said Vazquez, which is “Puerto Rican caroling. For many years, they used to do that at neighbor’s houses and family houses.”

As is the case with many families, the Martinezes do not allow technological gaps or geographic distance to separate them.

“A lot of younger people use their cell phones at gatherings,” said Vazquez. “Most older people see technology as a necessity now.  My grandmother uses a cell phone now, an old model. It’s still kind of hard for her to use it.”  

“Since we see each other so much, the younger generation finds a happy medium,” said Melayka. “Our family is pretty computer literate. My grandmother, Mirta, has an android cell phone.”

The Florida extension of the family also manages to stay in contact with the New York foundation.

“Last time we had a family reunion; it was in Rochester, N.Y., about five years ago,” said Vazquez. “All of the relatives from Florida get together and go.  When people come down from Rochester, we have mini family reunions.  We get together at Jetty Park – near Cape Canaveral.  Last month, we had 25-30 people when my Uncle Louie came to town.”

This family has bound together and overcome nearly every obstacle that has come its way. The younger generations only express one issue that separates them.

“Language is a barrier,” said Vazquez. “My great grandmother only speaks a couple of words of English. My grandmother’s English is broken. My mother is perfectly bilingual. My Spanish is OK. Melayka knows a few words of Spanish. Chloe will have to learn Spanish and probably a few other languages at school.”

“I’m trying to learn Spanish,” said Melayka who is studying nursing. “It helps you out in the medical field.

Lydia Martinez and her granddaughter, Melayka, summed up what works best for their family.

“Love is very important to the family,” said Mother Lydia. “Love can cure everything. Love heals everything. Look for the Lord. That’s the only healing there is in this world.”

“We’re all together,” said Melayka. “My great-great grandmother is still alive with me.  Even if your family does not live as long as ours, you still have to love them. With your family, every day is like your last.”