Point Reyes Light - October 25, 2002

Azorean immigrant Hermina Couto, 81, dies

By Larken Bradley

Former Point Reyes resident, Herminia S. Couto, an Azorean immigrant who with her family lived on the Mendoza ranch on Point Reyes for nearly 30 years, died Tuesday, Oct. 15 of complications from a massive stroke. She was 81. In recent years she resided in Petaluma.

Moved to US

In 1967 Mrs. Couto, her husband Joseph, and six of their eight children immigrated to California in pursuit of the American dream. They stayed briefly with a relative in San Jose, where a Portuguese-language radio station announced work opportunities on the Mendoza ranch.

The couple seized the chance and settled on Point Reyes where Mr. Couto worked, and the children attended English classes in the one-room school on the property. Mrs. Couto later worked as a housekeeper at the Golden Hinde, Manka’s Inverness Lodge, and the Inverness Valley Inn.

One of 11 children, Herminia Souza was born on Aug. 19, 1921, in Ribeira Grande, on the island of San Miguel in the Azores. Because she was needed at home to work the land and help her family make ends meet, she received, "no schooling at all," her daughter Bernadette Medeiros told The Light on Tuesday.

After her marriage to Joseph Couto, a resident of the same village, she continued working hard, cooking for other families and doing their laundry in the river, sometimes at midnight, the only time left in the day.

Children by her side

While Portuguese remained her sole language throughout her life, Mrs. Couto's children taught her to sign her name. At her housekeeping jobs, one or two daughters routinely worked by her side, helping her navigate in the English-speaking world.

Her daughter recalled fun times on the ranch riding around with Joey and Jimmy Mendoza, teaching them Portuguese songs in exchange for English lessons.

To honor their lineage, four of the couple’s children later returned to the Azores to find nice, Portuguese spouses.

A fun-loving woman who liked to joke and tease, Mrs. Couto was a fine cook whose specialties included breads and melisadas, a kind of sugarcoated donut --but without the hole-- her daughter explained.

In the family, "Mama ruled the roost," observed Scotty Mendoza of her former employee, but "Joe was a pretty determined little guy too," she conceded.

"More like family," than employees, Mrs. Mendoza once flew all the daughters to Anaheim for an excursion to Disneyland, she recalled this week.

Visited bomeland

Mrs. Couto returned to visit her homeland several times, once carrying in her lap on the long flight back to California, a gift of a soup tureen for Mrs. Mendoza.

Mrs. Couto’s final journey to her native island was just last month.

She is survived by her sons, Mario Couto of San Jose; Michael Couto of Stevinson, Merced County; daughters, Fatima Lima of Madera; Olinda Prokupek of Crescent City; Mary Medeiros of Rohnert Park; Helena Medeiros; and Bernadette Medeiros, both of Petaluma; and Irene Carli of Denair, Stanislaus County; brother, Joao Costa of San Jose; sisters, Maria Jose Mello of Toronto; Belmeira Botelho of Boston; Aninas Teadoro of San Miguel, Azores; 18 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her husband of 55 years, Joseph Couto; daughter, Constance Couto; brothers, Joao Costa; Jose Costa; and Henrique Costa; and her sister, Irene Costa.

Entombment was at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Petaluma.

Point Reyes Light Cover | News | Coastal Traveler