Katrina's Lives Lost:	Margarita Romero, 1917-2005; 
			Manuel Romero, 1920-2005
Submitted By: 		N.O.V.A November 2005
Source:			Times Picayune 11-16-2005

**********************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
**********************************************

Brother and sister Manuel and Margarita Romero had what their friends agree
was "an incredible sense of family."

"Their parents, Manuel and Dolores, came from Mexico and established a
family grocery on North Claiborne, where all the family worked," said Sara
Rooney, Margarita's godchild. "During World War II, they went to work for
the Higgins project. Their father was a fine cabinetmaker and was assigned
to building the landing craft. Margarita was a secretary and Manuel was a
translator for the censorship office. They were very proud of their
contribution to the war effort."

Rooney's father, Joseph Guerra, went to Loyola University with Manuel. "We
were both taught violin by the same professor," he said. "And later, when
Manuel formed his orchestra, which played for all sorts of parties and
events, I was part of it. We'd always rehearse at the family home and his
mother would put out a big spread."

Margarita worked for a medical clinic as a secretary and translator for
Spanish-speaking patients. After it closed, she worked for the Orleans
Parish school system.

"She was my secretary for more than 20 years," said Julianna Boudreaux, a
retired assistant superintendent, "and became a dear friend. No matter how
many hours I worked, she stayed with me. She was so interested in
everything and everyone. But family came first. When her sister Guadalupe
died, it almost killed her. After we both retired, we would go out for
lunch with our former colleagues every six weeks or so."

Manuel taught music in Orleans Parish schools for many years. He married,
but when his wife died in 1996, he moved in with Margarita to the second
Romero family home on Vicksburg Street in Lakeview, which their father had
helped build and which contained furniture he had crafted and antiques he
had restored. "It was their sanctuary," Rooney said.

"Manuel was a very private, proud man," said Patricia Peyton, who met the
Romeros as a Realtor and became a close friend. "Margarita was very
delicate and dignified; both beautiful people. Margarita was lucid right up
to the end. Manuel had his moments and then he'd fade away into his
thoughts. Sometimes you'd call Margarita for lunch and she'd say, 'No, I
have to take care of Manuel.' "

Their friends tried to persuade them to leave as Katrina approached. Peyton
got them a hotel room downtown, "but Margarita told me, 'Manuel will not
leave and I have to stay with him.' "

"I don't think they believed anything bad could happen to them in their
house," Rooney said. "And they wouldn't be separated, they loved each other
so."

They died together in the flooded home, "which was good, in a way, horrible
as that sounds," Rooney said, "because what would they have done without
each other?"