Mary “Dorothy” Avilla of San Juan Bautista, a descendant of members of the ill-fated Donner Party, died on Friday, July 30, 2004. She was 78 years old.
The daughter of Arthur S. and Ruby Nyland, Mrs. Avilla was born in Hollister on March 2, 1926 and moved to San Juan Bautista in 1940. Following the death of her father, she and her brother, Harvey S. Nyland, took over the Nyland Hereford Ranch in San Juan. Mrs. Avilla handled the management of the ranch and continued a tradition of producing top-quality range bulls. Mrs. Avilla was widely acknowledged for her eye for finding good cattle. Prior to her marriage in 1952 to Frank Avilla, Mrs. Avilla raised harness horses and was known as an accomplished horsewoman.
Mrs. Avilla was a graduate of San Benito High School and San Jose State University. Prior to her marriage, she taught high school girls’ physical education in Oroville and Pittsburg.
Mrs. Avilla was a lifelong champion of children, and most loved watching young people acquire new skills. She was a longtime Cub Scout den mother, Girl Scout leader and Community Club Leader for the San Juan Four-H. For many years she arranged with the San Juan Service Club to bus local children from San Juan to Bolado Park in Tres Pinos for Red Cross swimming lessons. She also taught swimming and served as a lifeguard.
In addition, Mrs. Avilla served as treasurer of the San Juan Fiesta Rodeo Committee and volunteered on every Fiesta Rodeo — a fund-raiser for Mission San Juan Bautista — from its inception. She was a lifetime member of the Mission San Juan Bautista Catholic Parish. She was a 50-year member of the San Juan Parlor of the Native Daughters of the Golden West, and held every office in the organization. She was a longtime member of the 33rd Agricultural District Fair Board of Directors, and served as president. She also was a longtime member of the San Benito County Cattlewomen, serving as president and director. She was named CowBelle of the Year by the organization. She was a member of the San Juan Historical Society, the Kinship Center, the American Hereford Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxillary, the San Benito County Cattlemen’s Association, the Williamson Act Committee and the San Benito County Farm Bureau. At the time of her death, she was president of the Bertha Briggs Charitable Foundation.
Mrs. Avilla is survived by her son, Robert Avilla and friend Courtney Blackburn of San Juan; daughter and son-in-law Kathleen and Tom Manning of San Juan; grandson Matthew Manning of San Juan; brother and sister-in-law Harvey and Gladys Nyland of San Juan; nieces Sandra Escalante of Salinas, Susan McCullough of San Jose, and Barbara Nyland of San Diego; nephew John Nyland of Japan; five grandnieces and two grandnephews. Also surviving is Anna Bourke, her loving caregiver and friend.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank; parents Arthur and Ruby and a brother, Robert T. Nyland.
Friends may call from noon until 5 p.m. Tuesday at Grunnagle Ament Nelson Funeral Home, 870 San Benito St., Hollister. A Rosary, followed by a Native Daughters memorial service, will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Mission San Juan. Family and friends will leave the funeral home at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday for a Mass of the Resurrection at 10 a.m. at Mission San Juan. Entombment will follow at San Juan District Cemetery.
Contributions are preferred to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International or San Juan Mission Restoration Fund, care of Grunnagle Ament Nelson Funeral Home.
