Museum docent celebrates historic birthday
One could argue that Mary Hidalgo is celebrating her 25th birthday, as she was born on Leap Day Feb. 29, 1920. If you’re counting each year, Hidalgo has lived 95 of her 100 in Sunnyvale.
Hidalgo moved to Sunnyvale from Antioch at age 5. Growing up, she and her four siblings lived in homes on Pastoria Avenue and Charles Street. During the Great Depression, the teenage Hidalgo supplemented her family’s income by working at Libby’s Cannery.
Hidalgo has actually lived some of Sunnyvale’s history. One night in 1961, when Hidalgo, her husband Gregory, and their five children were living in a home just two blocks from the old Murphy house, the couple was awakened by searchlights lighting up their bedroom and very loud noises coming from down the street. Gregory jumped out of bed and headed toward the commotion, arriving just in time to see the bulldozing of Sunnyvale’s historic Murphy house.
Years later, after her husband had passed away, Hidalgo began her 38 years of volunteering as a docent for the Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum— first at the old museum in
Murphy Park, then at its current location near the
Sunnyvale Community Center. She continues to volunteer on the first Tuesday of every month, guiding visitors and answering questions as only one who has lived in Sunnyvale for 95 years can.
Hidalgo also donates time to veterans, logging 20,000 volunteer hours during 16 years of service at the VA hospital. She continues to aid veterans through her service to the American Legion Auxiliary.
Gardening and crocheting are two of Hidalgo’s favorite pastimes. She enjoys planting flowers as the seasons change and has crocheted numerous scarves, blankets and baby blankets over the years.
Hidalgo could fill a book with the changes she has witnessed in Sunnyvale. In addition to her dislike of today’s traffic and congestion, she misses the convenient local shopping of years gone by, when shoppers could park on the street in front of well-stocked neighborhood stores.
Hidalgo has some words of wisdom for living a long and happy life: Keep busy, keep out of trouble, keep a sense of humor and enjoy life.
Hidalgo’s colleagues at the Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum are going to celebrate her with a party at the museum on Feb. 22.