Rosa Garza Negri was the  twin of Rosario. In photos of the girls and later as grown women, they always appeared together as they were inseparable.  They can also be seen in the photo above standing just behind their mother and father and in front of their older brothers.  Rosario is the taller of the two.  To the lower left is Rosa in her much later years.  According to Dorace Goodman, she and her twin sister were born on August 14, 1913 and she passed away recently on October 30, 2007.  She was the last of her generation to pass at age 95!   Dorace Goodman wrote the following account of her Rosa's life. 
Rosa was born at La Violeta Ranch on August 14,1913 ,15 minutes earlier than her twin, Rosario and was baptized at the church at Randado.  Because of all her duties at the ranch, Mama Paulita , handed the care of Rosa to the oldest sister Hortencia.

In 1919 the house on 1013 Convent in Laredo was bought and the family moved to town, One reason was so that the children could go to school.  Before this there were so many children, there had been an ”escuelita” at the ranch.  When school was not in session they would spend their time at the ranch where they helped out in making cheese, butter, dried meat and sewing.  It was also at this time that their older brothers that taught “Las Cuatas” how to dance .

Papa Martiniano was very proud of his “broche de Oro” and as photographers would pass the house he would have their picture taken because they had a new doll or because they had a new outfit.  After Papa Martiniano’s stroke he found it difficult to walk on his own.  Rosa and Rosario would help him walk from the house to Bruni Plaza in downtown Laredo, so he could spend time with his friends.  He would place his arm around the shoulders of each of them and lean on them as he walked.  Rosa and Rosario were 13 when he died.

As they grew some people couldn’t tell them apart, but their personalities were totally different.  They told stories of exchanging places in school and fooling the teachers.  Rosa would go with her mother and her sisters, Laura and Rosario, to Guerrero to see “las Tias.”  It was here, away from the brothers, that they were able to enjoy “las flores“ offered to them by the boys of the town.  Rosa took over the everyday running of the house on Convent street along with Rosario and Laura and the care of Mama Paulita until she died in 1946. 

In 1954, on a trip to New York, that Rosa met, fell in love, and married Hilario Negri from Sondrio, Italy.  She had a chance to go to Italy with him but choose to live in Laredo and be with the family.  They had one daughter, Rosa Victoria Negri, who later married Freddy Longoria and had three wonderful boys. 

Tia Rosa or “Nina,” so called because she was everyone’s “madrina,” was known for two things: keeping a very clean house and for her temper.  It was common for her to yell to anyone coming into the house “limpiensen los .pies!”  Her temper was punctuated with rough language and she used all sorts of names, but she was also well known to sentimentally remember your birthday and Christmas with an envelope with money. 

With the passing of time, candy and a bad heart caught up with her.  After several small strokes, at the age of 95, she passed away and joined the rest of the family on November 30.2007.  She was the last of her family to pass away. 

Rosa Victoria Negri Longoria
Los Garza del Rancho La Violeta
The history of the ranch and its founders:
Don Martiniano Garza Flores and
La Doña Paula Villareal Benavides de Garza