Death certificate for Margaret Sylvia Ward, b. 9-12-1899, d. 10-30-1975.

Margaret (generation 8 on the Cooke-Garcia-Ward chart) was born Margaret Sylvia Rivera. Her parents were Pedro "Pete" Rivera, a Tejon Indian (shown here as Riveria but usually as Rivera); and Petra Garcia (b. 1-31-1881), the daughter of Josephine Leyvas and Ysidoro Garcia.

Thus, despite being listed as "white" on her death certificate, Margaret descends from Native Americans who lived in the Tejon area (likely brought to the San Sebastian Indian Reservation in the 1850s) on her father's side; and from Native Americans who lived at Chaguayabit village (Castaic Junction) prior to European contact in 1769, on her mother's side.

The Riveras lived in Ventura County; Margaret was baptized as Silvana Margarita Rivera 1-30-1900 in Oxnard.

For reasons unknown to us, by age 10, Margaret was living in the Fred and Frances Cook(e) household in Castaic where she was raised by her grandfather Ysidoro Garcia (father to Petra and to Frances Garcia Cooke) and apparently her grandmother, Josephine/Josefina Leyvas (Leiva, Lavas) and by Francis Olme (Fred's mother).

In the 1910 U.S. Census for Castaic, and at age 14 when she married Eldridge Ward (7-13-1914), she was called Margaret Garcia. Her marriage certificate lists Ysidoro Garcia as her father and Francis (as Frances) Olme as her mother. As stated, Ysidoro and Francis were not her biological parents, and it is unknown to us whether Ysidoro and/or Francis initiated formal adoption proceedings.

Except for the earliest years of her life, Margaret lived her life in Los Angeles County. At the time of her death her home address was 27417 Walnut Springs Ave. in the Whites Canyon section of Canyon Country.

Margaret suffered a stroke ("cerebrovascular accident") some weeks before her death, which came Oct. 30, 1975, at Golden State Memorial Hospital, 24124 Lyons Ave., Newhall.

Margaret was predecesed by her husband Eldgridge, who was an apiarist (beekeeper) on the Ridge Route.

Margaret and Eldridge's children were Winnie, Delores, Eleanor, John Amos, Eldridge Anthony Jr., Kenneth, Alford, Lorraine and Clair Ward.