"HONEY" WROTE LETTERS KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH HER FIVE BROTHERS BEFORE AND DURING THE WAR. BEFORE THE END OF THE WAR SHE LOST TOUCH AND THOUGHT THEY HAD ALL DIED IN THE WAR. IT WAS IN THE 60'S THAT MY PARENTS LOCATED THEM IN SAN JOSE. MANUEL, DECI, RAMERO, VINCENT AND TITO WERE ALL ALIVE. IT WAS SAID THAT JOSEPH DIDNT MAKE IT EASY FOR HER TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH HER FAMILY AND SHE NEVER WENT AGAINST HIM. LILLIE VASQUES, NIECE OF FRANCES SAID SHE ASKED HER FATHER WHY SHE NEVER KNEW FRANCIS. HE REPLIED THAT THIER FATHER AND JOSEPH DIDNT GET ALONG AND THAT AT ONE TIME THEY HAD GONE TO VISIT FRANCES AND SHE CAME OUT THE DOOR ASKING THEM TO LEAVE BECAUSE JOSEPH DIDN'T WANT THEM THERE.

WHEN HER FIRST CHILD, JEAN WAS BORN IN 1932 AND BEGAN TALKING SHE PICKED UP ON JOSEPH CALLING FRANCES "HONEY". FROM THEN ON. SHE WAS CALLED "HONEY" BY ALL WHO KNEW HER.

"HONEY" AND JOSEPH EVENTUALLY WENT ON TO HAVE EIGHT KIDS. A FEW THE CARUSO BOYS FROM THE STORIES I HAVE HEARD, WERE SOMEWHAT TROUBLEMAKERS..FOR EXAMPLE; MY FATHER TALKED ABOUT STEALING FLOWERS OFF GRAVES AT CEMETERIES AND RESELLING THEM OR STEALING CLOTHES OFF THE NEIGHBORS CLOTHESLINE IF HE SAW SOMETHING HE LIKED. I REMEMBER ASKING MY GRANDMOTHER HOW SHE DELT WITH SO MANY TROUBLEMAKERS. SHE REPLIED, "MY BOY'S WEREN'T BAD. THEY RAN AROUND WITH BAD PEOPLE."

I REMEMBER MY GRANDMOTHER "HONEY'S" LAUGH, HER PEANUT BUTTER MILKSHAKES AND HOW CRAZY SHE WAS ABOUT HER DOGS. SHE DIDNT HAVE ALOT OF PATIENCE FOR CHILDREN WHEN THE GRANDCHILDREN CAME ALONG. IT WAS EASY FOR JOSEPH TO ENJOY THE FAMILY VISITS AND THE GRANDKIDS BUT SHE WAS THE ONE WHO DID ALL THE WORK DURING VISITS SHE DIDNT HAVE THE TIME OR PATIENCE TO ENJOY. SHE LOOKED FORWARD TO THE VISITS BUT WHEN IT WAS ALL SAID AND DONE IT WAS ALOT OF WORK TO HAVE EVERYONE THERE.

JANUARY 13, 1962, WHILE OUT SEARCHING FOR PROPERTY TO INVEST IN FOR HIS RETIREMENT, JOSEPH AND "HONEY" WERE IN A CAR ACCIDENT. HE WAS THROWN FROM THE CAR WHICH RESULTED IN MAJOR SPINAL TRAUMA. HE WAS PARALYZED FROM THE WAIST DOWN AND WOULD NEVER WALK AGAIN. "HONEY" CARED FOR HIM AT HOME UNTIL HIS DEATH 6/6/66.
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WHEN JOSEPH PASSED ON SHE GRASPED HER INDEPENDENCE. SHE LEARNED TO DRIVE. HER FIRST CAR WAS A MERCEDES. SHE WAS DETERMINED NOT TO BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF AND I REMEMBER SHE WOULD LET YOU KNOW WHAT SHE THOUGHT AND QUICKLY CORRECT YOU IF SHE DID NOT AGREE. ONE INCIDENT STANDS OUT. THE SUMMER AFTER GRANDPA PASSED AWAY, MY SISTER AND I SPENT THE ENTIRE SUMMER THERE AND WE TOOK SWIMMING LESSONS. THE LIFE GUARD WHO I HAD A CRUSH ON, ASKED IF WE WERE RELATED TO ENRICO CARUSO. I SAID NO, AS I HEARD MY PARENTS ANSWER EVERYTIME THEY WERE ASKED, WHICH WAS OFTEN. MY GRANDMOTHER HEARD THAT, AND WITH HER HANDS ON HER HIPS WALKED OVER TO WHERE I WAS TALKING TO THE LIFE GUARD AND SNAPPED,"YES YOU ARE. IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER DON'T ANSWER THE QUESTION." SHE PROCEEDED TO EXPLAIN HOW WE WERE IN FACT RELATED TO ENRICO. AT THE TIME I WAS 12 AND VERY EMBARRASSED HOWEVER, IT BECAME A SPECIAL MEMORY AND FOR MANY YEARS NOW WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT,I LAUGH.

8/9/1995 "HONEY" PASSED AWAY DUE TO CARDIOPULMONARY ARREST DUE TO AORTIC STENOSIS. SHE WAS CREMATED AND HER ASHES BURIED NEXT TO JOSEPHS GRAVE.