Alfredo Castillo Heredia


Circa 1950's Mowry, Arizona, with lion


Circa 1944 with bear

Circa 1953


b. October 27, 1909 Calabasas area, Arizona
d. February 20, 1984

 At an early age Alfredo learned to rope and ride. This skill would benefit him when his father, Juan Heredia, died in May 1928. Juan's widow, Guadalupe (Castillo), had been left with eight children to raise including an infant. So, at the age of eighteen, Alfredo and his younger brother, Manuel, supported the family working on the same ranch in the Calabasas area where his father had been working at the time of his death.

 During his lifetime Alfredo worked as a cowboy on ranches from Ruby and the Calabasas area to the Huachuca Mountains. He also did some mining but cow punching was his passion. He was a fine roper and cowboy and loved to participate in area rodeos. As he advanced in age younger ropers vied for the opportunity to rope with the "old man". He is an inductee to the Santa Cruz County Cowboy Hall of Fame.

 Alfredo was also a good lion hunter. He had excellent hunting hounds which he trained and sometimes sold. He was often called on by area ranchers whenever there was evidence of cattle having been killed by a lion and he was mostly successful in killing the responsible lion. He was also known to capture a lion live by roping it. His lion kill total was around 100.

 Alfredo married Angelina Castillo Martinez February 14, 1935. They had four daughters: Aida, Amelina, Arsenia and Anarinda.


Alfredo's grave on the left, his wife Angelina's grave on right.

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revised SCS 9/20/24