Napoleon Garcia, one of our family of authors, died over the weekend. He was 85 years old. He lived in Abiquiu and was the author of The Genizaro & the Artist. He wrote about life in Abiquiu and working for Georgia O’Keeffe. A Genizaro is a person of Spanish and Native American heritage.

He is referred to by many as the Abiquiu Elder. Napoleon’s house is on the Plaza in the Village of Abiquiu and he would tell visitors about the Village and sell them a book. His book was one of our best sellers because every summer he would sell a case or two a month. That book sold constantly since 2008.

Napoleon was filmed in Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me Ultima. Napoleon was the picture of a Northern New Mexican and had so many stories to tell. He carved crosses and kiva ladders. Analinda (Dunn), his wife, wrote about Napoleon in our Voices of New Mexico.

We are sorry to see him pass and our thoughts go out to Analinda and to the people of Abiquiu.

— Barbe Awalt