Courtney Ford Instagram – Frances Aragon June 4, 1929 – February 10, 2021 My grandmother was a force of nature, and a woman ahead of her time. Born near Albuquerque, NM, she survived the chaotic turbulence of an alcoholic parent, and the terrors of a Catholic-run Native American boarding school, to eventually move to Los Angeles, where she kicked down every obstacle to make a beautiful life for herself and her family in El Sereno. She had a huge personality; outgoing, yet intensely private, though I don’t think she’d object to me letting you know a few things: Fran Aragon rose through the ranks of Avon to become a district manager, covering Silver Lake, Highland Park, Echo Park, and Downtown LA. She consistently defied expectations by posting in the top 1% of sales, earning trips to London and Paris with her girls. Later, when a newly appointed superior tried to end her winning streak by cutting her district in half, she redoubled her efforts and STILL hit that top 1% sales mark. She was always impeccably dressed in brightly colored and tailored skirt or pantsuits, with hair and nails looking “sharp”. Her skin care regimen was strict, and I still follow her instructions: don’t smoke, drink water, gentle cleanser to wipe off the day, but don’t rub, apply moisturizer or oils in an upward motion, don’t forget the neck, and NEVER. EVER. GO TO BED WITH YOUR MAKEUP ON. My grandma was an absolute spitfire. She had high expectations of herself, her children and grandchildren, and took exactly zero shit from anyone. Fran Aragon could curse a fool out so thoroughly in both english and spanish that a grown man would end up crying for his mama. You did not mess with her. You did not even think about messing with her, because she could hear your thoughts. She was small, but to me, she always seemed 6 feet tall. Fiercely protective of her family, she would always pray and light a candle for us when we needed it, but if someone really did us dirty, she’d just wink and say, “don’t worry mijita, I cursed them”, and make the smack smack dusting-off gesture with both her hands. I don’t really believe in curses, but after observing her for a lifetime, I don’t *not* believe. 1/2