Josephine GARCIA

by Karen Yvonne Hamilton, 2025

Josephine GARCIA was born on July 20, 1940, in Key West, Florida, to Jose Evelio Garcia BELLO (1917-2009) and Clara Belle LARIZ (1917-1965). She was the only daughter not given a middle name.

PDF available at the end of this post.

SIBLINGS

Jane Ann was born April 26, 1938 in Key West.
Delores Matilda was born on November 28, 1942, in Key West.
Rosa Maria (Rosemary) ‘Meme’ was born on December 11, 1947, in Key West.

Josephine and Jane Garcia with Karen Yvonne Hamilton

In 1945, Josephine lived with her mother and grandparents, Manuel and Clara Dena Lariz at 913 Watson St. in Key West, Florida.

In 1950, Josephine and her sisters lived with their aunt and uncle, Andrew and Mable Lariz at 1207 Catherine St in Key West, Florida.

MARRIAGE

Josephine met Ernest Eugene HAMILTON while babysitting his little brothers (Junius and Tommy Posey) at the home of Florinda Posey (1113 Catherine St.). Josephine married him in November 1955 when she was 15 years old. They had a formal ceremony in Japan, where Ernie was stationed, in 1956. They were divorced in December 1967 in Palm Beach, Florida, after 12 years of marriage.

***Josephine and Ernest Hamilton*** in Japan

CHILDREN

Ernest Eugene was born on November 1, 1958.
Mona Marie was born on October 15, 1959.
Karen Yvonne was born on June 20, 1962, in Gainesville, Florida.

MARRIAGE

Josephine married Harold Dean Simmons on January 28, 1978 in Greenville, South Carolina. At her death, they had been married for 43 years.

**Karen, Hal, Ernie, Jo, Mona 1999 (Photograph by *Photographs by Nancy*)**

LOSSES

Her mother-in-law, Florinda Marie GOMES died on July 26, 1964, in Palm Beach, Florida, when she was 54 years old in a car accident in which Jo was also injured.
Her mother Clara Belle passed away on November 11, 1965, in Greenville, South Carolina, at the age of 48.
Her sister Rosa Maria (Rosemary) ‘Meme’ died on March 4, 2004, in Greenville, South Carolina, when Josephine was 63 years old.
Her father Jose Evelio (GARCIA) passed away on May 8, 2009, in Lakeland, Florida, at the age of 92.
Her sister Jane Ann died on November 13, 2021, in Charleston, South Carolina, when Josephine was 81 years old.

Jo was a vibrant and active woman well into her 80s. She was always up for an adventure and willing to try anything. As a Key West Conch (which she would tell everyone she met!), she was comfortable in and on the water. She traveled alone to Japan to join her husband when she was only 15! In later years, she traveled to many new places, including Ireland and Canada. She was riding a four-wheeler just months before her death.

From daughter, Karen

My mother would go anywhere with me. We talked on the phone every day up until the time she fell ill in the fall of 2021. She was there through every single one of my main life events: my marriages, my divorces, my son’s births, my illnesses, my many moves. In her later years, she traveled to Key West with me, told me about growing up there, and showed me the houses she grew up in. We took a LOT of selfies!