Category: News

It is with great sadness that the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society announced the passing of Gwen Vermeulen on June 27, 2024.  Gwen passed away peacefully at the age of 96.

Gwen Jean Vermeulen (Nee Burroughs) was born March 22, 1928 in Lincoln Nebraska to Gladys Mary Burroughs (Perry) and Wendell Francis Burroughs.  In 1932 they moved to Santa Ana, California.  Gwen attended primary school in Santa Ana,Willard Jr. High School, Santa Ana High School and Santa Ana Junior College.

In 1949 Gwen married Silvere Vermeulen, who was born and lived in Irvine.  They lived on the Irvine Ranch where Silvere farmed crops for the then Irvine Ranch and where their three children were born.  They met and had many long lasting friends from the Santa Ana and surrounding areas that they socialized with for over 50 years.  When Gwen was in her 80’s, she still used to go up to Santa Ana for pot-luck lunches with long standing friends. Silvere passed away in 2002, and there was not a day that went by that she did not miss him.

In 1964, Gwen, Silvere and their children moved to San Juan Capistrano to farm on family property owned by Silvere’s brother.  They grew fresh vegetables and strawberries and had their own farm stand on Del Obispo, which today is the home of the Vermeulen Ranch Center.  The farm stand operated for ten years, seven days a week from March to the middle of November.  Gwen ran the farm stand and during busy periods she would hire local high school girls and friends to help her.  The pumpkin patch in October was a big community favorite. By the 1970’s farming was changing in San Juan Capistrano as buildings were taking over the farm land on Del Obispo. The Vermeulen’s were able to lease land from Rancho Mission Viejo Co. on Ortega Highway that is now the City owned Riding Park and further up on Ortega they also leased another area to grow produce and then send if off to other markets.  But there was no farm stand for Gwen to “run”, so she looked for another occupation to keep her busy along with her homemaker duties. 

The San Juan Capistrano Historical Society was looking for someone to run their office.   For the next 47 years Gwen was not only the heart and soul of the Society, but the backbone of the organization as the Executive Assistant to the Board of Directors.  She organized every event of the society from the Heritage BBQ, the Annual Membership Mixer, the annual Camp Pendelton Rancho Santa Margarita Ranch House tour, Christmas Tree Lighting and the Ghost and Legends walk in the historic district.  She ran the famous Tony Forster tri-tip sandwich booth during the Swallow Day Parade and Mercado.  Without a computer, Gwen’s index card file was famous for tracking addresses, phone number and birthdays of Society members.  It is still used today.   Gwen never had a sick day off work in all the years at the Society.  Upon her retirement in 2018, at the age of 90, the reception area of the Society Headquarters, was named in her honor.   

In 2014 Gwen was named Woman of the Year by the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce and placed on the Wall of Recognition for the city of San Juan Capistrano.  

Gwen attended mass at the Mission Basilica most weekdays and every Sunday morning at the 7:30 mass. She volunteered every Monday, her day off from the Historical Society, in the Church office, “money counting” as she called the donations from Sunday services.   

Gwen is survived by her son, Brian, wife Connie, daughter, Diane, husband Larry Johnson and son Don, wife Heather.  Grandchildren are Brett Vermeulen, wife, Chevon, Brianna Patterson, husband Mike Amanda and Kendra Johnson and Katelyn Padilla, husband Ryan.  Great Great-grandchildren are Christian, Cash and Deacon Vermeulen, Page and Grant Patterson, Lazarus and Killian Padilla.

Funeral Mass for Gwen will be held at the Mission Basilica on Friday, July 19th, 2024 at 11:00 am.

Long-time Historical Society member, Matt Gaffney passed away April 1, 2024.   He had been very ill but held on to be the Grand Marshal of the 2024 Swallows Day Parade. 

Longtime San Juan Capistrano resident, Matt was an altar boy at Old Mission Church, attended Mission School.  He was the first Boy Scout in San Juan Capistrano to attain the Ad Altare Dei Catholic award.    After graduating from Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, he joined the Navy and later received his insurance license from Saddleback College.   He opened up his own business in 1975 in San Juan Capistrano.  He was a two-time past commander of the local American Legion Post and life member of the VFW Serra Post 3801. 

Matt’s involvement in San Juan Capistrano committees and commissions included chair and member of the Planning Commission, chair and member of the Traffic and Transportation Commission, and member of the Open Space Committee.  Gaffney was a past President an active member of Capistrano Animal Rescue Effort (CARE).   He also coached boys football, and girls softball.

Matt followed in the footsteps of his father, Jerry Gaffney.  Jerry Gaffney was a WWII and Korean War veteran.  Matt’s father served on the first Planning Commission from 1964-1973 and was past President of the Historical Society.  The senior Gaffney was inducted to the San Juan Capistrano Wall of Recognition as part of the inaugural recipients when the Wall was established in 2000.  Matt followed his father by being recognized on the Wall in 2011. 

Matt was a long -time member of the Friday Coffee Chat group which engages in commentary on local issues. 

On Wednesday, March 27, 2024 San Juan Capistrano lost one of its last founding Basque family members.  Carmen Oyharzabal passed away at age 97.

Carmen was born, raised and lived her entire life in the Yorba Adobe on Camino Capistrano next door to El Adobe restaurant.  A devout Catholic, Carmen graduated from Mission School and later became a registered nurse.  She spent her nursing career at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Orange.  As a nurse and long-time friend of Monsignor Paul Martin, pastor of the Mission, she helped with his care during the last month of his life.  Until Covid, Carmen could be seen every week at Serra’s Pantry at the Mission Basilica Church handing out food to those in need. 

Carmen had an older sister, Teresita who married Tom Rodriquez.  Following the death of Teresita, Tom and Carmen continued to administer the Oyharzabal properties. Tom passed away in 2012.  Carmen and Tom were both lifetime members of the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society.  Until Covid, Carmen attended most Society events.

In 1974, Carmen’s mother, Eugenie Oyharzabal, rented to the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society the land on Los Rios Street which would become the O’Neill Museum and offices of the Society. In 2005, Carmen and Tom deeded all of the Los Rios property that they owned including the parcel where the Silvas Adobe and Leck structures are located to the Historical Society. Today the Society is located at 31831  Los Rios Street because of the generosity of the Oyharzabal family through the years. 

Carmen’s father came to San Juan Capistrano and went to work for his uncle as manager of the Oyharzabal ranch.  In her oral history Eugenie described her life in San Juan Capistrano in the early part of the 20^th century.  It was her husband, Estaban, that gave the water to the town.  The tank for the water was at the corner of the Oyharzabal property.  It was Carmen’s uncle, Domingo, who built the French Hotel next to the Yorba Adobe.  Eventually, Estaban inherited both properties.  Both structures are on the National Registry of Historic Places.  Eugenie passed away in 1996 at the age of 105. 

Jean Lacouague, another local Basque farmer, wrote in 1974, “the Oyharzabals were the biggest single employers in San Juan at one time.  They ran a boarding house, had a water district and supplied water to the town initially and then hooked up to different houses”.   

Carmen Oyharzabal believed in family, faith, community and hard work.  San Juan Capistrano was fortunate to have her call our community home.  Her family legacy will live on and be remembered for generations.  Carmen’s funeral mass is set for Thursday, April 25, 2024 at 10:00 AM at the Basilica.in San Juan Capistrano. Burial will be at the family plot at Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles.