Greg P. Smestad Mendoza Bernal

My wife, Leticia, and I visited Br. Dennis several times in Napa staying overnight with him, and I talked to him on the phone often ever since I learned about him several years ago. He'd call me, or I'd call him, with a piece of historical trivia that one of us had uncovered. I found out that this characteristic was typical of his life and his work. Several times I visited the Moraga Library archives that he inspired and founded. Many materials relating to my Bernal family are there, ands so I appreciated what I saw and learned all the more. i am the grandson of Velma Bernal and a descendant of those whose history Br. Dennis honestly cared about, preserved and shared. We will all continue to be enriched on many levels by the life of this unselfish and knowledgeable man. I will continue to honor him by spreading understanding, a spirit of sharing, and the patience that he instilled in all he touched.

When I talked to him on the phone, I often joked with him by calling him Dionisio. He later signed his name in emails to me Hermano Dionisio. It made us both laugh. This is a Spanish word for Dennis and the name of my grandmother Bernals's dear father. When I walked into the archives in Moraga for the first time, this is the name that I found in his files, and it was linked to all my ancestors thanks to Hr. Dionisio. This is how I will always remember him. I will also honor him by dedicating my history project to him.

Through the National Park Service Challenge Cost Share Program, and thanks to Hr. Dionisio, I am developing a unique Anza Trail Guide that will acknowledge the contributions and heritage of Indians and Californios alike. The basic concept of the project is the combination of a trail guide booklet and an audio CD that provides a sense of what people living then could have heard that we can hear, and preserve, today.

He spent the bulk of his life tirelessly and unselfishly collecting and sharing information on the Bernals and Moragas of Northern California, as well as life in California during the Spanish and Mexican Rancho Periods. Though he was not of Californio blood, he was a Californio in spirit. Let us pause a moment and think of him now attending a fandango in old Moraga, listening to music and talking about history with his friends Joaquin Moraga, Dorothy Gittinger Mutnick, and Brother Henry. Paz. Vaya con Dios Hermano Dionisio. Gracias.

Back to Main Page