Concepcion is from Cananea, which is located in the Mexican state of Sonora, about 54 miles by road from the United States. She was born in 1916. While living in Mexico, she was happy, often playing on the ranches in the area. Concepcion’s youngest daughter Maria recalls stories of her mother going to the ranches to get their milk, very different from receiving it in a carton from the supermarket. Some of Concepcion’s most prominent memories involve seeing and following Pancho Villa, who she admiringly refers to as the hero of Mexico. She recalls that they used to follow him, running along with him and making noise to let the people know that he was there.Concepcion remembers being alerted to his presence because he would often use a trumpet to signal he was near.
She and her family, which included her mother, her aunt, and her father, lived in Cananea until she was about 8 years old. It was at this time that her father secured a job at a smelter in Douglas, Arizona, United States. After her father secured his job at a smelter in Douglas, Concepcion, her mother and her aunt made the journey to join him.