Rocky Ford Honors Esther Leyba Guerrero with Outstanding Citizen Achievement Award Ahead of 101st Birthday

Description: Rocky Ford honored longtime community member Esther Leyba Guerrero with an Outstanding Citizen Achievement Award ahead of her 101st birthday on Aug. 30, 2026.


Published: 6 hours ago
Byline: SECO News

On Friday, August 28th, I had the honor of recognizing a very special member of the Rocky Ford community, Mrs. Esther Leyba Guerrero, with an Outstanding Citizen Achievement Award in celebration of her 101st birthday on August 30th.

Mrs. Leyba Guerrero was raised in Rocky Ford and lived and worked in our community. At 101 years old, her life reaches across generations of Rocky Ford history. She is the last surviving member of her generation in the Leyba family, following the passing of her siblings Willie, Jessie, and Mary. What an incredible gift it is to have someone among us who carries more than a century of memories, experiences, and connection to this place.
 
Her story also reminds me of the countless families who have called Rocky Ford home over the last century. Families came here from different places and backgrounds. Some worked our farms and fields. Others opened businesses, taught in our schools, served their neighbors, raised children, and built lives here. Each became part of the story of Rocky Ford, and the community we inherited exists because of the generations who came before us.
 
This recognition is personally meaningful to me as a descendant of the Aragon and Ochoa families, who also made Rocky Ford their home as farmworkers and later became community members and leaders. As I prepare to complete my service as Mayor, it means a great deal to have one of my final recognitions celebrate someone whose life represents so much of the history we share.
 

Happy 101st Birthday, Mrs. Leyba Guerrero!



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