Felipe Neri Gomez was born at Monterey in California on May 25, 1832. His father, Rafael Gomez, was a native of the State of Jalisco, Mexico. He was educated for the law, and in 1829 the Mexican government sent him to California on legal business. He died at Monterey in 1839, as a result of blood poisoning.
On March 7, 1831, Rafael Gomez married Josefa Antonia Estrada, daughter of Jose Marino and Ysabel (Arguello) Estrada. Jose M. Estrada was a lieutenant in the State of California. The Estrada and Gomez families came to California as early as 1801 and were in the Government service. The father of Ysabel Arguello was Louis Arguello, of one of the most ancient families of Monterey. Besides Felipe Neri, Rafael and Josefa Gomez were the parents of Ysabel, Juan, Mariana and Rafael.
Felipe Neri Gomez, though only seven years old when his father died, had all the advantages that wealth and social station could bestow. The administrator of his father’s estate was David Spence, who carefully looked after the education of the youth. He sent him to the Hawaiian Islands in order to learn the English language under the direction of the missionaries. On his return he was sent to the Seminary of Law at Guadalajara, Mexico, from which he graduated. This training gave him unusual qualifications to take charge and administer the Gomez estate.
Mr. Gomez in 1872 was appointed postmaster of Monterey, California, and held that office for eighteen years. During ten years of this time his daughter Josefa acted as his assistant. She was the first woman accepted for the duties of assistant postmaster in the records of the postal department. She served as assistant postmaster until her marriage to Mr. Hubbard, who was of German and Scotch ancestry and died in 1919.
Napoleon Collins was a naval officer, born in Pennsylvania, May 4th 1814. He entered the U.S. Navy from Iowa as midshipman in 1834, studied at the naval school in Philadelphia in 1840, and became midshipman on July 16th 1840.
Collins was promoted to master mariner on August 15th 1846, and lieutenant on November 6th 1846. During the Mexican War he took part in the siege of Tuxpan and Tabasco on board the sloop of war Decatur.
In the Civil War Napoleon Collins commanded the Anacosta of the Potomac fleet in 1861, and was transferred to the gunboat Unadilla, with which he joined the South Atlantic squadron in the operations of 1861-62. On July 16th 1862, he was made commander of the Octorora of the West Indian squadron. Collins was transferred to the Wachusett in 1863, and directed his attention to the Confederate cruisers then operating against United States commerce. He captured the Florida in the harbor of Bahia, Brazil, October 7th 1864, under the guns of the Brazilian fleet, and towed his prize out of the harbor. He delivered her to the United States authorities at Hampton Roads, Virginia. While at anchor there she was run into by a transport and sunk. Brazil demanded her rendition, and Secretary Seward disavowed the act of Commander Collins who was tried by court-martial.
None the less, Collins was promoted to captain on July 25th 1866 and commodore on January 19th 1871. On August 9th 1874, he was made rear-admiral in command of the South Pacific squadron. He died exactly one year later at Callao, Peru, August 9th 1875.
Michael Aloysius O’Kane was an educator, born in county Clare, Ireland, July 12, 1849. He was the son of Michael O’Kane and Bridget (Casey) O’Kane. Brought to America by his parents in 1852, he received his education in the public schools of Spencer, Mass. He entered Holy Cross college, Worcester, Mass., in 1865, the year of its incorporation; joined the Society of Jesus, July, 1867, and went to Woodstock college, Md., where he pursued theological and philosophical studies, completing his course in 1876.
O’Kane was professor of classics in Georgetown college, D.C., 1876-82; prefect of studies there, 1882-86, vice-president, 1886-87; rector and master of novices in the Novitiate at Frederick, Md., 1887-89, and president of the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, 1889-93. He was then transferred to the Missionary Band, and became superior of the band, having his headquarters at St. Francis Xavier, New York city.