As part of a week-long agenda of special events scheduled in commemoration of International Women’s Day, Chapala’s DIF family development agency and the Municipal Historical Archives put together Women Who Made History, a tribute to 20 individuals, living and dead, recognized for their outstanding contributions to the community. The honor roll included three distinguished expatriates who left their own indelible marks at lakeside.
Among those remembered were foreign settlers Gertrude Rattay, one of the founders of Chapala’s Casa de Ancianos; ballet dancer Khyra St. Albans, better known by the stage name Zara Alexeyewa and local nickname La Rusa, an ardent advocate for the conservation of Lake Chapala; and Juanita Hidano Reed, driving force behind the Ajijic children’s anti-litter group Hagamoslo Juntos.