Emma Estrada (1933-1997) / Parteras of New Mexico

Her first state license came in 1954, and she kept renewing it for more than forty years, the last time in September 1996, a year before she died. That was the unusual part. In 1989 the state's Public Health Division gave her a certificate for becoming the only partera to become a fully licensed midwife. Gallup worked out its own arrangement with her: a doctor issued the expectant mother a card, and the mother handed it to the midwife. Her son Raymond was interviewed for the panel in November 2008.

What the plaque says

Official Scenic Historic Marker Emma Estrada (1933-1997) Emma Estrada was a partera, or midwife, for over thirty years. She delivered more than seven hundred babies during an era when mothers in rural, sparsely populated areas had no choice but to deliver at home. She became the first licensed partera in New Mexico, and worked with doctors to assure the best medical care. She is remembered for her quiet confidence and devotion. Parteras of New Mexico Historically, the practice of midwifery was essential to the birthing process in New Mexico. In this large, mostly rural state with few doctors, midwives, called parteras in Spanish, have helped women give birth to thousands of babies. When the University of New Mexico's medical school opened in 1961, the State began to train and certify midwives. Today, licensed midwives frequently work with doctors and hospitals.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Window Rock — 21 mi
  Tségháhoodzání — the sacred arch, and the capital of the Diné

More markers nearby

• Gallup — 3.2 mi
• Chaco Cliffs — 6.9 mi
• Fort Wingate — 11 mi
• Manuelito Area — 18 mi