The child died from asphyxiation at a Pentecostal church in San Jose, Calif., as her mother, uncle and grandfather tried to expel what they believed was an “evil spirit,” the authorities said.
Ernest Edward Sousa
Jan. 1, 1922 — Jan. 3, 2021
Ernest Edward Sousa, age 99 years and two days, passed away peacefully on Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, surrounded by love and in the comfort of his family. Ernie, also known as ‘Rock’ by his friends, was born Jan. 1, 1922.
He was Vallejo, California’s first New Year’s baby and the eighth child born to Joseph and Mary Sousa, who immigrated to the United States from the Azores in 1903 and 1911, respectively
Ernie was a self-made man and had an entrepreneurial spirit from an incredibly early age. He started a paper route at the age of 10 and within weeks had others working for him. He worked as a Machinist on Mare Island before enlisting in the Army, in which he served for three years.