Tonia was one of six children. She recalls memories of playing with her older brothers and sister, making mud tortillas and cakes, pretending to eat "special dinners". Tonia and her siblings created dances and performed for each other, even though they had no music. 

Tonia's father was respected as a nice man who worked hard to feed his family, whose children often accompanied him on excursions to cut coffee, harvest beans or make compost. Their father frequently went hunting in the mountains, taking her brothers with him.  Her mother and the girls stayed in the house cooking and cleaning. It was Tonia's job to make the family's daily stack of tortillas. 

When the youngest girl was born, it became ten-year-old Tonia's responsibility to care for her. She enjoyed this experience because it was like playing with the baby doll she never had.