Enan Chediak Photography - La Mexicana serves the Cobden Community

Cobden is a small town in Southern Illinois with a population of just over 1,000 as of 2022. But with a population of so few, Cobden boasts quite a bit of diversity, including a large percentage of Hispanics. Serving the Hispanic community in Cobden is Edith Tomas, the owner of La Mexicana, which is a local Mexican grocery store. Many of the people in the Hispanic community of Cobden come to La Mexicana so that they don’t have to travel to Anna, Illinois where the next nearest Mexican grocery store is. In many ways, La Mexicana exhibits the diversity of the city of Cobden.

La Mexicana, a local Cobden Mexican grocery store waits to be opened by Ana Sanchez on Friday morning in Cobden, Illinois. The owner of the store, Edith Tomas, said that La Mexicana has been open for more than 20 years.

Asunción Carmona looks at an item on the shelf April 13, 2024 at La Mexicana in Cobden Illinois. Carmona has known Edith Tomas, the store owner, for over 20 years.

The Tomas family are among many in this Hispanic community that immigrated from Mexico to the United States. As J. L. Hargis stated, “There was a woman who started a migrant program to work with Spanish-speaking kids because the numbers were starting to really fill up here in Cobden. And it was at a time that would have been close to fruit picking time… Her name was Mary Monavon.” Hargis is now a close friend of the Tomas family and said, “When those four came into the school district, none of the kids could speak any English.” At the time, Hargis taught Junior High through High School as well as Driver’s Education and Physical Education.

Items sit in the refrigerator at La Mexicana April 12, 2024 in Cobden, Illinois. La Mexicana sells tortillas made with purple maize (bottom right).

Ana Sanchez trims the spines from nopales to be sold at La Mexicana April 12, 2024 in Cobden, Illinois. Nopales are the leaves of prickly pears cactuses and are commonly eaten in Mexican cuisine, but the spines on the cactus have to be trimmed off first before they can be eaten, which can be a treacherous task.

Cobden, the Appleknocker town, is especially known for its apples and peaches, and each year the city holds a Peach Festival. One of the reasons that many of the people in the Hispanic community came to Cobden was to find employment in the fruit-picking industry in the Cobden area. “They followed the crops primarily,” Hargis said. “In fact, on the outskirts of town… there’s a migrant camp, and that’s where they went for just maybe a short, short time.”

Ana Sanchez poses for a portrait on April 12, 2024 behind the counter of La Mexicana in Cobden, Illinois. Sanchez is the stepdaughter of Edith Tomas who owns the store.

Asunción Carmona holds her apron at the counter across from the store owner, Edith Tomas April 13, 2024 at La Mexicana in Cobden Illinois.

But finding employment wasn’t the only reason that many immigrated to Cobden. La Mexicana’s owner Edith Tomas moved from Cherán, Mexico, which is about 200 miles west of Mexico City. She has five children Santiago, Esmerelda, Noemi, Goreti, and Ricardo. Santiago and Ricardo were born in the United States, while her three daughters were born in Mexico. One of Edith’s daughters Noemi Cruz said, “I came when I was like 7 or 8 years old.” Hargis, who has known the family since they moved from Mexico to Cobden, said, “Santiago was probably in 6th grade, but none of them could speak any English. They had to learn that. It took considerable time before you could communicate with the kids.” Over time, Hargis formed a connection with the family. “I used to come over early on and help them with their classes the first year they were here once they could understand enough English that I could talk to them… I never did learn to speak Spanish.”

Cross necklaces hang above the counter of La Mexicana April 13, 2024 in Cobden, Illinois. Before it was a grocery store, the building that La Mexicana is in was a church. Many in the Tomas family also go to church, and Ana Sanchez said that Cobden had about 6 churches.

Homemade tamales lay open on the counter of La Mexicana on April 12, 2024 in Cobden, Illinois. Ana Sanchez sells her family’s homemade on Friday mornings at the store, but they often sell out quickly.

Foreign currencies adhere to the underside of the counter on April 12, 2024 at La Mexicana in Cobden, Illinois.

Zitlalli Tomas crosses the street for a photoshoot in her quinceanera dress April 13, 2024 in Coden, Illinois. She wore her quinceanera dress for the photoshoot, which she kept from her celebration in November of last year.

Now, Edith’s five children have gone their separate ways, some moving as far away as Mayfield, Kentucky. “Eventually, they all graduated from High School, obviously,” Hargis stated. “And Noemi went to school: she enrolled in [the] Shawnee College program… And she was working with some type of a nursing program. And she has enough education to be easily employed if she wasn’t raising a family, but she’s doing full-time family.”

Zitlalli Tomas rides her horse Mia for a photoshoot in her quinceanera dress April 13, 2024 in Coden, Illinois. She wore her quinceanera dress for the photoshoot, which she kept from her celebration in November of last year.

Daniel Tomas poses with his family’s horse Mia at their stables April 12, 2024 in Cobden, Illinois. The Tomas family have three horses, including two quarter horses and a mini horse.

Andrea Cruz hugs her grandmother Edith Sanchez as she walks toward Mark Pitt's birthday party after closing up La Mexicana April 13, 2024 in Coben, Illinois. Family came from as far as Mayfield, Kentucky to come to the family reunion.

Zitlalli Tomas braids Ana Sanchez’ hair, next to her grandmother Edith Sanchez (left), representing three generations of Cobden residents April 13, 2024 in Cobden, Illinois.

But despite that some have moved away, family is still very important to them. Edith Tomas said that she first came to the Cobden area because her aunt was here already, and their family has continued to be connected since. “Basically, all my family is here now,” Edith said. “There are no more relatives in Mexico.” It is this emphasis on family that led Edith and her children to move to Cobden and is also why they are still so connected so many years later.

Haily Cruz walks out toward Mark Pitt and Fernando Salas April 13, 2024 on the trampoline during Mark’s birthday party at the Tomas’s house in Cobden, Illinois. Haily is one of Edith Tomas’s grandchildren and was among the many of her relatives at the family reunion.

Haily Cruz and J. L. Hargis (left to right) play with the xylophone April 13, 2024 in front of La Mexicana in Cobden, Illinois. Haily Cruz is the grandchild of Edith Sanchez, the store owner of La Mexicana.

La Mexicana has been open for more than 20 years. In an interview, Edith said, “This country gives a lot of opportunities.” She also said that she feels comfortable being part of this society, that she has met a lot of good people, and that she is happy to be here. One thing is certain, and that is that La Mexicana and the Tomas family’s spirit continues to uplift the Cobden community.

Mark Pitts (middle) waits to blow out the candles on his birthday party April 13, 2024 in Cobden, Illinois.