Free Genealogy: Genealogy Trails

I discovered the Genealogy Trails website while Googling a distant cousin. This site includes cemetary transcriptions, census records, obituaries and other information. Although it is not the only site of this type, (see USGenWeb, for instance) it does have some unique data.

Here is a link to the site.

By the way, what I found on the site weretranscriptions of Benito and Emilia Zimmerly's tombstones. Benito was my grandmother Paublita's 1st cousin.

Baca Food Store

Many of my family have owned businesses throughout the years. One of the stores that my mother's parents owned was the Baca Food Store*. My grandparents Santiago and Paublita (Zimmerly) Baca also owned a clothier store and my grandmother owned a fabric store after my grandfather's death.


Below are photos of the Baca Food Store Float from a 1940s parade. The two youngsters pictured are my mother Frances Baca and my uncle Jimmy Baca.

My great uncle Albert Zimmerly supplied me with these photos.

* I've also heard that the grocery store went by another name - La Bajada Grocery. See this obituary for more information.

The Royal Road - El Camino Real

This Christmas, my family told me about the El Camino Real International Heritage Center. Being a history buff, I decided to find out more about it.

According to the museum's website:

El Camino Real International Heritage Center (ECRIHC) is one of New Mexico's newest State monuments, dedicated in November 2005. The Center contains award winning exhibits, interpretive learning center, and artifacts presenting the history and heritage of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro - the Royal Road to the Interior.

Spain and Mexico used the royal road to colonize and bring goods to New Mexico from 1598 until the late 1800s. You can find a short history of the trail here. Longer articles about the El Camino Real can be found on this page, including an article that mentions my great uncle Albert Zimmerly.

Although I haven't visited the museum yet, you can bet that I will in the near future. If you are in or around Socorro any time soon, use these directions to find the musuem.

Happy Birthday, Grandfather Santiago!

I was visiting my aunt yesterday when she reminded me that my grandfather Santiago Baca would have been 100 years old this Christmas Eve. He was born to Rafael and Josefa (Padilla) Baca on 24 December 1907 in Luis Lopez, New Mexico. He died in 1961 in Socorro, New Mexico.

Valentin and Jose Epitacio Torres Household Census Records

Sometimes I discover interesting and mysterious facts on census records. For instance, it appears that my 3rd great grandparents Valentin and Josefa Torres had a servant by the name of Refugia Chaves (1860 census) and later had two wards: Nestor and Josefa Abeyta (1880 census.) Valentin's son, my 2nd great grandfather Jose Epitacio Torres, also had a servant: an 11 girl by the name of Antonia Escamios (1900 census.) There is no indication who these servants and wards were. In addition, these censuses list children of Valentin and Jose Epitacio that I did not discover through other types of records.

As with any other type of record, I'll need to do further research to verify the information that I found here. If you have any other information about this family that may help me with my research, please add a comment to this blog or send me an E-mail.

Click on the images below to view the census records

1860 United States Census: Town of Socorro, County of Socorro, Territory of New Mexico, page 13, dwelling # 107, family #105.

The household of Valentin and Josefa (Ortiz) Torres may be found on the bottom of the page. Twenty-four year old Valentin Torres was a laborer who had $250 in real property and $100 in personal property. No occupation was indicated for his wife. Their children included a daughter Dolores, a son Jose, and another daughter whose name is undecipherable. The Jose Torres listed on this record is most likely Jose Epitacio Torres. The record for this family continues on the next page....

1860 United States Census, Town of Socorro, County of Socorro, Territory of New Mexico, page 14.

On the next page of the same census record, one final name is listed for the Valentin Torres household: an 11 year old female servant by the name of Refugia Chavez. The only other information for this young lady was that she was born in New Mexico. There is no indication to her relationship to the family, if any.

1880 United States Census, Precinct #1 Town of Socorro, County of Socorro, Territory of Socorro, sheet 19, dwelling # 209, household #239.

This record shows Valentin and Josefa Torres, who were 44 and 41 years old respectively, and their son Jose Epitacio, who was 22. Two wards are also listed: Nestor Abeyta, 12, and Josefa Abeyta, 16. I do not know what was the relationship between the Abeyta children and the Torreses. It is possible that they may be related to the next family listed on the page: Jesus and Maria Abeyta.

1900 United States Census, City of Socorro, County of Socorro, Territory of New Mexico, Sheet # 12, Dwelling # 288, Family #288.

Jose Epitacio's family is enumerated as: head Jose E. Torres, 41; wife Guadalupe P., 41; daughter Josefina, 8; daughter Delfina (my great-grandmother), 7; son Valentin, 5; son Esteban, 3; and daughter Marienila (?) 1 year old. There was also a female servant listed: Antonia Escamios, 11 years old.

1910 United States Census, Precinct # 1, City of Socorro, County of Socorro, Territory of New Mexico, Sheet 22 A, Dwelling #20, Family #21.

Jose Epitacio's family is listed as follows: head Jose E. Torres, 51; wife Guadalupe 41; daughter Josefita, 18; son Valentin, 14; son Estevan, 12; daughter Mariana 10; son Felipe, 9; daughter Juana Maria, 7; and daughter Guadalupe Jr., 4. By this time, my great-grandmother Delfina was married and living in a different household.

1920 United States Census, Precinct # 1, City of Socorro, County of Socorro, State of New Mexico, p. 2A

Jose Epitacio's family is listed in dwelling #19, family # 26 on page 2A. The family is enumerated as such: head Jose E. Torres, 60; wife Lupe P, 49; son Valentin, 24; son Estevan, 22; son Felipe, 19; daughter Jennie, 17; daughter Lupe, 13; son Jose E, Jr., 7.

I found these images on Ancestry.com.

Connecting the Dots....

Sometimes a genealogist can connect the dots once of certain piece of information is revealed. This occured when I read an article by Antonette Duran Silva and Nancy Anderson titled "Cayetano Torres, Son of Diego Torres and Maria Martin". As the title of this article indicates, Cayetano Torres' mother appears to be Maria Martin, Diego Torres' second wife. Until previously, I only knew the name of Cayetano's father. However, this wasn't the only helpful information that I found in the article - or for that matter the most interesting.

Cayetano's wife was a woman by the name of Maria Manuela Feliciana Vallejo(s). According to the article, she was the daughter of Bernardo Vallejo(s) and Francisca Xaviera de Silva. Her parentage was new to me, so I decided to do a little more research.

Since Bernardo Vallejos was married to a Silva woman, I decided to check the Antonio Silva chapter of Aqui Se Comenzia. On page 425, I discovered that Francisca Xaviera Silva was the daughter of Antonio de Silva. On page 427, the book indicates that Bernardo Silva was the son of Pedro Duran y Chaves. This led me to the chapter of Pedro Duran y Chaves. On page 189, Bernadro Vallejo is described as the son of Pedro Duran y Chaves III and Maria Vallejos. I already knew much about Pedro Duran y Chaves' ancestry. Therefore, I needed to find out more about this Maria Vallejos.

I searched through the index of To the Royal Crown Restored to see if I could find mention of Maria Vallejos. The book, which was edited by Kessell, Hendrix and Dodge, contains many documents from the Don Diego de Vargas reconquest of New Mexico. Maria Vallejos was not listed in this book.

I looked at the Silva chapter of The Spanish Recolonization of New Mexico. On page 373, it indicates that Bernardo was the son of Pedro Duran y Chaves and "most likely by a woman of the Vallejo family." Notes indicate that this information can be found in New Mexico Roots page 2043, Dilegencia Matrimonio # 1725 (no.2), Albuquerque. The notes also show the relationship between Bernado's daughter Brigida Vallejos and her husband Torbio Garcia:

Lucia Hurtado******1st degree******Martin Hurtado + Catarina
Jaramillo

Pedro Chaves******2nd degree******Bernadina Hurtado

Bernardo Vallejos******3rd degree******Toribo Garcia

Brigida Vallejos*****4th degree

(The Spanish Recolonization of New Mexico, page 379, note 81.)

This seems to verify once again that Bernardo Vallejos was the son of Pedro Duran y Chaves, but does not indicate specifically who was his mother.

I checked one more place: Chaves' Origins of New Mexico Families. I found an entry for the Vallejo family (page 303), but no mention of a Maria Vallejos. The Duran y Chaves entries did not yield her name either.

This is what genealogists call a brick wall. I may never find any more information about Maria Vallejos. However, I will keep on trying. The next thing I need to do is look up the primary sources - I shouldn't depend solely on secondary sources. The primary sources may give me some clues to Maria Vallejos' ancestry.

In the meantime, check on these following links:

* Direct Descendants of Maria Manuela Feliciana Vallejos - this chart shows how I descend from Bernardo Vallejos' daughter.

* Ancestors of Maria Rita Antonia Torres - this ahnentafel shows eleven generations of ancestors for Rita Torres, the daughter of Cayetano and Feliciana (Vallejos) Torres.

References:

Duran Silva, Antonia and Nancy Anderson, "Cayetano Torres, Son of Diego Torres and Maria Martin" in New Mexico Genealogist: The Journal of the New Mexico Genealogical Society, vol. 45, no. 3, pages 140-150.

Chavez, Angelico, Origins of New Mexico Families: A Genealogy of the Spanish Colonial Period, rev. ed. (Santa Fe: Museum of New Mexico Press, 1992.)

Esquibel, Jose Antonio and John B. Colligan, The Spanish Recolonization of New Mexico: An Account of the Families Recruited at Mexico City in 1693. (Albuquerque: Hispanic Genealogical Research Center of New Mexico, 1999.)

Kessell, John L., Rick Hendricks, and Meredith Dodge, eds. To the Royal Crown Restored: The Journals of Don Diego de Vargas, New Mexico, 1692-1694. (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1995.)

Valencia y Valdez, Gloria M., et. al., Aqui Se Comienza: A Genealogical History of the Founding Families of La Villa de San Felipe de Alburquerque (Albuquerque: New Mexico Genealogical Society, 2007)

1890 Census - Special Schedule - Philip Bourguignon

In 1890, the United States did a special schedule of Civil War era surviving soldiers and widows. My 2nd great grandfather Philip Bourguignon was listed on this schedule.

He was listed as a sargeant in the Company F of the 1st U.S. Cavalry. He enlisted on 4 December 1848 and was discharged on 11 September 1861. His residence at the time was Socorro, Socorro County, New Mexico. He had rhuematism and was pensioned.

Other soldiers and widows listed on this particular schedule are Presicilliana Melton, widow of Thomas Melton; Washington Wise; John Ryan; and James D. Mitten (?)

Click on the image below to get a larger view of the document.

This document was retrieved from Ancestry.com on 7 November 2007.

Another Photo and Bio of Jose Epitacio Torres

Below is another photograph of Jose Epitacio Torres. This photo is from a book published in 1912 called "Representative New Mexico".

Jose E. Torres was my maternal grandmother's maternal grandfather. In other words, he was one of my 2nd great-grandfathers.

The text under his signature reads:

JOSE E. TORRES, tres. and collector Socorro Co., merchant, rancher and
stockraiser; educ. pub. and priv. schools Socorro; engaged in ranching several
years; engaged in retail liquor business for eleven years; became interested in
Rio Grande Supply Co., Socorro, 1908; Vice-pres. Rio Grande Supply Co.; city
marshal, Socorro 1889-90; mayor Socorro, one term; member city council, sixteen
years; probated judge, Socorro Co., 1897-1903; tres. & collector, Socorro
Co., 1905-11; mem. New Mexico Bureau of Immigration, 1898-1904. Address:
Socorro, N.M.

Source: Peterson, C.S. Representative New Mexicans: The National Reference Book of the New State Containing Photographs and Biographies of over Four Hundred Men Residents of New Mexico. Denver, Colo.: C. S. Peterson, 1912, page 304.

Below are other posts in my blog about Jose Epitacio Torres and his family:

* Death Certificate of Guadalupe (Padilla) Torres - Jose's wife.

* Wedding of Esteban Zimmerly and Delfina Torres - Delfina, my great-grandmother, was Jose's daughter.

* Short Biography of Jose Epitacio Torres.

Poole Family in 1930 U.S. Census

Viola Fern Poole was my wife's grandmother. Viola's parents were Thomas Watson Poole and Estelle Blanche Ryan. This family shows up in a 1930 Census of Redmond, Illinois. Click on this link to view this record.

I found this record at the Special Collections Library in Albuquerque, NM using the Ancestry.com website. Retrieved 20 October 2007.

Douglas Family in the 1930 U.S. Census

I discovered three census records from 1930 that show members of the Douglas family. Click on the underlined words below to pull up PDF files of these records.


* Hindsboro, Illinois, record # 1: This census includes the families of Ralph Douglas, Ray Douglas and William J. Douglas. Ralph was my wife's grandfather, Ray was Ralph's brother, and William J. was Ralph and Ray's father.

* Hindsboro, Illinois, record # 2: This census includes Bruce Douglas and his wife. Bruce was another of Ralph's brothers.

* Vermillion County, Indiana: This census includes Elmer Douglas and his wife Helen. This appears to be a record for another of Ralph's brothers.

I found these records at the Special Collections Library in Albuquerque using the Ancestry.com website. Retrieved 20 October 2007.

Marriage Record: Santiago and Pablita (Zimmerly) Baca

Below are two pages from the marriage records of the Immaculate Conception Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Entry # 6 is the marriage record for my maternal grandparents Santiago Baca and Pablita Zimmerly:

Page 1

Page 2

A transcription (in Latin) is as follows:

Numerus Carrens: 6

Datum Matrim: Feb 13(?) 1932

Nomina et residentae: Santiago Baca, Socorro. Pauline Zimmerly, Socorro

Datum et Locus Baptismi: Socorro, NM; Socorro, NM

Patres Sponsum: Rafael Baca, Josefina Padilla, Steve Zimmerly, Adelfina Torres (all from
Socorro, N.M.)

Testes: J. Torres; Lucie Torres

Nomen Sacerdotis: Rem ita se Habere Testor A. J. Snebelen, Parochus

Adnotiones Dispensatines Obtentae Locus Matrimanii, etc: am licentia Parochi

Notia Matrium: Inscripsi Ipae; Misi Notitium (no entries)

I apologize if I mispelled some of the Latin.

From this record, we know that Santiago Baca and Pauline Zimmerly were married on 13(?) February 1932. Their parents were, respectively, Rafael Baca and Josefita Padilla, and Steve Zimmerly and Adelfina Torres. The best man and matron of honor were J. Torres and Lucie Torres, who were probably a cousins of the bride.

See the wedding photo at this link.

Source: Archives of the Archdiocese of New Mexico, Roll # 16652, Albuquerque Marriages, Immaculate Conception Church, 13 February 1932.

Photo: Rafael and Josefa (Padilla) Baca and Family

Below is a photo of Rafael and Josefa (Padilla) Baca and their children Santiago (standing) and Ramona (baby sitting on Rafael's lap.) Santiago was my maternal grandfather. My great aunt Ramona is still alive.

Click on these posts about the family:

* Ramon Baca Family in the 1870 New Mexico Census. Ramon was Rafael Baca's father. Rafael is not listed in this census because he was not born yet.

* Ramon Baca Family in the 1900 New Mexico Census. Rafael is listed in this census.

* Rafael Baca's World War I Draft Card.

* Rafael & Josefa's Tombstone.

Photo: Juan and Carolina (Bourguignon) Baca

Below is a photo of Juan and Carolina (Bourguignon) Baca.

Click on the following posts about this couple:

* Juan Baca's Baptismal Record
* Marriage Record
* Tombstone

In Loving Memory: Maria Paublita (Zimmerly) Baca 12/10/1909 - 09/22/2007

My grandmother, Maria Paublita (Zimmerly) Baca, passed away last Saturday September 22, 2007. She was 97 years old. Her funeral was on Wednesday, September 26, 2007. I was one her pallbearers.

Below is her obituary from the September 26, 2007 edition of the El Defensor Chieftain, page A5. Click on the obituary to see a larger image of it. You may find the text for this obituary on the El Defensor Chieftain website.

Below is the cover and inside pages of Grandma Pablita's funeral memorial program. Once again, click on the images to view larger copies of them.

Link to the obituary.

This post was originaly published at 10:41 Am on 9/29/2007.

Wedding: Santiago and Paublita (Zimmerly) Baca

Below is a photo from my maternal grandparent's wedding. Santiago Baca and Paublita Zimmerly were married on 13 February 1932 at the Immaculate Conception Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Santiago was 24 and Paublita was 22 years old at the time.

My grandparents are the couple in the middle. The best man and matron of honor were J. Torres and Lucie Torres. J. Torres was probably a cousin of the bride.

See the marriage record at this link.

This post was originally published at 10:15 AM 9/29/2007. Revised at 10:37 PM 17 October 2007.

Maria Paublita Zimmerly's Ancestry

Grandma Paublita as a toddler.

Follow this link to view five generations of my grandmother Paublita (Zimmerly) Baca's ancestry. It is not complete; I am missing a few dates and probably some children of the respective families.

This post was originally published at 10:14 AM on 9/29/2007

Five Generation Photo

This is a photo of five generations of my family. Sitting left to right are my grandmother Paublita (Zimmerly) Baca, my great-grandmother Delfina (Torres) Zimmerly, and my mother Frances (Baca) Baca. Sitting on the floor is my sister Janis (Baca) Schwartzenberg. The baby sitting on my great-grandmother's lap is Janis' son Shawn Schwartzenberg. Based on the age of my nephew in this photo, it was taken around late 1977 or early 1978. My great-grandmother Delfina died soon after this photo was taken at the age of 85 on 7 May 1978. My grandmother and mother are also deceased.

Delfina (Torres) Zimmerly

mother of

Paublita (Zimmerly) Baca

mother of

Frances (Baca) Baca

mother of

Janis (Baca) Schwartzenberg

mother of

Shawn Schwartzenberg

Post originally published at 10:12 AM, 9/29/2007

Samuel T. Zimmerly's World War I Draft Card

Below is a copy of Samuel T. Zimmerly's World War I draft card. Samuel T. Zimmerly was the son of Juan Jose Zimmerly and Isabel Torres. Samuel was married to Juanita Torres, the daughter of Candelario Torres and Gregoria Orinez.

The draft card display's the following information about Samuel Zimmerly:

* He was born on 21 January 1889 in Socorro, New Mexico, USA
* He was a natural born citizen
* He was a self-employed farmer
* His dependants included his wife, child and brother
* He believed that he should be exempted from the draft because of his dependants
* He was of medium height, slender build, had brown eyes and hair, was not balding, and was missing any appendages
* He signed his card

Click on the image below to get a larger view:

I retrieved this document on 23 April 2007 from Ancestry.com.

See also Ricardo Zimmerly's and Estevan Zimmerly's draft cards.

Ricardo Zimmerly's World War I Draft Registration Card

Here is a Ricardo Maximiano Zimmerly's World War I Draft Registration Card. The card states that he was born on 6 May 1878. He was the assessor for the county of Socorro, New Mexico. He was married to Lizzie Stackpole Zimmerly.He was tall, slender and had brown hair and brown eyes. The card was completed on 12 September 1918. Click on the image below for a larger view:

Ricardo was my great-grandfather Estavan Zimmerly's brother. I found this document on Ancestry.com on 6 October 2007.

See also Samuel T. Zimmerly's and Estevan Zimmerly's draft cards.

Flora (Zimmerly) Salazar's Death Certificate

Below is the death certificate for Flora (Zimmerly) Salazar, a daughter of Juan Jose Zimmerly and Isabel Torres. According to the record, she was born on 2 January 1895 in Socorro, New Mexico and died on 4 January 1935 in Albuquerque, NM. Her residence was 901 North 15th Street, Albuquerque, NM. She was married to Ramon N Salazar, who was also the informant for her death certificate. Click on the image below to get a larger view.


This record was given to me by B. Mares.

Corrido Compuesto al Joven Edy Zimmerly

Below is a song titled "Corrido Compuesto al Joven Edy Zimmerly". It is a funeral song written about the untimely death of Eduardo Zimmerly, son of Juan Jose Zimmerly. B. Mares, who allowed me to copy these lyrics, explained to me that Eduardo Zimmerly died as a teenager when he was accidently shot while exiting a car. According to my records, Eduardo was born on 4 December 1897 and died on 30 October 1914 when he was only 16 years old. There are two pages to the song; click on the images below to get a larger view.

I do not understand spanish well, so I will leave this to you the viewer to try to translate - if you can.

The lyrics were written by Avelino Lopez.

Estevan Zimmerly's Baptismal Record

Below is the baptismal record for my great-grandfather Estevan Zimmerly. The record shows that he was baptised on 3 November 1887 at the San Miguel Parish in Socorro, New Mexico. He was born 6 days prior to Samuel Zimmerly and Paula Torres. His godparents were Estevan Baca and Catalina Baca. Someone wrote in the record later that he married Delfina Torres on 22 April 1905. Click on the image below for a larger view.


Once again, this record was supplied to me by B. Mares.

Camp Latham and the California Column

As I have mentioned in previous posts, my 2nd great grandfather Samuel James Zimmerly joined the union army at Camp Latham, CA. Below are links about Camp Latham and the California Column:

* The Civil War Archive: Union Regimental Histories

* Historic California Posts: Camp Latham

* Camp Latham Marker Unveiling (scroll down to find the article)

See also "Samuel Zimmerly Living in Visalia, California?", "Samuel Zimmerly - California Civil War Roster", "Samuel Zimmerly and Maria Paubla Torres", and "Website Link: Fort Craig National Historic Site"

Samuel Zimmerly Living in Visalia, California in 1860?

B. Mares shared with me the record below. It is from the 1860 California census, county of Tulare, township of Visalia. This record apparently shows Samuel Zimmerly living in that town at that time. He was living in the household of James P. Atkinson. Click on the image below to get a larger view:

I've highlighted in yellow his name on the image. The men in the dwelling # 302 include the following:

James P. Atkinson, 24 years old, occupation: moulder, from Ohio.
Josiah Joiner, 39 years old, occupation: mason, real estate $1,800, personal estate $300, from Kentucky.
William, 43 years old, occupation: mason, from Kentucky.
Samuel Cimerlee, 21 years old, occupation: common laborer, from Switzerland.
George Eichler, 29 years old, occupation: cook, from Saxony.

Although Samuel's last name is misspelled, it does appear to be him. He was from Switzerland. His birth date on the census was given as 1839, which is very close to the 1837 birth date that is indicated in other records. Samuel Zimmerly joined the 1st California Infantry at Camp Latham, California on 9 October 1861, a little over a year after this census was taken. Camp Latham, which was near Culver City, was nearly 190 miles from Visalia. Driving Directions from Visalia, CA to Culver City, CA

James B. Atkinson and George Eichler both joined the Union Army at later dates. Atkinson enlisted in the 2nd Regiment of the California Calvary, company I on 14 January 1863 in Camp Babbit, California and mustered on 4 March 1864. He was discharged on 14 January 1866 at Fort Churchill, Nevada. Eichler enlisted in the Seventh Regiment of the California Infantry, Company D at Dutch Flat, California on 11 November 1864 and mustered 6 days later. He was discharged on 22 May 1866 at the Presidio in San Francisco, California.

More research needs to be done in order to prove that this census actually shows my 2nd great grandfather Samuel Zimmerly.

Although B. Mares gave me a copy of this record, the image above is actually from Ancestry.com. I retrieved this on 6 October 2007 from the Internet using one of the Special Collections Library computers.

See also "Camp Latham and the California Column".

A Productive Zimmerly Family Genealogical Meeting

Today I met with a third cousin of mine, B. Mares, at the Special Collection Library in Albuquerque. She is the daughter of Justin Zimmerly, who was a grandson of Juan Jose Zimmerly. Juan Jose was the oldest son of Samuel and Paubla (Torres) Zimmerly. She found me through a posting that I made on this site about her father.

It was a very productive meeting. We both had items to share with each other. I showed her photos of my great-grandfather Estevan Zimmerly from my website, which included one from his wedding day. I also shared a descendancy chart of Samuel and Paubla (Torres) Zimmerly and an ahnentafel table of Paubla (Torres) Zimmerly. However, B. Mares shared with me some stuff that was really good.

Since Mrs. Mares is a descendant of Juan Jose Zimmerly, she has access to some important family artifacts. When Samuel Zimmerly died, Juan Jose and his mother took over running the family grist mill. B. Mares had a ledger that was used in the business. Entries in the ledger include names of Socorro residents. Also, at the back of the book someone recorded the births of selected family members. B. asked me if I thought those birth records were reliable. I told her that although these were not primary documents, the fact that these births appeared to have been recorded soon after the actual events made them somewhat reliable. I mentioned that she should still try to verify the information elsewhere, but that it would be okay to use it for her initial research.

B. said that in the future she would allow me to copy pages from the ledger. I will try to post those pages on this blog once I copy them.

B. also shared with me a number of documents. She showed me a photo of her great grandfather Juan Jose. We compare his photo with a photo of his brother Estevan. There was a definate family resemblance. She also allowed me to copy my great-grandfather Estevan's baptismal record. Although I probably have the document somewhere, it was nice to have it immediately so that I could post it on this blog.

Other items included:

* an 1860 California census that appears to show Samuel Zimmerly in Visalia, California.
* a corrido (funeral song) written for one of Juan Jose's sons Eduardo Zimmerly who died when he was a teenager.
* a death certificate for Flora (Zimmerly) Salazar.
* an ancestry chart that shows B.'s ancestry.
* a family group record that shows the children of Samuel T. Zimmerly, son of Juan Jose and grandfather of B. Mares.
* she also mentioned that her family has certain artifacts such as Samuel James Zimmerly's Knights of Pythias sword and scales that were used in the grist mill. I asked her to have photos taken of those objects so that I may post them on this blog.

I will share some of these items in this blog.

How to Navigate This Blog

Maybe you're not familiar with how a blog works, or maybe my blog is a little different from other blogs that you are used to. In any case you are confused. This guide will help you navigate my blog.

What the heck is a "blog"?

The word "blog" is short for "web log". Blogs are basically Internet journals or diaries. As with paper journals, entries are posted in chronological order. Usually the most recent entries show up on the top, while earlier entries are displayed lower down on the screen. Most blogs only show a certain amount of entries at a time. For instance, my blog will only display the seven (7) most recent entries.

So where did all those other entries go?

Although blogs often only display limited amount of entries, it does not mean that these entries have disappeared from the site. They are still there; they are just hidden. One way to access these entries is to find the blog archive.

The "Blog Archive" on this site is on the right margin, about a quarter to a half way down the screen. Notice that that dates and titles are displayed. This archive automatically displays only the entry titles of the most recent posting month. To access titles for other months, click on the month desired. The archives also only shows the months of the current year. To access months for previous years, click on the year desired. Once you have found the specific entry that you are looking for, click on the title to access that article.

There are two other ways of finding articles on this site: searching by category and using the search engine.

Below the "Blog Archive" is the heading "Categories in this Blog". These are labels that I've set up to make it simpiler to find specific content in this blog. For instance, if you wish to find out about my family click on "Robert's Family". If you wish to find out about my wife's family, click on "Nancy's Family". You can also find "Census Records", "Death Certificates" and many other types of articles on this site.

This site also has a search engine. On the top of the page, you can find a blank box with the words "search blog" next to it. Much like "Google" and other search engines, all you have to do is put the desired term or terms that you wish to search for in the box and click on "search blog." For instance, if you put in the word "Zimmerly" and click you will get the search results that are displayed on this link.

What is all that other stuff on the right margin?

On the blog's right margin, there are a number of links to other sites. I have chosen sites that I feel complement this blog. They include "Genealogy Sites" that you may use to do your own research, "New Mexico Genealogy" and "Other States' Genealogy" are sites more specific to those states, and "Family Websites" are sites created by people who have family links to either Nancy or me. I also have links to "My (other) Genealogy Websites".

The right margain also has links to special "mini-blogs" such my memorial to my grandmother Paublita and the "Torres Family Reunion". Lastly there are advertisements on the margain, including one for my own "Genealogy Bookstore".

Other things you should to know about

* As you can see, there are many photos on my blog. You can get larger views of those photos by clicking them.

* There are many links within the text of the articles. Words that are in different colors from the rest of the text are usually links. Click them on to access the link.

* You may post your own comments to my blog! On the bottom of each article, click on the word "comments." A form will pop out. Complete the form to post your comment. Since I moderate the comments, they will not be posted immediately on the blog. However, as long as it is appropriate I'll post it within a couple of days. I'll even post criticism!

* You may E-mail articles to friends and family. Click on the little envelope on the bottom of the article.

* You may subscribe to my site! Click on the "RSS Feed" on the top of the right margain, pick a web-based feed reader, and enjoy!

Thank you for having a interest in my blog. I hope that you enjoy it. If you have any questions or comments please send me an E-mail. Or post on this blog!

-RJCB

My Parents' Marriage Record

I found my parents' marriage record on the Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe microfilm roll # 16997. It was on page 26 of a book titled "Liber Matrimonium". The marriage was recorded in Latin, as was the custom at that time for Catholic churches. Below is the two page entry for that marriage. (Click on the images below to get a larger view.)

Robert C. Baca and Frances R. Baca were married on 27 October 1954 at the San Miguel Parish in Socorro, New Mexico. Robert's parents were Robert Baca and Teresa Torres:

Frances' parents were Santiago Baca and Paulina Baca. Ernest Manning and Ida Manning were their witnesses. Fr. Louis Antlitz officiated the wedding.

Another Picture from My Mom and Dad's Wedding

Below is another photo from my mom and dad's wedding. My great uncle Albert Zimmerly lent me this photo to scan.

My Mom and Me 21 Years Ago

Earlier in this blog, I posted a photo of my dad and me at the San Miguel Church around the time of my high school graduation. Below is a picture of my mom and me after the same graduation mass. This photo was taken in May 1986.

Frances R. Baca and Robert J. C. Baca in the San Miguel Church parking lot, Socorro, NM.

Death Certificate: Estevan Zimmerly

Below is a photo of my great-grandfather Estevan Zimmerly. He was my maternal grandmother Paublita (Zimmerly) Baca's father. He was not quite 49 years old when he died.

Below is Estevan's death certificate. According to this record, he was a White male who was married to Delfina Tores. He was born on 30 October 1887 and died on 20 September 1936 in Socorro, New Mexico. His occupation was clerical, and he worked for the conservancy district; he last worked there in February 1932. His father was Samuel Zimmerly, who was from Germany (Samuel's marriage records indicates that he was "Swiss".) His mother was Paublita Torres of Socorro. R.M. Zimmerly was the informant for this record.

His death certificate lists a number of ailments that he suffered from. Since it's hard to read the handwriting, I won't try to guess what they were. My understanding was that he was left paralyzed from a botched operation, and that this somehow led to his death.

Death Certificate: Guadalupe (Padilla) Torres

Below is a picture of my great-great grandmother Guadalupe (Padilla) Torres. She and her husband Jose Epitacio Torres were the parents of my great-grandmother Delfina (Torres) Zimmerly, which also makes her the maternal grandmother of my maternal grandmother Paublita (Zimmerly) Baca.

Below is her death certificate. According to the record, Guadalupe Padilla Torres was a Spanish married female. Her husband was Jose E. Torres. She was born in 1869 in Socorro, New Mexico. She died on 4 November 1920 of a cerebral hemorage. She was 51 years old.

Her father's was Manuel Padilla of Socorro (other records attest to his name being Felipe Padilla.) Her mother's name was not known (from other records we know that her name was Juana Maria Garcia.) Her son Valentin Torres was the informant for the certificate.

Click on the document below to get a larger view.

A Socorro, New Mexico Reminiscence Blog

I found the blog Start Up of a Socorro Adventure a couple of months ago. I found an article that mentioned my dad, Bobby Baca. However, it seems that the page has dissappeared since then.

The blog includes stories about the author's experience in Socorro when he was growing up. I find it interesting because it mentions people that I know, including relatives. For instance, for a short time in his youth, the author lived in the home of my maternal grandfather, Santiago Baca. A few of my Zimmerly releatives are mentioned, including my great-aunt Cecelia Zimmerly. And the author notes that my father Bobby Baca had passed away.

There are some great old pictures of Socorro including the old Socorro High and a few homes. There are also pictures from various school reunions and the author's relatives.

It's a good site. I recommend it if you are interested in learning about Socorro as it was overr 50 years ago.

Link

Torres Family Reunion 5 August 2007, Albuquerque, NM

Photo of Torres Family at the reunion on 5 August 2007

The reunion was a success. My father's cousins put it together as they do every year. The only problem was that my uncles and aunts did not make the reunion because of a miscommunication. I thought someone else was supposed to inform them; she thought I was supposed to inform them. Oops.

The reunion was actually for two families -The Torres' and the Baca's. The picture above is of the Torres' only. And no, it was my Baca family. "Baca" is a very common name in New Mexico. Anastacio Torres (son of Ignacio) married a woman by the name of Piedad Baca. This is the Baca family that was invited. On the other hand, Teresa Torres married a man by the name of Robert B. Baca. These were my grandparents. As far as know, Robert and Piedad were not closely related.

In case you are wondering which people in the photograph are my wife Nancy and me, look at the photo below:

That's us!

Torres Genealogy Presentation Board

I worked on the board above for about three days. It was a hit. Everybody loved the pictures and the stories I told of them. This is the first time I've tried creating a board like this. I'll probably do it again next year.

On the left panel, I wrote an abbreviated Torres Family History based on an articles that I wrote for last year's reunion and Maurine Pool wrote for the 1992 Torres reunion in California. On the bottom of the panel I placed a photo of Crespin & Andreita's 50th wedding anniversary.

In the center panel, I placed photos of Crespin and Andreita on the top row, and photos of their children on the next two rows. I put photos that I numbered 1 -5 on the bottom two rows. I numbered those photos for a game that the kids played at the reunion. I'll talk more about that later in this post.

The right panel is barely visible in this photo, which I guess is good because Maurine did not want me to post those photos. These photos were at the 1992 Torres family reunion in California and other photos of our California kin. Many family members, especially the older ones, were very interested in these. They definitely wanted know more about their California cousins and asked me how they could contact them. They would love them to come to next year's reunion.

On the table, I also had a Genealogical Portfolio of the Torres Family. I put this portfolio is in a loose leaf binder so that I can add and subtract items as needed. I began working on it last year. The portfolio contained:

* "A Genealogy of a New Mexico Torres Family" by Robert J. C. Baca. This is the article I wrote for last year's reunion.

* "The Torres Family" by Maurine Pool. This was the article that Maurine wrote for the 1992 reunion. I inserted photos of Crespin's children within the text

* "Andreita (Trujillo) Torres' Obituary", transcribed and translated by Patrick Moore. The original was published in an August 1926 issue of the El Defensor del Pueblo newspaper.

* "Crespin Torres' Death Certificate". A copy of the original certificate from 21 October 1937.

* "Crespin Torres' Obituary", transcribed and translated by Patrick Moore. The original was published in the 22 October 1937 El Defensor del Pueblo newspaper.

* "Torres" sections from Origins of New Mexico Families by Fray Angelico Chavez. Pages 107 & 294-295.

* "Belen" entry from The Place Name of New Mexico by Robert Julyan. Page 34.

* "Belen Land Grant Petition" from El Rio Abajo by Gilberto Espinoza. Pages 245-249.

* Spanish censuses of the Juaquin Torres family (1790 and 1802, Belen, NM) from The Spanish and Mexican Colonial Censuses of New Mexico: 1790, 1823, and 1845 and The Spanish and Mexican Censuses of New Mexico: 1750-1830. Both books were transcribed by Virginia L. Olmstead. Pages 45 and 137, respectively.

* "Socorro" sections from Rio Abajo: Prehistory and History of a Rio Grande Province by Michael P. Marshall and Henry J. Walt. Pages 248-249, and 285-286.

* Mexican census records of the Santiago Torres and Anastacio Torres families in New Mexico Censuses of 1833 and 1845: Socorro and Surrounding Area of the Rio Abajo, transcribed by Teresa Ramirez-Alief, et.al. Pages 24 & 75.

* Ancestors of Igancio Torres, and ahnentafel table created by Robert J. C. Baca. From my database, printed August 2006.

* Ancestors of Andrea Montoya, and ahnentafel table created by Robert J. C. Baca. From my database, printed August 2007.

* Two charts showing the relationship between Miguel Marquez and Ignacio Torres, the two husbands of Andrea Montoya. They were first cousins, once removed. From my database.

* Two charts showing the relationship between Casey Luna, former lieutenant governor of New Mexico, and my dad Robert C. Baca. They were second cousins. From my database.

I also had activity sheets for the kids on the table. There weren't as many kids at the reunion as I thought there would be, but a few of them had fun with the activities.

One of the activities was a contest. The kids had to answer questions about the numbered photos on the board. The kids that got the most questions right received books as prizes (I found a book about what it was like for people living a century ago. I thought it was appropriate since most of the photos were from that time period.) I gave small prizes to all the kids, whether or not they took part in the contest.

The other activity sheets had the kids drawing pictures of their families and creating a pedigree chart.

I had a lot of fun at the reunion. I only wish that I had time to ask genealogical questions of family members. Oh, well, maybe next time.

More Torres Family Pictures

Here are some more Torres family photos that my cousin Maurine sent me. Our cousin Paul Green collected the photos from family members.

On the left is Apolonio Torres. On the right is his brother Ignacio Torres. But who is the man in the center? Family members argue that he is their father Crespin Torres, or possibly Canuto Torres, Crespin's brother. One other possibility is that he is Apolonio and Ignacio's brother Jose.

I'll discuss arguments for all three possibilities in a later blog.

Andreita Trujillo Torres (seated) with Juan Jose Montoya, Moises Sanchez and baby Crespin. Standing: Jose Torres and Domitila Sanchez. Photo taken about 1904.

Andreita was Crespin Torres' wife. Juan Jose Montoya is her grandson through her daughter Monica (Torres) Montoya. Moises Sanchez was married to Domatila (Torres) Sanchez, another one of Andreita's daughters. Crespin Sanchez was their son. Jose Torres was Andreita's son.

These two photos show four of Crespin and Andreita's children. The children not pictured are Rogerio Torres, Guadalupe (Torres) Olguin and Monica (Torres) Montoya. Monica Montoya probably died before these pictures were taken.

More Torres photos: here, here, here, here, and here.

Oh, and here, too.

Post revised on 6 August 2007 at 9:00 AM.

Oops!

My cousin Maurine informed me that somehow the photos she sent me got scanned in backwards. So I went back and did a mirror image of those pictures.

See the fixed up photos here.

U.S. Postal Employee Collection

As you may know, my 2nd great grandfather Philip Bourguingnon was the postmaster of the Lemitar, New Mexico post office in the late 1800s. Also, my grandfather Robert B. Baca, Philip's grandson, was an assistant postmaster of Socorro, New Mexico. Therefore, I was excited when I found the site History Kat.

The site includes a U.S. Postal Employee Collection. Below are a list of the databases currently on the site:

Index to Names, Aliases, and Histories of Postal Offenders
A list of the names and aliases of postal-law violaters of record in the Post Office Department on January 31, 1926. [BROWSEABLE]

Record Cards of Letter Carriers Separated from the Postal Service, 1863-1899
These records consist of 3- by 5-inch cards arranged alphabetically by name of post office and then alphabetically by name of letter carrier. Each card indicates the post office name, letter carrier's name, date of appointment, and date and cause of separation from employment. If the carrier was removed, the cause of removal is occasionally noted. The date of separation is noted for those separated after 1873. [BROWSEABLE][INDEXED]

Record of Appointment of Postmasters, 1814-1824
This source consists of ledgers listing the names of postmasters, date of appointment, and rate of pay. The ledgers are arranged alphabetically by town. [BROWSEABLE]

Record of Appointment of Postmasters, 1824-1828
This source consists of ledgers listing the names of postmasters, date of appointment, and rate of pay. The ledgers are arranged alphabetically by town. [BROWSEABLE]

Record of Appointment of Postmasters, 1828-1832
This source consists of ledgers listing the names of postmasters, date of appointment, and rate of pay. The ledgers are arranged alphabetically by town. [BROWSEABLE]

Record of Appointment of Substitute Clerks in First- and Second-Class Post Offices, 1899-1905
This series contains the names of substitute clerks appointed from 1899-1905. Information included on the registers include name and date appointed. [BROWSEABLE][INDEXED]

Record of Appointment of Substitute Mail Carriers in First- and Second-Class Post Offices, 1885-1903
Records include name of the carrier, city where the appointment was held, and the date of appointment. [BROWSEABLE]

Record of First Returns Received from Postmasters, October 1789-July 1818
This source consists of ledgers listing the names of postmasters and the date of appointment. The ledgers are arranged by state and then alphabetically by town. [BROWSEABLE] [INDEXED]

A Register of Officers and Agents, Civil, Military, and Naval, in the Service of the United States, on the 30th of September, 1829. Together with the Names, Force, and Condition of All the Ships and Vessels Belonging to the United States, and When and Where Built.
This source is a portion of the register dealing with military personnel and vessels, including a list of officers in the Army, Navy, and Marines. [BROWSEABLE]

A Register of Officers and Agents, Civil, Military, and Naval, in the Service of the United States, on the 30th of September, 1831. Together with the Names, Force, and Condition of All the Ships and Vessels Belonging to the United States, and When and Where Built.
This source is a portion of the register dealing with military personnel and vessels, including a list of officers in the Army, Navy, and Marines. [BROWSEABLE]

The site also includes military, state census, and government employee databases. You must subscribe to the site in order to view the databases. The cost is $24.95 a year.

I found this site on Dear Myrtle.

Online New Mexico Death Records and Indexes

No, I am not morbid. However, I do like death indexes. The Online New Mexico Death Records and Indexes site contains many links about the dearly departed. We are genealogists: we research dead ancestors. It's not ghoulish; it's family!

This site is part of the larger Online Searchable Death Indexes & Records site.

Happy haunting ... um, hunting.

Ghost Towns of New Mexico

Ghost Towns of New Mexico. Short articles, photos, links and books. Everything you want to know about ghost towns in this state. 'nuf said? It's part of a larger website: GhostTowns.com.

Genealogy Databases

While surfing the web today, I found a page on the RootsWeb site that has searchable User-Contributed Databases. These databases include military records, census records, and even yearbooks.


There are databases for many countries and apparently all 50 states. Below are links to the New Mexico databases:


NM: Curry Co: Clovis, New Mexico Class of 1928 - Alumni Lists
NM: Dona Ana Co: 1844 Census - Dona Ana Bend Colony (Includes Las Cruces, Dona Ana, Tortugas, NM) - Census
NM: Dona Ana Co: Desert View Cemetery; Chaparral - Cemetery Records
NM: Lea Co: Antioch Church Cemetery - Cemetery Records
NM: Quay Co: WWII Soldiers from Roosevelt, NM - Military Records
NM: Roosevelt Co: 1914 Yearbook, Portales HS, Portales, NM - Alumni Lists
NM: Roosevelt Co: Eastern New Mexico College - Alumni Lists
NM: Roosevelt Co: Eastern New Mexico College - Alumni Lists
NM: Roosevelt Co: Eastern New Mexico College Yearbook 1944 Freshman Class - Alumni Lists
NM: Roosevelt Co: Eastern New Mexico College Yearbook-Sophmores 1944 - Alumni Lists
NM: Roosevelt Co: Eastern New Mexico University (Portales, NM) Greyhounds 2003 Football Roster - Alumni Lists
NM: Roosevelt Co: El Portal 1953, Portales New Mexico High School - Alumni Lists
NM: Roosevelt Co: Lamb O Rama 1959, Portales Jr High School, Roosevelt County, New Mexico - Alumni Lists
NM: Roosevelt Co: Military Discharge Index, Roosevelt County, NM - Military Records
NM: Roosevelt Co: Portales High School, Portales NM, Class of 1929 50th reunion - Alumni Lists
NM: Roosevelt Co: Portales, NM High School 1915 - Alumni Lists
NM: Roosevelt Co: Portales, NM High School 1920 - Alumni Lists
NM: Roosevelt Co: Portales, NM High School 1923 - Alumni Lists
NM: Roosevelt Co: Portales, NM High School 1924 - Alumni Lists
NM: Roosevelt Co: Portales, NM High School 1925 - Alumni Lists
NM: Roosevelt Co: Portales, NM High School 1926 - Alumni Lists
NM: Roosevelt Co: Portales, NM High School 1927 - Alumni Lists
NM: Roosevelt Co: Portales, NM High School 1928 - Alumni Lists
NM: Roosevelt Co: Roosevelt County, NM, Marriage Records, April 1903 through January 2002 - Marriage Records
NM: San Miguel Co: Highlands University yearbook 1967 - Alumni Lists


Check this site often as databases are added frequently.

More Torres Family Photos

My California counsin Maurine P. sent me a couple more photos of the Torres family:





Maurine writes:

The first (photo) is of Domitila and Crespin about 1930s with Domitila's granddaughter Andreita Luna Gonzales and her husband Daniel and three of their children. The Gonzales family lived in Albuquerque.

Domitila (Torres) Sanchez, was the eldest daughter of Crespin Torres and Andreita Trujillo. Andreita Gonzales is her granddaughter through her daughter Marcelina (Sanchez) Luna.





Maurine writes:

The other (photo) was taken Nov. 25, 1912 in Albuquerque. Jose and Lola Torres were the witnesses at the marriage of Francisco Sanchez to Maria Saavedra Lueras. Francisco is the son of Domitila and Moises Sanchez.

Jose Torres and Lola, or Dolores, Torres were both children of Crespin and Andreita Torres. Therefore, they were the uncle and aunt of Francisco Sanchez. Neither Jose nor Lola were married at that time, which is probably why they witnessed the wedding together.

Revised 6:25 PM, 2 August 2007.