Selected 1952 Socorro High School Yearbook Photos

Recently, I went to pick up some items from my sister Janis' house, (she was killed in a car accident last December) and I found two Socorro High School yearbooks. One yearbook was from 1925, and other from 1952.

The 1925 yearbook includes class photos of both of my grandfathers. The 1952 yearbook has a photo of my mother.

I scanned the page that included my mother's photo. Unfortunately, the photos on the bottom of the page came out a little warped. I didn't want to scan too much so that I would not damage the yearbook. I did not even try to scan the 1925 yearbook due to how delicate it is. I hope to get them scanned professionally soon.

My mother, Frances R. Baca. Junior year photo, 1952

1st page of Junior class photos, surnames Atencio through Gonzales

Students listed on the page: Sammy Atencio, Betty Baca, Frances Baca, Frank Baca, Mamie Baca, Fidelia Baldonado, Garnett Burks, Reyna Carillo, Cora Chavez, Jimmie Chavez, Richard Chavez, Betty Jane Clark, Netta Lou Clegg, Pauline Collins, Rosie Cordova, George Emilio, Jennie Gallegos, Jon Gilmore, Evelyn Gozales, and Josie Gonzales.

Searching for Native American Roots

This past weekend, I was at the Albuquerque Special Collections Library when I was approached by two sisters who were trying to apply for a Certificate of Indian Blood for Taos Pueblo. Although I knew next to nothing about how to apply, I did try to my best to help them.

The ladies had compiled a number of documents such as baptismal, birth, marriage and census records. They mentioned that they were having a hard time getting the pueblo to accept their application. They weren't sure what they needed; however, after asking them a number of questions, it appeared that the pueblo was requesting official certified copies of certain documents. Therefore, they would have to request these from specific entities that held these documents.

Some of my suggestions that I gave them were:

1.) They need to contact the pueblo to find out exactly what was required and request required forms. Taos Pueblo has a website (click here) that, although it does not have specific information about how to apply for a certificate, does have contact information for the governor's office. Some very basic information about applying for tribal enrollment can also be found on the U.S. Department of Interior 's website (click here.)

2.) They need to prove an unbroken link between themselves and their ancestor who they believe to have full Taos Pueblo Indian blood (in this case, it was their grandfather.) They must also prove that their ancestor is the same person who is listed in a Indian census of the pueblo. In order to do this, they must follow the Genealogical Proof Standard, which can be found in a number of publications including Genealogical Resources of New Mexico, 3rd Edition and Native American Genealogical Resources of New Mexico, both written and compiled by Karen Stein Daniel, CG^sm and for sale by the New Mexico Genealogical Society (click here.) The Genealogical Proof Standard can also be found on the NMGS website (click here.)

3.) They will also need to provide proper citations for their research. As such, I suggested that they purchase a copy of Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian by Elizabeth Shown Mills. This may be purchased on Amazon.com . If a copy is bought through the NMGS website, proceeds will go to the Albuquerque Special Collections Library to purchase new books.(click here.)

4.) If the pueblo indeed needs certified copies of these records, they would have to request these documents from the organizations that hold the originals. This could include county clerk offices; state records offices; church, diocese and/or archdiocese offices; and the National Archives and Records Administration (click here for the NARA website.) There will be a cost for certified copies. Certified copies are official documents. At no point should anyone send originals of any document to organizations requesting them, as those documents may be lost or become part of the permanent collection of that organization. Certified copies should be sent instead and are more than sufficient to fulfill any request.

5.) I sold them a copy of Native American Genealogical Resources of New Mexico (click here.) There is no other tome like this one. It is thoroughly researched and extensive in its scope. Items included in this volume are a list of archives, libraries and museums; church, mission and religious resources; Family History Library microfilm resources; federal government resources; Internet resources; resources categorized by tribe and pueblo; and much, much more. Anyone researching Native American ancestry in New Mexico (and many other places) will want to have this book in their collection (once again, you can order it by clicking on this link.)

There may be more to researching and applying for tribal enrollment. If anyone has further information, please contact me at abqbobcat@nmia.com and I may post your information on this blog.

Blog post revised 09/29/09.

Several Graves Vandalized at San Miguel Cemetery

From the 12 September 2009 El Defensor Chieftain:

A family going to pay respects to one of their deceased relatives made a grim discovery - several gravesites at the San Miguel Church Cemetery had been vandalized.

The family members quickly reported news of the desecration to San Miguel's Father Andy Pavlak, who alerted city officials.

Among those first notified was Socorro City Councilor Peter Romero.

Romero, who serves on the city's Cemetery Committee, said a midweek tour of the damage revealed nearly a dozen broken or toppled tombstones and grave markers. In all, Romero said he counted 11 vandalized gravesites within the cemetery....

To read the entire article, click on this link.

Using the RMOA to Find Archived Material

The other day, one of my readers asked me to help her find information about a specific land grant that her relatives had homesteaded. I directed her to the Rocky Mountain Online Archive , a database that has finding aids for primary sources that are archived in libraries throughout the region. Participating New Mexico institutions include the University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research, the Fray Angelico Chavez History Library and the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives. There are also finding aids for libraries and archives in Wyoming and Colorado, and a few digital archives that can be accessed directly from the Internet.

To access the RMOA, click on this link. You'll see a page like the one below. You'll want to search the online archive for a specific item. You can, for instance, search for a specific land grant - such as the Sevillita Land Grant. Or, you can search for a specific person. As example, I searched for my 2nd great grandfather, Epitacio Torres:

Click on the image to get a larger view.

The search will give you a list of finding aids that include all the words that you requested. This does not mean that the words will be in the same order as you requested; for instance, it could as easily bring up the names Epitacio Baca and Jose Torres in the document, but not the name Epitacio Torres. Since this search engine does not use soundex, check for all the alternative spellings of the name (Epistacio, Torrez, etc.)

If you get a hit, you'll get a listing of finding aids that have the words that you were searching. Sometimes you'll get four or five finding aids, sometimes, like the example below, you'll get only one listing. Click on each to find the information you are looking for:

Click on the image below to get a larger view.

When you click on the finding aid, you will see the collection's title, (in this case "Inventory of the Board of Trustees of the Sevilleta Grant Records, 1887-1939") the institution where it can be found ("The Center of Southwest Research") and usually contact information and a website link. There is also a collection summary and other details about the collection.

Click on the image to get a larger view.



Often, there is a large content list, as there are many files within the collection. I find that the easiest way to find a name on the list is search the finding aid itself. They way to do this, on Windows at least, is to press "Control" and "F" and the same time. This will bring up a search box. Type in the name that you are looking for. The name may be found a few times in the finding aid, so continue clicking "next" until you find the document you are looking for. In this case, I found one file that included Epitacio Torres' name. Take note of box and file numbers as you will need them when you request the file from the archive.

Click on the image below to get a larger view.


In order to access the actual file or document, you will need to go down to the institution itself, or request that they mail you a copy of the document. There are certain mailing and copying costs. Also, copies may not be ready for a few days, so you may have to pick them up later or have them mailed to you. Speak to a librarian or archivist from the institution for more information. Please remember to check the institution's operating times before visting so that you will not visit there when they are closed.

When you visit the institution, make sure to give them the collection title, collection number, box number, file number and any other pertinent information. This information can be found in the finding aid itself, as shown below. You may need to fill out a form to request the file, you may be required to leave your belongings in a locker, and may only be required to use a pencil only. You may also not be able to see the original itself, and instead may have to view the microfilm copy. The institution may impose certain copyright restrictions, and citation requirements.

Click on the image below to get a larger view.

I hope this guide has helped you understand how to use the RMOA website for research. More information can be found on the website itself.

Link.

October 17, 2009 NMGS Program

Saturday, October 17, 2009, 10:30 AM
Albuquerque Special Collections Library
423 Central NE, Albuquerque NM
(NW Corner of Edith and Central)

The New Mexico Genealogical Society presents

John Taylor
Author of “Bloody Valverde”
and co-author, with Thomas S. Edrington, of “The Battle of Glorieta Pass”

will speak on

The Civil War in New Mexico

Famed historian John Taylor will discuss how New Mexico played a part in the Civil War. He will sign copies of his books at the presentation.

This program is free and open to the public.

For more information about our programs, please visit the New Mexico Genealogical Society website at http://www.nmgs.org/workshop.htm

Sandia Mountains Program - Tomorrow, Sept. 19th!

Saturday, September 19, 2009, 10:30 AM
Santo Niño Historic Church
At the intersection of State Highways 333 & 337
Tijeras, New Mexico



The New Mexico Genealogical Society
in conjunction with the East Mountain Historical Society present

The Towns of the Sandia Mountains
Mike Smith, historian and author

The Sandia Mountains have been home to people for millennia. From Navajo, to Spanish, to American Civil War soldiers and beyond, many people have traveled through and lived in this area. Mike Smith collected photographs and stories about this place, and published it in his popular book “The Towns of the Sandia Mountains.” Now, The New Mexico Genealogical Society in cooperation with the East Mountain Historical Society presents this author and his stories.

Mike Smith will be selling and signing copies of his book at the program.

Revised Directions: The Santo Niño Historical Church in Tijeras, NM. From Albuquerque: take I-40 east to Exit 175. At the stop sign go right. You will be on 333 or old US66. Pass the Wells Fargo bank, the post office and the information center. Turn right. The church will be visable ahead.


This Program is Free and Open to the Public

For more information about the East Mountain Historical Society, visit their website at http://www.eastmountainhistory.org/.

For more information about the New Mexico Genealogical Society, visit our website at http://www.nmgs.org/.

Vintage Postcards of New Mexico

My friend Nancy Lopez has a really good website that she calls Cybergata. It includes her genealogy, transcriptions of vital records and photos. It also has a page of vintage New Mexico postcards.

To view these postcards, click on the following link.

New Look

If you are viewing this post from the blog, you already know that I've changed the look of the blog. I wanted to put a photo that meant more to my personal genealogy than the Albuquerque skyline, so I picked my parent's wedding photo as the title image. I also picked a template that was easier to view and read.

If you are reading this post via email, check out the new looks by going to my blog at http://nmgenealogy.blogspot.com.

I've also changed the look of the New Mexico Genealogical Society Blog. Check it out at http://nmgsblog.blogspot.com.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Trading Cards - Collect them all!

Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings and Sheri Fenley of The Educated Genealogist suggested this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Trading Cards. Mine is below:

Collect them all! My collection can be found on my Facebook page: click on this link!

Volunteers Needed for New Mexico Death Certificate Project

ANNOUNCEMENT:

How would you like to be a part of the New Mexico Death Certificate Project? The project is ready to go and volunteers are needed. You can work one day a week or more - whatever fits your schedule. Some of the work will be done at Special Collections Library and some will be able to be done at home. Hugh Bivens is the contact person for this project but is looking for another person to coordinate volunteer schedules, etc.

Hugh is at Special Collections Library every Tuesday and Thursday so you can contact him there to get more information.

The software has been developed and tested. Volunteers are now needed to move death certificate images from microfilm rolls to digital format. This involves operating a microfilm machine that you may already have used it in your personal research. Training will be provided to make you comfortable in the operation of the machine. Since having New Mexico Death Certificates available on our website is mainly going to help people searching for their New Mexico ancestors, it seems to make sense that NMGS take an active role in getting this done. Talk to Hugh Bivens or Gail Rassmussen regarding the project if you are interested in helping . The phone number at the Albuquerque Special Collections Library is (505) 848-1376.

The Albuquerque Special Collection Library website is http://www.cabq.gov/library/specol.html

Another Pair of Socorro Obituaries

Although they have the same last name as me, Juan Jose Baca, Jr., and his brothers and sisters are not directly related to me. Rather they are distant cousins of mine through my mother's family. Juan Jose was the grandson of my 4th great grandmother, Maria Guadalupe Torres. Guadalupe Torres married two men: Francisco Antonio Garcia, who was my 4th great grandfather, and Pedro Antonio Baca, who was Juan Jose, Jr.'s grandfather. Therefore, Juan Jose Baca, Jr., is my half 1st cousin, 3 times removed. He and my 2nd great grandmother Maria Guadalupe Padilla, (not to be confused with the previously mentioned Maria Guadalupe Torres, who was her grandmother) would have been half 1st cousins.

Confused? I know, it's hard for me to keep it all staight, too. If you want to read more about this family, check out my previous post "Some Notes on my March 21st NMGS Presentation", or read my article "Maria Guadalupe Torres: One Woman's Life in Nineteenth Century Socorro" in the June 2009 New Mexico Genealogist. If you wish to order a copy of that issue, click on this link.

I found two obituaries for Juan Jose Baca, Jr. in the Albuquerque Special Collection Library's computer databases. Both were published in the Albuquerque Journal.

The first obituary can be found on page 10 of the 17 June 1941 Albuquerque Journal. The obituary says that Juan Jose died on Sunday in El Paso, TX. I checked the date of the week calculator on Ancestry Search, (link) and found that June 17th fell on a Tuesday that year. Therefore, his death occured two days before, which would make his date of death as June 15th.

The obituary notes that he was survived by five brothers, but lists only three: Emilio M, Felipe N., J.N. Baca and Lucas Baca. This corresponds to the information I already have on the brothers: J.N. would be Juan Nepomuceno, while the fifth brother may be Solomon.

The record also shows that Juan Jose was survived by three sisters: Mrs. Antonio Otero, Mrs. Jim Romero, and Mrs. A. A. Romero. None of their first names are noted. From other sources, I have the names of five of his sisters: Guadalupe, Dominica, Maria Isabela, Angelina, and Pabla. I know that Guadalupe married Edward Fortune in 1887, so she appears not to be one of the living sisters listed. I don't know who the other sisters married, so at this time I can't match them to the names listed in the obituary.

Neither this obituary, nor the next, mention that Juan Jose had a wife or children.

According to his obituaries, Juan Jose was a World War I veteran, and a member of the Benavides Grande Post No. 82, a chapter of the American Legion.

On the same page as this obituary are two other obituaries: one for Francis Willis Marks, and the other for Dionocio Aguilar Martinez.

Click on the image below to get a larger picture:

The second obituary, published on page 3 of the 18 June 1941 edition of the Albuquerque Journal, does not mention Juan Jose Baca, Jr.'s family. It does, however, mention a few Socorro residents, some of who I recognize.

Juan Jose's pall bearers were members of the Home Guard: Juan Castillo, John Matthews, Tom Olguin, Julius Frassinet, Paul A. Padilla, and Paul Burt. His escort were Capt. W.E. West, Lieut. Rafael Lopez, Y.G. Phillip, B. Baca, John Montoya, Hugh Fraser, George Downs, and Henry Del Curto. The mass was celebrated by Rev. R. M. Libertini.

On the same page as this obituary, you will find the obituaries for Dionicio Aguilar Martinez, Anglie GAllegos Mora, Mr. Kee Silson, and Mrs. Eunice L. Zehr.

Click on the image below to get a larger picture:

I've created a family group sheet for Juan Jose Justo Mariano Baca and Maria Francisca Miera, the parents of Juan Jose Baca, Jr. This chart includes J.J. Baca's siblings and himself. Click on this link to view it (you will need a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.)

September 19, 2009 NMGS Program

Saturday, September 19, 2009, 10:30 AM
Santo Niño Historic Church
At the intersection of State Highways 333 & 337
Tijeras, New Mexico


The New Mexico Genealogical Society
in conjunction with the East Mountain Historical Society present

The Towns of the Sandia Mountains
Mike Smith, historian and author

The Sandia Mountains have been home to people for millennia. From Navajo, to Spanish, to American Civil War soldiers and beyond, many people have traveled through and lived in this area. Mike Smith collected photographs and stories about this place, and published it in his popular book “The Towns of the Sandia Mountains.” Now, The New Mexico Genealogical Society in cooperation with the East Mountain Historical Society presents this author and his stories.

Mike Smith will be selling and signing copies of his book at the program.

Directions: The Santo Niño Historical Church is located at the intersection of State Highways 333 and 337 in Tijeras, New Mexico. From I-40, take the Tijeras exit. At the stoplight, turn right, and travel West, past the library. The church should be easy to spot from there.

This Program is Free and Open to the Public

For more information about the East Mountain Historical Society, visit their website at http://www.eastmountainhistory.org/.

For more information about the New Mexico Genealogical Society, visit our website at http://www.nmgs.org/.

Desolate Outpost: Fort Craig, New Mexico

Seaching for information about Fort Craig, I found this link from 30 August 1998 Albuquerque Journal article titled "Desolate Outpost".

Fort Craig was a military fort 35 south of Socorro, New Mexico. Not much remains of the post, just a few crumbling adobe buildings. However, the history of the fort is fascinating. Please read the article.

I've also found these two links that are interesting:

* Images of Old Fort Craig and Valverde, New Mexico

* Fort Craig, New Mexico

* Fort Craig National Historic Site

* Graverobbers desecrate and loot Ft. Craig, N.M., cemetery

* Government Secretly Exhumes Bodies at Historic Cemetery After Grave Looting Tip

* Old West Mystery, Solved in D.C.

Two Obituaries from Socorro, New Mexico

Below are two obituaries that I found on the Albuquerque Special Collection Library's genealogy computer databases. Although they are both from Socorro, they were actually listed in the Albuquerque Journal newspapers.

The first obituary is for my great-grandmother Adelfina (Torres) Zimmerly. She was born on 30 October 1887 and died on 7 May 1978 at 85 years old. This obituary was printed in the Death and Funerals section of the Albuquerque Journal, 9 May 1978. Click on the image below to view it full sized:

Adelfina, or Delfina as she was often known, was my maternal grandmother Maria Pablita (Zimmerly) Baca's mother. Ben F. Zimmerly, who died a year and half later on 6 December 1979, was my grandmother Pablita's cousin. Another source shows that his full name was Benjamin Franklin Zimmerly. This obituary was published on 7 December 1979 in the Albuquerque Journal "Death and Funerals" section. Click on the image below to view it full sized.

If you are ever in Albuquerque, I suggest that you visit the Special Collections Library at 423 Central Ave NE, on the corner of Central and Edith Blvd. They have a computer database that contains not only obituaries, but also other documents, indexes, journals and complete books. However, it can only be accessed from the library itself, and is not online.

For more about my great-granmother Adelfina (Torres) Zimmerly, visit these links:

* Wedding of Esteban Zimmerlay and Delfina Torres

* Five Generation Photo