My maternal Baca Family, part II

My great-grandparents Rafael Baca and Josefa Padilla, with two of their children Santiago (my maternal grandfather) and Ramona (baby.) Photo courtesy Judy Vaiza.

In an article I posted yesterday, I discussed my mom's Baca family. I explained that my third great-grandfather Jose Rafael Baca was somewhat of a mystery. Although I could name his son Ramon, knew Ramon's approximate birth date, knew that Jose Rafael was married to Maria de la luz Jesus Chaves, and that Jose Rafael died on 24 January 1838, I had to guess as to whom his parents were. That guess was Dionisio Antonio Baca and Ana Maria Sanchez, which further research gave me a birth date for Jose Rafael of 25 October 1808, in Tome, New Mexico. But honestly, that's just a guess. I'm not sure.

According to the U.S. Census, Jose Rafeal's only son Ramon had nine children living in 1900. I decided to look deeper into four of his children's families: Juliana, Serito, Maximiano, and my great-grandfather Rafael.

Juliana Baca, who, according to the 1900 Census, was born in January 1866, married Jose Leon Benavidez on 26 November 1890 in the San Miguel Parish in Socorro, New Mexico.

Serito Baca, was born in February 1870, according to the same census. I have not found a record of his marriage, but I know that he was married, based on the 1930 census. I know that others have his wife's name, which they probably got from their children's baptismal record, but I will leave this information blank her since I have not discovered it for myself.

The same census shows Maximiano Baca as being born in February 1874. He married Maria de Jesus Lopez on 14 February 1898, in Socorro, New Mexico.

According to his tombstone in the Luis Lopez cemetery, Rafael Baca was born on 8 February 1878. He married his wife Josefa Padilla on 28 November 1903, in Socorro, New Mexico. Incidentally, Rafael Baca and Josefa Padilla were first cousins, once removed, through their Padilla lines.

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While the 1930 United States census has a number of records for this family, I have not been able to find a record for Juliana Baca and Jose Leon Benavidez. They may have passed away by this time, were not enumerated in the census, or are hiding somewhere where I can't find them. However, one of their daughters shows up in the census.

Veronica Baca Benavidez and her husband Felipe Padilla can be found in Lemitar, New Mexico (dwelling 80, family 86.) According to the census , Felipe was 27 years old, and Veronica was 28 years old in 1930. The record says that they were married for the first time at 17 years old and 28 years old, respectively, which would indicate a 1920 date. However, the San Miguel Parish records show that they were actually married on 27 June 1917 in Socorro, New Mexico (Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Roll # 16997.)

Three of their daughters are enumerated in the record: Amadita, 10 years old; Marianita, 8 years old; and Aguida, 10 months old.

I could not find a 1930 census record for Veronica's sister, Prescila Benavidez. There may be a 1920 Census record for her and her husband Hilario B. Gonzales, since they were married at the San Miguel Parish in Socorro, New Mexico on 16 December 1914 (Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Roll # 16997.) I haven't had a chance to look for this record.

There is another Hilario Gonzales listed on the same page as Veronica (dwelling 84, family 91), but it is obviously not the same person as Prescila's husband. The man in that record is 65 years old, and has a wife Librada who is 75 years old. I show that the elder Hilario was married to Maria de Jesus Bourguignon on 5 March 1889 in Socorro, New Mexico, [Matrimonios San Miguel del Socorro, San Ignacio y San Cristobal, San Marcial & Our Lady of Guadalupe of La Jolla (Albuquerque: Hispanic Genealogical Research Center, 1999.), 186] so this may mean that his first wife had died by this time, and he married another woman. Or, this is different Hilario, although that seems unlikely. They were both from Lemitar.

Coincidentally, the younger Hilario Gonzales was my paternal grandfather's 1st cousin through their mutual grandparents Philip Bourguignon and Tomasa Gonzales. That would make Hilario and Prescila's grandchildren my double third cousins.

I will talk more about Veronica and Prescila in Part III of this article, which will be on my Socorro and the Beyond Graveyard Rabbit blog.

Click on the record below to view an image of the census record mentioned above.

Source: Multiple households, 1930 U. S. census, population schedule schedule, Socorro County, New Mexico, Precinct # 2 Lemitar, enumeration district # 27-2, page # 5A, retrieved 11 March 2010.; digital image, Footnote.com (http://www.footnote.com/).

The next two pages of the census that I profile here include three of the Baca siblings. These are sequential pages for the town of Luis Lopez, New Mexico.

Page 1A, includes two of the families and the head of the third. Max P. Baca, who is 53, and his wife Maria de Jesus, 46, are listed in dwelling 1, family 1. Seven of their children are listed:

* Filomenia is their 27 old single daughter

* Lupe is their 20 year old single daughter.

* Ramon is their 18 year old single son.

* Johnny is their 16 year old son.

* Gregorio is their 14 year old son.

* Ruth is their 10 year old daughter

* and, last, but not least, Cilvianita (?) is their 8 year old daughter.

Max is listed as a "general farmer", while Lupe is a public school teacher and Ramon is a laborer for the State Highway.

My great-grandfather Rafael Baca is listed as a widower under dwelling 8, family 8. His wife Josepha Padilla died nearly three years prior 15 September 1927 (Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Roll # 16997.) Rafael is also listed as a farmer, with his single 21 year old son Santiago (my maternal grandfather) listed as a public school teacher, like his cousin Lupe. Rafael's other children listed in this household are: his single 19 year old daughter Ramona; his 13 year old son Felipe; his 6 year old son Alvaro; and his single 17 daughter Eugenia.

On the bottom of page 1A, Zerito (Serito) Baca is listed by himself, with his family continuing on page 1B. They are dwelling 9, family 9. Sixty year old widower Serito Baca, a farmer like his brothers, had been married when he was 30 years old. Six of his children are listed, all single:

* Albanita, 27 year old daughter

*Adrian, 23 year old son

* Jennie, 21 year old daughter, was a public school teacher like her cousins.

* Flora, 19 year old daughter

* Eloisa, 17 year old daughter'

* Ignacio, 15 year old son

Click on the two pages below to view these households.

Source: Multiple household, 1930 U. S. census, population schedule, Socorro County, New Mexico, Village of Luis Lopez, district # 21, enumeration district 27-16, page 1A, accessed 11 March 2010.; digital image, Footnote.com (www.footnote.com).

Source: Zerito Baca household, 1930 U. S. census, population schedule, Socorro, New Mexico, Village of Luis Lopez, district # 21, enumeration district 27-16, page 1B, dwelling 9, family 9, accessed 11 March 2010.; digital image, Footnote.com (www.footnote.com).

In next part of this series about "My Maternal Baca Family", I will look at three recent obituaries that will shed light on the grandchildren of Juliana Baca and Jose Leon Benavidez. It will be posted on the Socorro and the Beyond Graveyard Rabbit blog in the next couple of days.