March 15, 2014 NMGS Program - Dr. William Litchman, CG

March 15, 2014

The Genealogy Center
On the Second Level of
The Albuquerque Main Library
501 Copper Street
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(on the northwest corner of 5th and Copper)

Saturday, March 15, 2014
10:30 AM - 12:30 PM

The New Mexico Genealogical Society

Presents

Dr. William Litchman, CG

Practicing Logic and Analysis: The Case of Henry F Neher

Research problems in genealogy are as varied as life itself. As decision-making in life is helped by knowing a few facts and acting with common sense on them, so research into family structure is like life decisions. Begin with as much evidence as you have at hand, and then add to that store one piece at a time until you have enough to make a sensible, fact-supported conclusion. Sometimes it takes only the tiniest tidbit of truth to clinch the conclusion.

This program is free and open to the public.

Questions? Call (505) 848-1376 or email info@nmgs.org.

Ignacio Baca - POW who died in Manchuria during World War II

On December 12, 1942, Pfc. Ignacio Baca died in the Hoten POW Camp in Mukden, Manchuria. He had been captured in the Bataan Peninsula of the Philippines. He was put on the ship Tottori Maru with 1,200 other men and shipped off to Japan. Because of the terrible crowded conditions on the ship, and the fact that the ship survived both a torpedo attack and a typhoon, the ship was called a "hell ship" by the survivors. Most of the soldiers on the ship were sent to the Manchurian prison camp.


 On June 22, 1943, the El Paso Herald announced the death of Pfc.Ignacio Baca in an article titled "Socorro Man Dies in Prison Camp". The article reads "Pfc. Ignacio Baca, son of Serito Baca of Socorro, N.M., died in a prison camp in Asia, the War Department announced today." The rest of the article mentioned other New Mexicans who died in the war.

Ignacio was born on May 20, 1915. He was 27 years old.

Ignacio was the 1st cousin of my maternal grandfather Santiago Baca.


For more information about Pfc. Ignacio Baca, click on this link. The link is part of the Bataan-Corregidor Memorial Foundation of New Mexico, Inc. website.

A Tragic Fire

 My grandfather's business and his dreams were burned down in 1959. Below is an excerpt from my article "A Baca Family in Socorro County, New Mexico: 1808- Present" (New Mexico Genealogist 44, December 2010, p. 199.)

On Wednesday, March 13, 1959, at 3:30 PM, my grandparent’s business burned down. At the time, only two businesses were operating in the building: Baca’s Clothier’s and Scotty’s Hardware and Appliance Company. The fire apparently started in a locked shop in the rear of the building. Since the phone lines had burned, employees were unable to immediately make a call to the Socorro Hose Company. In little over an hour, the entire building was lost. The only good news was that my grandparent’s home, which was located just west of the building, escaped damage.[1] Two weeks later, it was estimated that my grandfather lost $50,000 in building and stock, while the owner of the other business, J.E. Scott, lost up to $100,000 in merchandise. Neither business owner believed that their insurance would cover their entire losses; my grandfather estimated that only half of his claim would be paid. The newspaper reports at the time indicated that this was one of the worst fires in Socorro history.[2]

Santiago would not rebuild his business. Within two years, he would be gone. Santiago died suddenly at home on 19 July 1961.[3]

 

Photos of the Baca Clothier/Scotty's Appliances fire

  

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[1] “Fire Destroys Two Stores: Scotty’s and Baca’s Clothiers Gutted Today by Roaring Flames”, El Defensor - Socorro County News, Socorro, New Mexico, 13 May 1959, pp. 1 & 8

[2] Untitled caption to three photos of the Scotty/Baca fire, El Defensor - Socorro County News, Socorro, New Mexico, 27 May 1959, p. 1.

[3] "Albuquerque Journal obituaries", Santiago Baca obituary, 20 July 1961. Retrieved from the Albuquerque Special Collections Library databases, retrieved 10 May 2008.

A "Get Help" Workshop - February 15, 2014

February 2014

The Genealogy Center
On the Second Level of
The Albuquerque Main Library
501 Copper Street
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(on the northwest corner of 5th and Copper)

(Click here to view map.)

Saturday, February 15, 2014
10:30 AM - 12:30 PM

The New Mexico Genealogical Society

Presents

A "Get Help" Workshop

This will be a general "get help" type workshop with representatives from the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) and Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).

This program is free and open to the public.

Questions? Call (505) 848-1376 or email info@nmgs.org.

Sunday's Obituary - John William Hanks

An obituary for my wife's great-grandfather John William Hanks. He was her paternal grandmother's father. He was born on 14 April 1856 and died on 3 March 1933.