A Moment in a Lifetime: My Grandfather's WWII Draft Card

Being a patriotic American (and required by law), my paternal grandfather completed a draft card a year before the U.S. entered World War II. On October 16, 1940, Robert Bourguignon Baca signed his name to the form. It shows that he was born in Lemitar, New Mexico, a small village 7 miles north of Socorro, where he resided. He was born on May 11, 1907, and was a citizen of the United States. He was 33 years old at the time he completed the form.

He worked for the Socorro Post Office. The person who would always know his address was his wife, Mrs. Robert B. Baca - my grandmother Maria Teresa (Torres) Baca. He was listed as 5'11" and 190 pounds. He had brown eyes, black hair, and a dark complexion. He had no obvious identifiable physical characteristics. 

Although I pretty much knew all this information before, it's still nice to see this snapshot of a moment in his lifetime. It also confirms that he was going by the name Robert Bourguignon Baca - Bourguignon being his mother's surname. It has his signature, and it gives his height. My dad and others said that he was over 6 feet tall - and indeed pictures of him, especially when he's standing next to my dad who was 5'9" seem to indicate that he might have actually been at least 6 feet. (Side note: I'm 5'10" when I don't slouch. I once said to my dad, "hey, dad, I'm taller than you!" My dad responded, "you may be taller than me, but you aren't taller than your father!" Of course it was just a joke: I look a lot like my father.)

I was very young when my grandfather died - about 4 years old. I honestly don't remember him and I don't have any pictures of me with him. I wish I knew him better. My sisters and many of my cousins remember him. I've been told that I look a lot like him, especially when I wear a suit and fedora. 

Source: "New Mexico, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSSB-2SYQ-5?view=explore : Oct 24, 2026), image 482 of 1033; National Personnel Records Center (St. Louis, Missouri).

Image Group Number: 101688584

Article about the Zimmerly Family in the Socorro County Historical Society website

One of the first articles that I used for research was titled "Zimmerly Family in Socorro for 100 Years" which was published in the El Defensor Chieftain on November 17, 1966. There are some mistakes in the article - for instance it says that Samuel Zimmerly was from Germany. He actually was from Switzerland. However, it had a lot of great genealogical information about his descendants. I am personal descended from his son Estevan (Steve) Zimmerly and Delfina Torres, and their daughter Maria Paublita (again, another mistake was the she was born on December 10, 1909, not 1924. December 10, 1924 was the date that her brother Albert was born. 

Here is a link to the transcribed version of the article.

My genealogy database now lists over 17,000 people

 Hello, friends:

Today my Socorro Land Grant Project genealogy database has exceeded 17,000 names. Are you interested in finding out about your family who lived in the Socorro area? Contact me. We could share information with each other. 

I tend to do research in spurts. It helps that this weekend is my Labor Day break. 

I'll be posting this database to Ancestry.com. I suggested to everyone that you save your database online every so often in case your computer is lost or damaged and you lose your data. This uploaded database will be private, as I have a lot of projects that I'll be working on in the future. 

Happy researching!

- RJCB

 

Video Blog: Finding Philip Bourguignon's Family in Census Records

I uploaded a new video blog to YouTube: "Using New Mexico Census Records to Find Sgt. Bourguignon's Children". 

In the video, I discuss my 2nd great-grandfather Philip Bourguignon's part in history, find his family in various U.S. censuses, and follow his wife to Albuquerque to visit her son Luis, whose family was living in the Barelas neighborhood. Along the way, I add names and records to my Ancestry.com family tree.

Samuel Zimmerly's Civil War Pension Files (from index)

 Unlike my 2nd great-grandfather Philip Bourguignon, I do know my 2nd great-grandfather Samuel Zimmerly's date of death. Based on his obituary, Samuel died circa November 20, 1887. A history of the Zimmerly family states that he died on November 20, 1887, while the obituary below mentions that he died the day before the publication date of November 22, 1887.

Zimmerly was a member of Co. B, 1st Infantry, of the California Column. The obituary mentions other members of the same company including Samuel C. Meek, Joseph D. Emmerson, Richard Patterson, Councilman McCuistion, E.L. Smart, and Sam Creevy, all who were residents of the city of Socorro and its vicinity. 

Sources: 

Author Anonymous, "Zimmerly Family in Socorro for 100 Years," El Defensor Chieftain (Socorro, New Mexico) (17 November 1966). 

"Samuel Zimmerly's Obituary," obituary, p. 3, Santa Fe New Mexico, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 22 November 1887; online archives (http://0-access.newspaperarchive.com.albuq.cabq.gov/us/new-mexico/santa-fe/santa-fe-new-mexican : accessed 2 September 2026).

The pension index below shows that Samuel Zimmerly applied for an invalid Civil War pension on September 21, 1885, while his wife Paula Torres de Zimmerly applied for a widow's pension on July 18, 1889. 

Source: "U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934," database, Ancestry.com (Ancestry.com: accessed 2 September 2026), Index of Invalid and Widow's pension files. Pension Requests made by Samuel and Paula Torres de Zimmerly

Philip Bourguignon's Death Date?

Until recently, I wasn't able to estimate the date that Philip Bourguignon died. However, after reviewing a pension record index, I believe that I can use this record to estimate his death date within a two-year period. 

It appears that my 2nd great-grandfather may have died between May 25, 1892, and July 14, 1894. I base it on the pension index below that shows the dates of Philip's Civil War invalid pension request and his wife Tomasita's request for a widow's pension. 

Source: "U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934," database, Ancestry.com (Ancestry.com: accessed 2 September 2026), Index of Invalid and Widow's pension files. Pension Requests made by Philip and Tomasita Bourguignon.

New Video Blog: "Reflections on My Father's Baca Family"

With the passing of my Aunt Maryetta recently, I decided to do a little bit of reflection on my dad's family. My aunt was the last of her generation to pass - the last of her siblings. She only has one living Baca cousin. 

My Book "History and Families of the Socorro Land Grant, Part I" Now on Sale!

 

Hello, dear readers!

My book "History and Families of the Socorro Land Grant, Part I: The Baca Family and Their Descendants" is now on sale at Amazon.com!

After over 25 years of research, my efforts are finally realized. This book includes genealogies of 35 out of 66 founding families of the Socorro Land Grant. In the future, I will publish genealogies of the remaining families.

This is a valuable resource for family historians and the general public who are interested in families of the area of Socorro, New Mexico. Follow this link to purchase a copy of the book.

Using the Native Bound Unbound Database to Find Our Native Ancestors

 If you haven't heard of the of the "Native Bound Unbound" Project and Database, you are missing out on an important resource for New Mexico genealogy and history. As a Hispanic New Mexican, I know that my ancestry is complicated. I am descended from both Spanish enslavers and indigenous enslaved. The project's goal is to identify enslaved Native people who are not normally mentioned in historical records. Their names are out there; often they are given Spanish names rather than their original birth names. But they are out there and need to be recognized and celebrated. 

Doing a cursory review of the database, I have already found a number of my ancestors who enslaved people. And I found at least one ancestor who was once enslaved. 

I have written about Jose Tomas Candelaria before on this blog. He is my fifth great grandfather on my Grandmother Maria Teresa (Torres) Baca's side of the family. Apparently, according to my uncles, my great grandmother Juana Andrea Montoya (Teresa's mother) indicated that she was Apache. Although my research does show that she has a number of "Spanish" ancestors, her 2nd great grandfather is Jose Tomas Candelaria, a genizaro. Genizaros were de-tribalized Natives who often were captured as children and put in Spanish households. Many received their freedom as adults and often received land, usually in the outskirts of communities in order to be a buffer against raids from certain tribes. 

Jose Tomas Candelaria was listed as a "genizaro" in the 1790 Spanish census of the 4th plaza of Alburquerque. He is one of a few Candelaria people listed as genizaros, indicating that a few of these citizens were probably raised in one or more Spanish Candelaria households. In entry # 155, 20-year-old Jose Tomas Candelaria is listed with his 15-year-old mestiza wife Ana Maria Gallego. In the Spanish caste system, mestizos were people of mixed Spanish and Native parentage. 

Review an image of the actual census record as well as a translated transcription of the records. The Candelaria/Gallego household is entry # 155 on the page.

Jose Tomas Candelaria entry in the 1790 Census

Once again, this is a great resource for research. Although the transcriptions are only for the household that include Native peoples, images of the entire census are there to peruse. This is a free resource that genealogists should use.

Let us honor all of our ancestors, especially those who were silently ignored over the years. 

Book Signing and Presentation: "Baca Family Connections to the Socorro Land Grant"

 Yay! The time is nearly here. I will have my first official book signing at the Albuquerque Genealogy Center (Albuquerque Main Library), 501 Copper NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2nd Floor, on November 22, 2025, between 10:30 and Noon. 

My book "History and Families of the Socorro Land Grant, Part I: The Baca Family and Their Descendants" will be on sale on Amazon.com on November 3rd. I'll put a link on this blog on that date. Retail price is $50.

I'll be reading from the book and answering questions.

I will sell and sign the book at the event for the discounted price of $40. Please bring cash or check. Cards will not be accepted.

Click on this Link to See or Print out the Flyer.