My Grandmothers and Charlemagne

In the past few years, genealogists have discovered a link between the Montes Vigil family of New Mexico and Charlemagne, Holy Roman Emperor. If this link is accurate, it allows many New Mexicans to trace their ancestry back 40+ generations. In my case, I can trace both of my grandmother through that line. I have not found a link for either of my grandfathers.

I used a website called "Beyond Origins of New Mexicans Families" to connect my ancestry to Charlemagne. This website is very reliable, and I trust its conclusions. Click on the link below to read the genealogy that leading researchers have developed. 

Montes Vigil Royal Lineage

I have created two charts that show the relationship between Charlemagne and my paternal grandmother Maria Teresa Torres and my maternal grandmother Maria Paublita Zimmerly. (You may need a Google account to access these charts.)

Relationship between Charlemagne and my paternal grandmother Maria Teresa Torres

Relationshiip between Charlemagne and my maternal grandmother Maria Paublita Zimmerly

Brent A. Cruz has done extensive research connecting the Montes Vigil line to Charlemagne and other notable ancestors and relatives. Click on this link to view his presentation to the GSHA on YouTube.

Obituary: Marjorie Louise Barnett Douglas

Obituary

Marjorie Louise Barnett Douglas, 96, of Clinton, Indiana and formerly of Champaign-Urbana and Hindsboro, Illinois, passed away at 10:00 a.m. April 28, 2020, at Clinton Gardens Nursing Home in Clinton, Indiana.
Born September 14, 1923 in Douglas County, Illinois, she was the daughter of John Will and Lena Pribble Barnett. There were six children in her family and she was the last surviving member.
She attended high school in Hindsboro but graduated from Rantoul High School in 1941.
She was employed most of her adult life in retail sales and retired as a library aide in the Champaign-Urbana school districts.
She attended the Hindsboro United Methodist Church and the Clinton First United Methodist Church. She was active in many organizations including many community and church functions.
Preceding her in death were her parents, three brothers, and two sisters. Her husband, Howard Leon Douglas, preceded her in death on December 4, 2009, after 61 years of marriage.
Surviving is one song: Robert John Douglas of Urbana, Illinois; and one daughter: Brenda Alabaugh and her husband Robert of Clinton, Indiana; three grandchildren: Avada Marie Douglas and her wife Katie Sharp; Andrea Alabaugh Deitchley and her husband Matthew; and David Alabaugh. She leaves two great-grandchildren: Jack and Violet Deitchley along with a step-great-grandchild: Fergus Savage; several sisters-in-law, and many beloved nieces and nephews.
Graveside services provided by Krabel Funeral Home will be held for the family only at Van Voorhis Cemetery in Hindsboro, Illinois on Monday, May 4, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. (Illinois time). No visitation or funeral services will be held.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made either to the Hindsboro United Methodist Church or Clinton First United Methodist Church in Clinton, Indiana.

2020 New Years Genealogical Resolutions

Last year I made a resolution that I would have 12,500 names on my genealogy database by the end of the year. Well, I surpassed that by nearly 1,000 names. I now have 13,473.

This year's resolution is that I will surpass 15,000 names. I think I can do it.

I also wish to publish something this year - whether it's a book or an article. I haven't written an article for a genealogical journal in years. I think I will be able to at least accomplish that.

Have a good year and happy hunting - find those ancestors you are looking for!

Collection of Socorro Family Obituaries

Click on this link: Collection of 419 Obituaries for a list of obituaries that I gathered on Evernote. Most of the obituaries for Socorro families. However, there are a few from my wife's family in the Midwest U.S.

If you wish me to email you a copy of any of these obituaries, please send me an email at info@socorrogrant.org and I'll email you a weblink to the particular obituary that you want. Please type "Evernote obituary request" in Subject line.


Collection of 419 Obituaries

2019 New Year's Resolution

So my 2018 New Year's Resolution was to have 12,500 names in my database by the end of the year. Well, it didn't happen. Mostly because I stopped working on my genealogy in the Spring or Summer. I also was supposed to try to publish volume one of my Socorro Land Grant book. Well, that didn't happen either, for pretty much the same reason.

My 2019 New Year's Resolution is to get to 12,500 names and publish my book. Let's see if it happens this year.

2018 New Year's Resolutions

For the past couple of years I have made a few genealogical resolutions. This year, I'm going to make only two. Last year I said - among other things - that I would have at least 10,000 names on my database. As you can see, I surpassed that goal:

I have 10,403 people on my database. My 2018 resolution is to have 12,500 names by the end of the year.

Last year, I said that I would publish the first volume of my Socorro Land Grant book. Well, I sort of did it. I published an "Advance Copy" of "The Socorro Land Grant, Part I" on Kindle. My 2018 resolution is to publish a print version of the book. I have to do a little more research on about four families, clean up some stuff, and write a narrative. I hope to publish the book by late Spring or early Summer. Meanwhile, enjoy the Kindle version of my (uncompleted) book.

See you next year!

1897 Obituary: Manuel Gallegos y Baca (with genealogy reports)

I found an obituary for a certain Manuel Gallegos y Baca in the 12 March 1897 issue of "The Chieftain" newspaper (Socorro, NM.)

Manuel Gallegos y Baca, of this city, died at his home last Sunday morning, and the funeral ceremony and burial took place the following day. The deceased was born at Belen, January 1st 1819, and came to Socorro in the early thirties. He was married in 1840 to Maria Quitira Garcia, who died about two years ago. They had ten chidren of whom seven survive, viz: Manuel, Fernando, Florentino, Felicitas, Juanita, Martin and Emilia, who are all married.

Source:  Obituary: Manuel Gallegos y Baca, The Chieftain (Socorro, New Mexico), 12 March 1897; online archives (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov : accessed 30 December 2015).

You can access the obituary here.

I did a little bit of research, and was able to find some information about his and his wife's ancestry.  Below I show that ancestry through their daughter Maria Dolores Gallegos. I have particular interest in this family because one of their descendants Eloisa Stackpole married my great granduncle Ricardo Zimmerly. Click on the links below to see descendant and ancestry charts of this family.

Descendants of Manuel Gallegos

Ancestors of Maria Dolores Gallegos

Correction: My distant cousin M.W.H. pointed out on Facebook that I forgot to mention that Manuel Gallegos' grandson Herminio Torres also married a Zimmerly, my great grandaunt Gertrudes Zimmerly. This is true. I actually have him listed in the "Descendants of Manuel Gallegos" report above, but I forgot to mention him specifically in this post. Sorry! - Robert J.C. Baca, 1 January 2017.

2017 Genealogy Resolutions

Well, it's that time again: 2016 is about to close. It is time to make genealogy resolutions.

For 2016, I said that I was going to do three things:
1. I was going to enter enough names in my genealogy database to have 10,000 names. Well, this is what actually happened:

 

As you can see, as of a few minutes ago, I have only 8,613 names in my database. I'm 1,400 short. I chalk this up to making sure my database included quality research, rather than quantity. Right.

 

2. I said that I would publish a book on the Socorro Land Grant families. Well, I'm still working on it. I've registered a book publishing company with the state and city, but I'm probably 2 or 3 months away from finishing this project.

 

3. I said that I would publish articles in a number of publications this year. I didn't publish one *darn* article in ANY journal this year. Oops.

 

 

So, what are my resolutions for this year:

 

1. Get to the 10,000 mark on my database. That's doable. I added nearly 2,000 names this year.

 

2. Publish part I of my Socorro Land Grant book. Yes! I can do this.

 

3. Maybe publish an article or two in a journal or newspaper I haven't published in before. I can do this.

 

4. Complete my indexing of Socorro death certificates found on FamilySerch.org. I indexed quite a lot this year already. I think I can finish. See my other blog, The Socorro Land Grant Research Project, for the death certificates I've already indexed.

 

That's it! Four resolutions this year, instead of three. I guess I never learn.

 

Happy New Year!



Obituaries for two Bourguignon siblings

Felipe Bourguignon and Carolina (Bourguignon) Baca were children of Civil War Union Army Sergeant Philip Bourguignon, and his wife Maria Tomasa Gonzales. Felipe, one of the elder Bourguignon children, was born circa August 1861. Carolina, one of the youngest children, was born on 3 July 1882 in Lemitar, New Mexico.

According to his obituary, Felipe died in hospital in Albuquerque on 5 February 1954. He was 92 years old. Carolina's Bourguignon's obituary stated that she was 80 years old when she died on 17 May 1963. Both obituaries were published in the Albuquerque Journal.

Below are my transcriptions of the obituaries:

Socorro Resident 92; Dies Here
Felipe Bourguignon, 92, of Socorro, died Friday in an Albuquerque hospital.
He is survived by four daughters, Mrs. Andres Romero and Mrs. J.O. Gallegos, both of Albuquerque, Mrs. Mary Bourguignon of Socorro, and Mrs. Estanislado Armijo of Bayard; one sister Mrs. Juan Baca of Socorro; 14 grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements are pending with Garcia Mortuary.

Source: Death notice: Felipe Bourguignon, Albuquerque Journal, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 6 February 1954, p. 10. Microfilm.

BACA - Carolina B. Baca, 80, died in Socorro Friday. She is survived by four sons, Lorenzo B. Baca, Robert B. Baca, Phillip B. Baca, and Martin B. Baca; and one daughter, Prescilla B. Baca, all of Socorro, and eight grandchildren. Recitation of the rosary will be at 7:30 this evening at Steadman Memorial Chapel in Socorro. Requieum mass will be said at 9 a.m. Tuesday in San Miguel Church in Socorro. Interment will be in San Miguel cemetery. Steadman Funeral Home is in charge.

Source: Obituary: Carolina Baca, Albuquerque Journal, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 20 May 1963, Albuquerque Genealogy LAN.

 Carolina's son Robert B. Baca was my grandfather.

Additional Sources: 
1900 U.S. Census, Socorro County, Territory of New Mexico, population schedule, Precinct No. 1, Socorro City, enumeration district (ED) 135, p. 4B, dwelling # 109, family # 109, Felipe Bourgingon (sic); digital images, Ancestry, Library Edition (www.ancestrylibrary.com : accessed 14 February 2016).

Personal tombstone research. Carolina B. Baca tombstone, San Miguel Cemetery, Socorro, New Mexico.

Death by "summer complaint" - Lilly Florence Baca, 1933

My paternal grandparents lost three of their children. One child was Lilly Florence Baca, who was born on April 30, 1933 and died four months and one day later on August 30, 1933.

Her death certificate indicates that she died of bronchial pneumonia, brought on by "Summer complaint" and infectious diarrhea. I had not heard of "Summer complaint", so I decided to look it up.

According to Dictionary.com, "Summer complaint" is

noun

1. an acute condition of diarrhea, occurring during the hot summer months chiefly in infants and children, caused by bacterial contamination of food and associated with poor hygiene.

 

It looks like she died of food poisoning. She was the daughter of Robert Bourguignon Baca and Maria Teresa Torres.

 

sources: 

 

"Socorro County Death Certificates, 1932 - 1935," database, Family Search (www.familysearch.org: accessed 29 March 2016), death certificate: Lilly Florence Baca, DOD August 30, 1930.

 

Definition: summer complaint, Dictionary.com, , accessed 29 March 2016.