Skip to main content

Notes on Grandpa's job

My mother was born in 1904 in the city of Monterrey, Mexico. Her dad was a circuit judge. As I review my mother's birth certificate, the document notes my grandfathers position as an agent of the public ministry, which I believe is the equivalent of a prosecutor attorney.  According to my grandfather's unpublished book, he was a judge in the town of Mascota from 1887 to 1892. He also notes that he was a judge in the following towns during the period of 1908 to 1924: Sayula, Autlan, Ameca, Cocula, Tecolotlan, San Juan de los Lagos, La Barca, Guadalajara, and Chapala. These towns are located in the Mexican state of Jalisco. During this time period, there were at least two warring factions: Carrancistas (followers of Venustiano Carranza) and Maderistas (followers of Fransisco Madero). A third group were the Villistas (followers of Pancho Villa) These groups invaded the towns where my grandfather was a judge. I am not sure whether Grandma Florencia accompanied my grandfather and mother. My source is Carlos Martin Boyzo Nolasco. http://gacetamichoacana.com

A note about Florencia. Grandma Flor was born in Autlan, Jalisco, Mexico on February 23, 1864. Her father was Don Jesus Contreras and her mother was Micaela Cuevas. Grandpa married on M 26, 1880. The wedding was held at the Sagrario Metropolitano church in Guadalajara, Mexico.

The church of the Latter-Day Saints maintains scrupulous records of persons born in Mexico. 
Their digital records indicate that my grandmother had two siblings named Antonio Contreras and Melecio Contreras. My mother never mentioned their names.

The children of this marriage were: Jose Miguel, Felipe de Jesus, Gabriel, Luis Rafael, Guadalalupe, and Maria del Refugio del Carmen (Carmelita). Carmelita was my mother.

Grandma passed away on May 11, 1921 in San Pedro Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, Mexico. She was interned in a hospice (manicomio) at this location.

Grandpa graduated from law school the year before his marriage (June 11, 1879). Very little is known about my grandmother, except that she was a very happy person who enjoyed playing cards and have an occasional nip. My mother adored Florencia.



Grandma was a beautiful woman.


Grandpa remarried a year after grandma died. He married Ms. Ana Maria Mendez de Leon, who according to my mom, was very strict. My mother also told me that grandpa was very strict with his boys. When they graduated from high school, he offered them a college education. Not one of my uncles, according to my mother, decided to attend college, so grandpa placed them, one a a time, to work at a barber shop sweeping hair (my mom's words).

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

DNA Results

 I have been thinking about doing a DJNA test as to ascertain my genealogical origins. I selected FamilyTreeDNA as the laboratory to conduct such test. I started by requesting a Y chromosome study, which means the chromosome that is passed from father to son. Here are some results: My Haplogroup is J-Z631. My understanding as a lay person is that Haplogroup refers to a genealogical tree branch. According to FamilyTreeDNA my paternal line was formed when it branched from the ancestor J-Z8421, and the rest of mankind, around 1900 BCE.  The man who is the most recent common ancestor of this line is estimated to have been born around 950 BCE (FamilyTreeDNA.) He is the ancestor of at least six descendant lineages known as J-Y87605, J-Z1043, J-Y144394, J-BY178901, J-FT101890, and J-PH9933. There are 793 DNA tested descendants whose earliest known origins are from Germany, United States, England and 46 other countries. Descendants of J-Z631 (my Haplogroup) are from these countries: S...

What is this Blog About?

What I want to talk about is the content of this blog. My original intent is to convey some of the history of who I am and where I come from. I do this by providing some data that was originally written by my grandfather and the long conversations I had with my dearly departed father and mother regarding our family history. The other topic I want to cover is the wonderful journey that I have traveled as an immigrant to the United States for fifty-five years. I am so interested in the cultural differences of my country of birth in contrast to the values and mores of the people of this country; it is a fascinating subject. What has encouraged me so much to excel, regardless of my economic condition, is the number of Americans who have mentored me and encouraged me to attain my goals. My gratitude to Bill Baker, my long- time friend and mentor. I also include some information regarding DNA test results that might clarify some the information that I provide in this blog. I ho...

There is something to be said about reading

 I was born in Mexico. I was taught how to read and communicate in Spanish. I was, in my own estimation, an average student who was not particularly fond of reading. There was, however, an early interest in the English language. I loved movies, particularly the ones filmed in Hollywood. I remember asking my dad to take me to see West Side Story for the sixteenth birthdate. I hated having to read the sub-titles to understand the dialog. I remember thinking: I've got to learn English. I immigrated to United States when I was twenty-one years old. My first English teacher was Dr. Kaplan, who was an instructor with the Mott Adult HS. I graduated from Central HS, Flint, Michigan, then enrolled to college in the fall of 1969. There are three life events that aroused my interest in reading, particularly in the English language. The first was a college professor who encouraged me to read, Thank you Dr. Cyril Leeder, Flint Community Junior College. The second event was being promoted by Mr....