One Man's Musings

My mother's name was Maria del Refugio Carmen Brambila Fregoso. She was born on a stormy afternoon at 1:00 p.m. in the town of Monterrey, Mexico. Her birthday is July 4, 1904. She passed away in Mexico, City on June 26, 1989. Carmen is the daughter of Felipe N. Brambila who was born in Autlan, Mexico on September 14, 1854. Carmen's mother was Florencia Contreras Cuevas.  Flor (grandma's nickname) died in a mental institution in San Pedro Tlaquepaque (a town near Guadalajara, Mexico) on March 11, 1921. Grandpa passed away in 1930. Florencia was the daughter of Jesus Contreras and Micaela Cuevas. Felipe Neri Brambila's father was Luis Brambila and Mariana Fregoso. Luis Brambila was born in Tecolotlan, Jalisco, Mexico, in 1833. He died in Autlan, Mexico on July 28, 1910. Maria Feliciana, his wife, was born in Soyatlan, Jalisco, Mexico, on March 31, 1835. She died in Tenamaxtlan, Jalisco, Mexico, on July 5, 1871. Luis Brambila's parents were Casildo Brambila and R...

Fregoso Genealogy: The Fregoso dynasty fell in Genoa in 1492. This historical event is documented by my grandfather . It is what he calls the Universal Chronology. Some members of the Fregoso family, grandpa notes; were adventurers, soldiers and miners, who accompanied Christopher Columbus to the Western Indies. Some Fregoso family members established themselves in the city of Puebla; others chose communities around Etzatlan, Ameca, Soyotlan, Juchipila and Jalostotitlan. This information could be tied to certain events that occurred in the city of Genoa in the XV century. There was a series of doges, whose last name were Fregoso or a variant surname CampoFregoso, who ruled the famous kingdom. Grandpa notes that the Fregoso exodus from Genoa was the result of the fall of the dogeship and it coincided with the departure of Christopher Columbus trip to the West Indies in 1492. The Dogeship of Genoa was vacant from 1458 to 1461, as Pietro Fregoso ceded his post to France....

My grandpa relates the following: I met my uncle Timoteo Fregoso in the town of Tenamaxtlan around 1860. He was a hog butcher, candle maker, and demolition expert. His wife, Trinidad Santana was Agapito Fregoso's sister. Agapito was a rich merchant in that area. Grandpa relates that Timoteo befriended Coronel Antonio Rojas as he was on his way to a battle. The opponent was General Remigio Tovar. The battle was to take place at night. Timoteo was charged with making a bundle of fireworks to be released up in the hills prior to the battle. At a given moment, Timoteo fired the flares up in the air, enabling the Rojas to surprise Tovar. What was not expected was that Tovar was assisted by 700 indians from Manuel Lozada, and headed by Guadalupe Corral de Guzman. He was able to defeat Coronel Rojas. What I have tried to impart to the reader is that my grandfather was a great historian who often included his ancestors as protagonists of epic battles that took place in Mexico.

My father was born in Etzatlan, Jalisco, Mexico, on February 6, 1904. His parents were Juan Araiza and Maximiana Fregoso. My dad's grandparents were Juan Jose Araiza and Fransisca Reynoso (paternal side) and Felipe Fregoso and Atanasia Fernandez (maternal side). My grandfather had eleven siblings: Jose de Jesus, Jose Teodoro, Jose Paulino, Jose Martin, Maria Eufemia, Maria Abundia, Juan Jose, Francisca , and others.Their last names were Araiza Reinoso, which means that their mother's maiden name was Reynoso. My grandfather was the seventh born of this marriage. Jose Teodoro was the Municipal President in Talpa in the year 1876. My grandmother Maximiana was born around 1864 in Soyatlan, Jalisco, Mexico. She had three children. The firstborn was Felicitas Araiza Fregoso, who was born in Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico in 1886. In addition, she had my dad Ramon and a boy named Jose Maria. My grandmother passed away on May 24, 1950. She lived to a ripe age of 86 according to the de...

I have, for many years, wondered my mother's reluctance to acknowledge her Spanish roots. However, it is understandable. It has been the effort of the Mexican educational facilities, such as the ones that my mother and I attended, where Spaniards were not recognized for their cultural contributions to Latin America. Although she was entitled to her bias, I fully recognize that in any conflict, such as the Mexican war of independence, bad feelings remain in the participants of a conflict. Many Spaniard civilians were murdered by Mexican insurgents. Recently, I read a book in Spanish which title translates: The Independence of the Region of Autlan and the coast of Jalisco. (http://www.gacetamichoacana.com/.../libro-autlan-en-la-independencia....indd_.pdf) The Book is written by Carlos Martin Boyzo Nolasco, a noted historian. The book provides a historical narrative of the Mexican war of independence as it applies to this region. It provides the names of many protagonists, both Span...

My grandfather Felipe N. Brambila made the following entry to his notes. I can not dismiss the blessings bestowed upon me for having my three siblings live a long life. On this date (September 1, 1925) my sister Juliana is sixty-nine years old, Epifanio is sixty-seven years old, and Josefa is sixty-five years old. As for myself, I thank the almighty for reaching seventy-one years of age. We four are the children of my father's first marriage. i.e., Luis Brambila and my mother Maria Feliciana Fregoso. It has been brought to my attention recently, that Epifanio died seven years later. Details are provided below. Pictured above is a young Josefa at age 12. The picture was taken in Guadalajara, Mexico in the year 1872. What a pretty gal. The pictures' dedication notes she is the last child born of Luis and Maria Feliciana. My great grandfather's name was Luis Brambila and his wife was Maria Fregoso. My great-great grandfather was Casildo Brambila (Spaniard) and his wif...

My grandfather Felipe N. Brambila included the following epigram in his memoirs. I am not sure weather my grandfather wrote it. He simply might have included the epigram as one of his favorite literary pieces. The epigram is dated May 4, 1877. He must have been a law student at the time, as he graduated two years later. My intention is to translate this epigram to modern English. The prose in the Spanish version flows seamlessly, while my translation does not. Without much adieu, here it is: What do you know, Luciano? You are a "know it all" You seem insignificant, you live forgotten and alone. While I, with frankness have limited knowledge my name is known have published three tomes. If you were a stone in water said Luciano, you would sink to the bottom it is much brighter in the surface if you throw a cork in the water the same can be said of humans and objects the shallow people float while the solid ones plunge to the bottom while I rapidly sink to t...