Unsolved mystery

["Erlinda Castanon-Long" <longsjourney@...>]

Thank you Emilie for talking about this subject. I find it 
heartwarming that so many group members are willing to share 
their 'extra' help in finding the records for our ancestors.  People 
who don't do genealogy find our passion for finding ancestors 
strange.  My sister said I am a genealogy addict, I told her I was 
just passionate about finding all those who got me here in this day 
and time.  There are times when I don't get much sleep because of 
dreams that ultimately open doors to more lines or names.

In doing records I find it's much easier to find the Spanish 
ancestors than the Indio or Mulato lines due to a lack of last names 
sometimes.  I found that my Espanol ancestor Guadalupe Mendez 
married a Mulato woman, Francisca Valencia in 1833.  Francisca 
haunted my dreams until I decided to pursue her lines. I took her 
Rolon ancestor back to about 1660 and found them in and out of 
slavery. I was proud when they were free in 1680 and inslaved again 
in 1715 with my "love child' direct ancestor, Georje Rolon, born to 
another female slave Gertrudis Antonia Alcaras. George married a 
Mestisa in 1738 so their children became free, I cried again. After 
doing all I could with this line the door for my Gutierrez ancestors 
opened and I was taken from Jalisco to Michoacan where I found 
hundreds of records taking that line back to about 1690..  I will 
never take those dreams lightly again.. If the ancestors want to 
help me rediscover our families heritage I will always be open to 
their help.  Doing genealogy is not just collecting names and dates, 
the history and stories that emerge from the records gives our 
ancestors a reality that makes me feel great joy and pain as their 
stories unfold.

Im my case I am the last generation that understands or speaks any 
Spanish at all and that is truly limited.  I feel with my genealogy 
work my decendants have a chance 100 years from now to understand  
the blood that flows through their veins. I do believe I was chosen 
to bring my families lines to light again, just as many of you have 
been  for your lines.
Linda in Everett