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Linda,
We mostly start by looking in the IGI in the FamilySearch.org website and
then spending hours at our local Family History Center poring over
microfilms. Luck in finding information is mostly a matter of hard
work. There is no easy way. You didn't give any dates in the
sketchy information you gave on your ancestry, or which resources you
used. It helps to know a little Spanish, but as limited as my Spanish is,
I have learned a lot just by poring over the microfilms. The priests wrote
everything in a certain format, and the Family History Center in your area
(please note your location from now on so we know where you are) can get you a
copy of their "Mexico Parish Record Extraction Training Guide" and their
"Spanish Indexing Reference". It is instructions for their extractors, but
you can tell them you need it for your extractions since they can't
help you read records if they have no
Spanish speaking staff. They have many people doing extractions
that don't speak Spanish.
One thing I had to learn on my own is the system they use for
surnames. In Mexico they use both the father's surname and mother's
surname, never just one surname. For instance my name here is Emilie
Garcia. In Mexico I would be Emilia Olague Marquez de Garcia (Garcia is my
married name--my husband would be Antonio Garcia Acosta). Perhaps you
noticed that your father is listed in Mexico as Ramon Romero de la Torre, maybe
even Jose Ramon Romero de la Torre (since everyone just about was named Jose or
Maria) not just Ramon Romero. I have broken down many a wall by using both
surnames in the IGI and using the "Use exact Spelling" when doing so. Then
you have to try different spellings, since in Spanish then they used x or z for
j or s, y for I, etc. Sometimes they would use a double "l" as in
Padilla, or not, as in Padia. The double l is pronounced like a y.
Sometimes the extractors read an e for an a, etc. There are also many
abbreviations for names such as Je. for Jose, Ma. for Maria, Gdpe. for
Guadalupe, etc. In very old records they used the Latin Joseph or Josef.
If we can help you, be more specific about your roadblock, etc.
There may be gaps in you lines, since many records have turned to dust or were
burned during wars, or damaged beyond repair in floods.
Emilie Garcia
Port Orchard, WA.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, November 04, 2005 7:00
AM
Subject: Re: [ranchos] Digest Number
651
My main focus is in Jalisco - Tepatitlan de Morelos to be
exact. I
have not been able to find anything farther away than
that little
burg. In fact, after lurking on this list all
summer, I haven't
found anyone with a connection to my Romero/de la
Torre family from
that area. You are all such good
researchers. I've been to SLC and
copied information from the
Baptismos from Tepatitlan and am trying
to connect the Romero/de la
Torre names to my family. My father was
born there but told so
many "stories" the truth is hard to find. He
even had us kids
claim he was born in Guatamala throughout our school
years. I
found the truth when I was an adult. He also never allowed
us
to learn Spanish. What a character! So I'll keep lurking and
learning from all you great researchers.
Where do you find
all that good information?
Linda Romero
Ramon
Romero/Marie L. Hallstead
Castulo
Romero/Sophia de la Torre - Donald Hallstead/Merle
Beltz
Manuel Romero/Marcelina de
la Torre - Jose de la Torre/Elena
Romero
Romero's and de la
Torres for generations. Any hints as to finding
out where this
leads?
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