Obituary Gertrudes (Zimmerly) Torres, wife of Herminio Torres

I found the obituary for Gertrudes (Zimmerly) Torres, the wife of Herminio Torres,  in the 7 September 1920 issue of the Albuquerque Morning Journal. The newspaper erroneously lists her as Gertrudes Torres Zimmerly, which would indicate that her maiden name would have been Torres, rather than Zimmerly. Gertrudes was the daughter of Samuel Zimmerly and Maria Pabla Torres, and a sister of my great-grandfather Estevan Zimmerly.

ZIMMERLY - Mrs. Gertrudes Torres Zimmerly, 48 years old, died yesterday at her home 313 West Hazeldine avenue. She is survived by a son, two daughters and her husband. Funeral arrangements will be made today. The body was taken to Crollott's funeral parlors.

Link to the obituary.

Brothers Candelario Garcia and Juan Jose Baca

The 10 March 1900 issue of "The Chieftain" (Socorro, New Mexico), had the following notice:

Probate Clerk H. G. Baca has appointed Juan Jose Baca and Candelario Garcia administrators of the estate of their mother, Guadaloupe (sic) T. de Baca, recently deceased.

This short article demonstrates the merging of two Socorro Land Grant families with another early Socorro family.

Maria Guadalupe Torres was the daughter of Santiago Torres and Maria Barbara Ortiz were residents of Belen. Santiago was recorded in the 1818 enumeration of Belen residents who contributed to the military campaign against the Navajos. This Torres family moved to Socorro between 2 October 1820 and 3 February 1824 when two of their children were baptized - one of Belen; the other in Socorro. Therefore, they are not original Socorro Land Grantees, but rather an early Socorro family.

Maria Guadalupe Torres first married Francisco Antonio Garcia on 23 February 1825 in Socorro. Francisco Antonio Garcia was the son of Francisco Xavier Garcia Jurado, one of Socorro Land Grant founders (Francisco Antonio's mother Maria Josefa Sanchez may have died before his father came to Socorro.) Francisco Antonio Garcia and Maria Guadalupe Torres were the parents of the aforementioned Candelario Garcia. They were also the parents of Juana Maria Garcia, my 3rd great-grandmother.

After Francisco Xavier Garcia Jurado's death, Maria Guadalupe Torres married Pedro Antonio Baca. He was the son of Socorro founders Juan Dionisio Baca and Maria Rita Pino. Pedro Antonio Baca was the father of Juan Jose Baca.

Both the Garcia and Baca families were very important defenders of the Socorro Land Grant, as this historical piece and obituary attest. (Click on the links to read the articles.) Finding this notice which confirms the blended Garcia, Torres and Baca families is a good find.

Sources:
The Chieftain. (Socorro, N.M.) 1890-1901, March 10, 1900, Image 1.

Persistent link: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn92070454/1900-03-10/ed-1/seq-1/

 

Robert J. C. Baca, "Early Settlers of the Socorro Land Grant: An 1818 List: Part I," New Mexico Genealogist, vol. 50 (September 2011): p. 117.

Robert J. C. Baca, "Maria Guadalupe Torres: One Woman's Life in Nineteenth Century Socorro", New Mexico Genealogist, 48 (June 2009), 78-85.

 

Obituary: Meliton Gonzales, postmaster of Lemitar, 1909

The following obituary was in 16 January 1909 issue of The Socorro Chieftain (Socorro, New Mexico.)

Meliton Gonzales, postmaster at Lemitar, died at his home at that place Tuesday night, a victim of pneumonia. The deceased was a good citizen, well known and generally respected in Socorro county.

Source: Obituary: Meliton Gonzales, Socorro Chieftain [microfilm], Socorro, New Mexico, 16 January 1909.

Obituary: Julianita Torres, 1909

I found a short obituary for Julianita Torres in 23 January 1909 edition of the Socorro Chieftain. Below is my transcription:

Death of Julianita Torres

Miss Julianita Torres, daughter of Canuto Torres, deceased, and Isabelita Padilla de Torres, died at her home in this city at the age of twenty years and twelve days. The deceased was sick only three days, a severe cold developing into pneumonia. Funeral services were conducted from the family residence and the church of San Miguel at half past nine o'clock Monday morning in the presence of a large attendance of sorrowing relatives and friends. Interment took place in the Catholic cemetery.

Her grave is recorded in Find A Grave. Click on this link to view the memorial.

Source: Death of Julianita Torres, Socorro Chieftain [microfilm], Socorro, New Mexico, 23 January 1909. Obituary for Julianita Torres, daughter of Canuto Torres & Isabelita Padilla y Torres.

Hermelindo Baca Obituary, 14 July 1952

The following obituary was posted in the Albuquerque Journal, 14 July 1952. Hermelindo Baca died on the Sunday before, which would have been 13 July 1952.


Hermelindo Baca Dies in Socorro

Hermelindo E. Baca, 61, of Socorro, died there suddenly Sunday morning.

A lifelong resident of Socorro, he was a retired farmer. He was a member of the Spanish Methodist Church of Socorro.

Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Helen Baca; four daughters, Mrs. Jimmie Baca, Las Cruces, and Mrs. Robert Torres, Mamie Baca, and Betty Baca, all of Socorro; six sons, Ed. H., George, Ruben, Robert, Eliazim and Aggie Baca, all of Socorro; four sisters, Mrs. Devian J. Baca, San Pedro, Cal., and Orfita, Felide and Rumoldita Baca, all of Socorro; two brothers, Antonio, Oakland, Cal., and Vivian, Socorro, and 14 grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Spanish Methodist Church of Socorro. Rev. Eduardo Lujon (sic) will officiate. Burial will be in Escondida Cemetery. Steadman Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Source: "Albuquerque Journal," online newspaper archive, Newspaper Archives: Academic Library Edition (http://0-access.newspaperarchive.com.albuq.cabq.gov/: accessed 29 February 2016), "Hermelindo Baca Dies in Socorro", 14 July 1952, p. 14.

Obituary for Elfego Baca's father, Francisco Baca y Belarde

The father of the famed  lawman/outlaw Elfego Baca, Jose Francisco Baca y Velarde, died on September 13, 1901, in San Marcial, NM. His obituary appeared in the Socorro, NM newspaper "The Chieftain" the next day. The obituary spells his last name incorrectly. Below is my transcription of the obituary:

Francisco Baca y Falarde Dead.

Francisco Baca y Falarde died in old town, San Marcial, yesterday. The remains will be buried tomorrow, Sunday, monrning at 8:30 o'clock. Short services will be conducted at the residence followed by regular services at the Midway Methodist church. All friends of the family are respectfully invited to attend. Deceased was the father of Hon. Elfego Baca of this city and A.B. Baca of San Marcial, who will have the sympathy of a large circle of friends in their loss.

Source:

Anonymous, "Francisco Baca y Falarde Dead," obituary, The Socorro Chieftain (Socorro, New Mexico), 14 September 1901; online archives (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov : accessed 27 December 1901).

To see the actual obituary and a 5 generation ancestor sheet for Jose Francisco Baca y Belarde that I created, click on this link.