Petrona Rodriguez Davila 1893-1917

Today I wanted to write about my grand Aunt. I can't help but feel drawn to her because of all the death that comes so many times into her short life. Her name is...

Petrona Rodriguez Davila

It is clear to see that Petrona understood pain and loss. She is the oldest child of 5 to Primitivo Rodriguez Cuevas & Manuela Davila. Petrona was born in Gurabo in December 1893. At the age of 7, Petrona's mother dies. I imagine being the oldest she helped raise her younger 4 siblings. 

In 1909 a few days after her 16th birthday Petrona marries a man named Nemesio González Rodriguez, who is also from her home town of Gurabo. After 2 years of marriage they have their first child together, a girl named Carmen González Rodriguez born February 7, 1911 in Gurabo. According to Carmen's death record this baby girl of hers only lives to be 18 days old. I'm still trying to make out the cause of death. 

In 1912, Petrona has a second daughter named Angela González Rodriguez, she dies as well at 2 months old. Another daughter is born in 1916 named Antonia González Rodriguez. Antonia like her two sister before her, also dies as an infant, at 4 months old. This makes a total of 3 baby girls born to Petrona & Nemesio that die as infants. Sadly my grand Aunt Petrona dies too in 1917, a month before her last baby daughter dies. At the young age of 24 years old, Petrona leaves this earth. According to her death record the cause of death is "fiebre gastrica" which in English is translated to  typhoid fever.  . 

I was so sad that my family line ends for Petrona's family with the death of her last baby girl, but then I found Petrona's husband's World War 1 registration card. This card provided a big clue for me. 

Above you can read that this was recordered in July of 1917. This date would be after Petrona & all her 3 babies die. Yet, Nemesio says on the first page of his card that he is widowed with 1 living daughter. So I searched & searched some more & found her. I missed it because Petrona is recorded as "Petra", which I assume was probably her nickname. In February 15, 1914 a fourth daughter is recorded that makes it to adulthood, her name is Basilia González Rodriguez born in Caguas. I was also able to find Basilia's death record, she dies in Caguas, on November, 13 1949 at the age of 35. 
Her death record indicates that she was married at the time of death to a man named Juan Baez Rosario. With the name of her husband on her death record I was able to locate a marriage record for them. Basilia marries Juan at 18 years old on January 9, 1933, also in Caguas. The 1940 census record shows they had one son together. I have not been able to find his birth record yet but it's very possible he could still be alive. Their son's name is Juan Báez González, who would of been born about 1934. I am hoping that perhaps one day I will be able to connect with these long lost cousins of mine. 

It kills me to see so much death take place in one small family. I can only imagine that loosing his wife & 3 daughters must of been extremely hard for Petrona's husband Nemesio. Then becoming a single-father I'm sure was not easy. I tried to track him down in census records to see if I could find what happens to him next but I was only able to find him for sure in 1930 & then again in 1940.  He is remarried, in both census to 2 different women. Basilia is shown living with him in 1930.

It's heart-breaking to think that Basilia looses her mother at the tender age of 3, along with loosing all her siblings. I wonder who helped raise her? Who was her mother figure? Did this cause her to be close with her father Nemesio? 

Then I think of Petrona, I think of how devastating it must of been to loose 2 of her daughters & then die realizing that you are leaving 2 of your babies behind. What a sad way to leave, knowing you are not done raising your young family. Wondering what will happen to them next. Luckily one of her daughters lives on, what a blessing. My heart is so full for this grand aunt of mine.

New release of records from Puerto Rico

In case you haven't heard the good news, this week  Ancestry.com announced they have just released a collection of more then 5 million vital records from Puerto Rico.  

At first, I assumed it would to be exactly like Family Search.org. So technically it is the same thing, the same records are found in both spots now. What makes it different from Family Search is that it's already organized & categorized using a search engine that filters the information of the specific person you are searching for. There isn't always a "shaky leaf" that appears with hints like other records do. You have to look specifically through this search engine, link here. This new method of searching eliminates having to search through indexes, page numbers & book numbers, which sometimes can be SO time consuming. Ancestry.com already has done much of the work for you. It's wonderful & a huge time saver.  I briefly got on there today, typed in a last name & already found 3 new records for ancestors in my family tree. If there was ever a good time to start your family history, it is now. What a blessing it is that people took the time to manually go through all of these civil books & electronically organized them for us. I am so grateful for this & excited to see what more I will find.

Click here to read more about the new records available & to learn how to search for them.

Civil registration began in Puerto Rico in 1885

We’ve just launched a new collection with more than 5 million vital records from Puerto Rico. - See more at: http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2014/06/09/new-puerto-rico-records-and-research-guides/#blogComments

Matias Pabellon 1830-1925

In honor of Father's day coming up this weekend, I wanted to write about my 2nd great grandfather. He is the patriarch of my Pabellon family line. His full name according to his death record is Matias Pabellon. 

Matias is so interesting to me for many reasons. I will start with the most recent info. I found for him. According to his death record Matias was born in Gurabo in 1830. He was born to a black mother named Isabel Ramirez who was also from the town of Gurabo. This is all I know of his mother. 

His father is Juan Maria Pabellon, a former black slave. Juan & Isabel have 8 children together that I know of. All of these 8 children were also bond in slavery, which leads me to believe that their mother Isabel was too. 

When slavery was abolished in the US, slavery sadly continued on the island of Puerto Rico for an additional 8 years. it wasn't untill March 1873, that Puerto Rican slaves were declared free. This would of made Matias 43 years old at the time slavery ended. Seeing how he was black I tried to locate records for him on the only slave census taken for Puerto Rico in 1872. With the help of another genealogist I was able to locate what I'm sure is Matias. 

His surname is spelled differently as "Pavillon", also his age does not match what was recorded on his death record but I still feel convinced this is him. I only wish there was a way for me to validate it more. 

Sometime in the late 1800's, Matias fathers 10 children with a woman named Maria de los Santos. You can learn more about Maria here. I'm not positive that Matias & Maria ever legally married. If they were both slaves as I predict they were, it is possible that their marriage was never documented. What I do know is, that Matias officially recognizes all of these 10 children to be his. If they were not married, this speaks big of him. This was a time when many illegitimate children were born for reasons such as adultery or father's not wanting the financial responsibility.  So really giving all these children his last name & claiming them as his own is a big deal. 

On the 1910 census Matias is found living in Gurabo all by himself. However, he is living next door to one of his sisters & her family. He declares himself single, black, working in a sugar cane field & as many at his time, illiterate. 

By 1920 Matias is still in Gurabo, but now living with his son named Ricardo Pabellon Santos. Ricardo is married at this time & has 7 children of his own. I image the living conditions in their home must of been very tight with 10 people in what I assume was a small house. I'm not sure how close Matias was with all his children but seeing that he lived with his son again towards the end of his life shows me that they must of had some what of a good relationship. I'm sure Ricardo wanted to help his elderly father, who in 1920 is still shown as working.

What is also interesting about these 2 census records is that both times Matias includes a second surname which is Ramirez. "Matias Pabellon Ramirez" would traditionally suggest that his father is a Pabellon & his mother a Ramirez. Although no where else (that I've located yet) is his name documented with both of these surnames, this just validates to me that this is the same Matias as the one found on the slave census record. 


Matias dies at the age of 95 in Gurabo in October 1925. The death record indicates that no one living had knowledge of who his grandparents were, so his family line ends for me here.

Matias lived such a long life. I only wish he left more behind for me to learn more about him. In all my searching, I found one other possible clue into his life. I found what I thought was a random birth record, it caught my eye because the father is named Matias Pabellon. However, the mother is not Maria. It's another woman. I know from my searches that there is no other Matias Pabellon in the town at the same time.  Could this be why him & Maria split? Did he have another family on the side? This would explain why Matias is found living alone in the 1910 census? I will have to do more digging to confirm it.

I'm so glad I even know about Matias. Sadly his life stories & name had passed away with him some time after his death because my father has no recollection of him. I discovered Matias all on my own via census records. What a life he must of lived. What a story he must of had. I hope to one day be able to piece more of it together. 

Felipa Pabellon de los Santos 1884-1969

Felipa Pabellon de los Santos

 is my great grand Aunt. 
******

Felipa is the older sister of my great grandmother Petra.

The first time I even knew of Felipa was when I saw her listed on the 1910 census. She is listed as single among the 7 other living children from Maria de los Santos & Matias Pabellon. 

Sometime after 1910 she marries a man who is a bit older then her by the name of Jose Perez. I received this clue by finding a Catholic church birth record for one of their children together. In 1913 they have a daughter together named Juana Perez Pabellon. 

I also found a death record for 2 children Felipa & Jose Perez have together.  One in 1916, another daughter of theirs named Fundadora Perez Pabellon dies at 2 years old from colitis. Then a son the year after in 1917 named Francisco Perez Pabellon dies at one month old also from colitis. 

After this I'm not sure what becomes of her husband Jose Perez. I haven't located any death records for him yet but by 1920 Felipa appears as married on the 1920 census with a man named named Jesus Monserrate. What's very unusual is that I found a birth record for Felipa's daughter named Salvadora who is born in 1923 & her father is named to be Jose Perez but in 1920 Felipa is not shown living with him & possibly married to someone else. Did they get back together sometime after this census was taken? It is not likely but  possible.

In the 1930 census there appears to be another twist. This census shows Felipa in a new relationship with a man named, Balbino Colon Reyes. From this point on they are stated as living in a "contracto consensual". In 1930 Felipa is also living with 4 of her children from her previous marriage which are:
Justo Perez Pabellon (birth 1909)
Conception Perez Pabellon
Emilia Perez Pabellon
Salvadora Perez Pabellon (birth 1923)

Felipa & her new partner are both working. He works in a Sugar cane plantation while she works in a tobacco one.  


By 1935 & 1940 it doesn't look like much has changed for them. They all still live together in Juncos, except by 1940 Felipa has a new daughter-in-law whom I assume is Justo's wife named Rosa. 

I found a death record for Felipa. According to her death record she was born in Juncos in 1884. Her husband is stated as being Balbino which makes me wonder if they ever legally got married. Felipa dies in December 1969 in Juncos at the age of 85. 

I'm so curious about this aunt of mine. I am very interested in her companions & wonder if Jose really did father all of her children. I also wonder what happened to Jose & then to Jesus.

I wonder how both her deceased children came to die of the same digestive disease. Was it poor living conditions or food poisoning? I wish I knew more about her & her children. I recently made a connection with someone on Ancestry.com that maybe one of her descendants. I really hope our information matches so that I learn more about her life.

Primitivo Rodriguez Cuevas

My paternal great grandfather is named Primitivo Rodriguez Cuevas.  While growing up, I remember my Dad told me this was the name of his father's father.  Unfortunately my Dad never got to meet him & we all knew so little about him aside from only his name. 

With a little digging I was surprised how much I found for him. He appears on of all the census records available for Puerto Rico which was a huge help.

Primitivo is the son of Jose Rodriguez Cuevas & Maria de la Cruz Cuevas Berrios. He was born some time around 1865 in either Gurabo or San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico. In 1885, at the age of 20 he marries his first wife named Manuela Davila. With Manuela he has 5 children, 3 girls & 2 boys.  
  
The names of these 5 children are:
-Petrona Rodriguez Davila born 1893 in Gurabo dies 1917 in Caguas
-Eusébio Rodriguez Davila born 1894 in Gurabo
-Angelina Rodriguez Davila birth about 1895
 -Antonia Rodriguez Davila born about 1897
-Luciano Rodriguez Davila birth1900 in Gurabo


Sadly after 15 years of marriage, in 1900 Manuela dies at the age of 33 from postpartum hemorrhaging from delivering her last baby. I imagine Primitivo & his 5 children must of been heart broken. So by the 1910 census Primitivo is shown as widowed. He is living in Gurabo with 3 of his unmarried children. 

In 1912 he marries for the second time to Maria Ana Torres Torres from San Lorenzo. With Maria Ana he has 2 boys. The first is my grandpa named Antonio Rodriguez Torres born 1914. You can read more about my grandfather here. Their second son is named Juan Ramon Rodriguez Torres born 1916. Either during Juan Ramon's childbirth or shortly after Maria Ana also dies. The cause of death on her death record states anemia. Juan's birth record states she was already dead by the time of the recording of his birth. 

By 1920 Primitivo moves to San Lorenzo, is living with his son from his first marriage Eusébio, my grandpa Antonio & Juan Ramon. Primitivo is white, can read & write & is working on a farm. 

By 1930 they move back to Gurabo, & he is now only living with his youngest 2 boys from Maria Ana. 

I found a 1935 Agricultural census for him that shows that since 1931 he is leasing a farm that grows tobacco, corn & beans.

In 1935 it doesn't look like much has changed & Primitivo is still living with his 2 youngest sons. In 1937 both of those 2 youngest sons get married. By 1940 Primitivo has the status of divorced. I'm feeling like this is wrong because I have not been unable to track down a third marriage record for him. He's also living with an 8 year old boy that is of no relation to him. I have no clue who the boy belongs to because he has a completely different surname. 

From what my father tells me, Primitivo moves to New York City sometime in the mid 1940's. For work he drives a delivery truck & dies in a car accident. I haven't had the chance to locate his death record because I have no idea of a death date. My father doesn't remember anything more to give me more leads.

I discovered that Primitivo goes back & forth on how he records his full name. He sometimes goes by Primitivo Rodriguez de la Cruz. However on all the census records he chose to use Cuevas. There is obviously a mix up with the order of his mother's name. My guess is that Maria de la Cruz is her first/ middle name & Cuevas is her last.

With only a name I was able to track down so much information about his life. My Dad was amazed because he wasn't aware about Primitivo's first wife. 

I would love to learn more about why he chose to move to New York so late in his life. It seems like such a big move. Did he go to be with someone? Was he just following the big migration of Puerto Ricans who settled in NY? Did he like the big city after living most of his life in a small country town? I'm sure the culture shock must of been overwhelming. 

I also wonder how he coped with being a singe-father twice in his life time. I imagine that must of been challenging especially since he was the main provider. I'm sure he must of had help in raising at least the youngest 2. Who was it that helped him, I wonder. I've uncovered so much but there are still so many mysteries about Primitivo. I hope to answer more as I continue my search.

Maria de los Santos 1847-1937

My paternal great-great grandmother is named Maria de los Santos. According to her death certificate she was born in March 1847 in Gurabo, Puerto Rico. Unfortunately, Family Search.org does not have birth records that go that far back for the town of Gurabo. This means I'll have to go into a family history library soon to locate her Catholic church record to confirm her birth date & see if I can obtain any more clues about her life or parents. 

Her death record also says she is the natural child of Ramona de los Santos from Juncos, Puerto Rico. "Natural" means her parents were not legally married which is why no father is documented for her. This is the second time I've come across a record with no father. It makes me so sad that there isn't much I can do about it & will primarily just have to focus on the line of her mother since that is all I have to go off. 

If the birth year on Maria's death certificate is correct that would mean that at the time the 1910 census was taken, Maria would be 63 years old. In 1910 Maria is recorded as working, having 10 children, 8 of which are still living & are all living with her in Juncos, Puerto Rico. 
Maria's children are named as:  

Ynes Pabellon de los Santos
Casimira Pabellon de los Santos born 1883-1970
Felipa Pabellon de los Santos born 1884-1969
Ricardo Pabellon de los Santos born 1886-1976
Petra Pabellon de los Santos birth unknown, death 1938
Agustina Pabellon de los Santos
Lorenzo Pabellon de los Santos
Eustaquia Pabellon de los Santos

She also has 3 grandchildren living with her. There names are: Juan Perez Pabellon, Rosario Perez Pabellon, & Justo Perez Pabellon. I know 2 of these children belong to Felipa & I assume the third is hers as well. 

Maria declares the status of single on every census despite the fact that on every birth or death record I found for her children or grandchildren she is stated as married to a Matias Pabellon who is the father of all her children. This is an example of one of the many I've found.

In 1925 Matias dies & in 1935 Maria changes her status to widow. I'm not positive that they were legally married yet. I would assume that at one time they were because of how often I found their names together stated as married. 

In 1920 Maria is only living with one of her daughters, this is Petra, who is my great grandmother. You can read more about Petra here. Along with Petra, Maria is living with 2 of Petra's daughters Jovina & Andrea. At this time Maria would be 73 years old & is no longer working. Petra seems to be the main provider in the home working in a tobacco factory. 

In 1930 Maria lives alone with her granddaughter named Andrea Pabellon. Neither of them work but live right next door to Petra & her new husband. Petra along with her husband are both working, I assume that Petra is still helping her mother financially.

The 1935 census is the last census taken for Maria. At this time she is still living with her granddaughter Andrea & neither of them are working. Two years later in 1937 Maria dies at the age of 90.

Oh what I would give to be able to speak to Maria. I have so many unanswered questions about her & her family. According to her death record her mother Ramona is from Juncos. In 1910 Maria is living there, I wonder if it was to be close to her mother since then Maria is a single-mother. By 1920 Maria moves to Gurabo, I assume to be closer to all of her children that are taking care of her.

I'd also love to know what happened to the 2 of her 10 children she says in the 1910 census were not living. How did they die? How old where they? 

I've also noticed the slave census taken for Puerto Rico in 1872 names various slaves with the last name of De los Santos. I wonder how Maria is related to these slaves since she herself was black. I also wonder if her mother Ramona was a slave. At the time slavery was abolished in Puerto Rico in 1873, Maria would of been 25 years old. I haven't found a Ramona de los Santos on the Puerto Rico, Registro Central de Esclavos, 1872 but have found many Maria de los Santos'. I can't prove that any of these "De los Santos" are linked to my family but seeing as how their are so many & seeing as how my family is black I can only suspect that they are. Maybe with time I will be able to make the connection.

Petra Pabellon de los Santos

My great grandmother's name is Petra Pabellon de los Santos. I have yet to find her birth record. According to her death record she was born on August 5, 1900. I have a strong feeling that this birth date is wrong for two reasons. First, her name was recorded out of order as Petra de los Santos Pabellon. Second, they have her gender incorrect. 

Everything else as far as the name of her husband & parents & race is right.  I'm not sure how all these mistakes came to be but according to the death record the person giving the information for her was named Julio Ortiz. It does not specify if Julio is related or not. I'm guessing he's not but who knows.

Petra was born in Juncos, Puerto Rico I'm guessing sometime around the 1890's. I have searched Juncos birth records for her birth record around this time, before & after & always come up empty. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong but I can't find anything for her or any of her siblings in Juncos or Gurabo, which are the two towns where she primarily lived all her life. 

According to the 1910 census Petra was 20 years old. She is 1 of 10 children born to Maria de los Santos & Matias Pabellon. She is living in Juncos at that time, unmarried with no children of her own.  She lives with her mother & 8 siblings. Along with her other 5 sisters she is a domestic worker that either works from home or works from others homes. 

For some reason her father Matias Pabellon is shown living in the town right besides them in Gurabo, alone. I'm not sure how involved in her life her father was. I'm sure at some point they all lived together. I can't help but wonder why Matias is living alone. Although he does not live far from his children, I know something must of happened to have them apart. 

In July 1912 Petra gives birth to her first child, a daughter she names Jovina Pabellon. After Jovina, Petra has a second daughter in 1913 named Andrea Pabellon, this is my grandmother. You can read more about Andrea here. In 1916 Petra has a third daughter named Jesusa Pabellon. Sadly Jesusa only lives to be 2 years old & then dies on March 1919 from the flu epidemic. 

All 3 of these daughters are born out of wedlock. No father is ever recorded for their church or civil records. I wonder if they are all from the same father. Since they were all so close in age I would assume that they are but can't be sure.

By 1920 Petra has moved to Gurabo with her mother & 2 remaining daughters Jovina & Andrea.

In June 1920 Petra marries a man named Vicente Ortiz from Toa Baja.  I assume after their wedding she moves out of her mother's house & they move into their own home because by the 1930 census Petra is shown living with Vicente her first daughter Jovina & 2 new children that she's had with her new husband. The names of her new children from this marriage are first a daughter Filiberta Ortiz Pabellón (born 1922), another daughter Maria Ester Ortiz Pabellón (born 1924 & death 1925) then her only son Luis Ortiz Pabellón (born 1926). 

My grandmother Andrea remains living with her grandmother Maria. I assume Andrea & Maria must have been close. I wonder if Andrea stayed to help take care of Maria since Maria would of been in her late 80's by then, or if maybe she didn't get along with her new step-father. 

By 1935 Petra is still declaring the status of "married" but is living alone with her 2 children from Vicente Ortiz. She is working in a tobacco factory. On September 5, 1938 Petra passes away from what I can read lung complications. 

I've thought about Petra lots. I imagine that she must of had a challenging life. She lived in a time where having a child out of wedlock was really looked down upon. She was black & lived in a time where the color of your skin represented more about you then anything else. I assume loosing her third little girl at the age of 2 must of also been very difficult. Then again loosing another little girl at the age of 1 must of been crushing. I wonder how this affected her. She must of been strong. I only wish that there was a photo preserved of her. I would love to put a face to the name I've discovered so much about.