Looking for Vasquez Garcia

[Susan Burden]

Hi, I am new to this website, I am looking for info on my family that came here from Piedras Blancas, Spain in 1908. They came through Ellis Island, to Cherryvale, Kansas to work in the Zinc Smelter there. My grandfather was Jose Maria Vasquez Garcia, his sister Lola and his brother Manuel came together. In fact, there is a picture on this site of a lady Aurora Vasquez Garcia who was also on the same ship and I'm wondering if she is related? Does anyone have any info they are willing to share? Thank you! Susan Burden

[Sweeney]

I looked at the Ellis Island site and Aurora Vasquez Garcia states she is going to join her husband Delego (or Diego) Vasquez Garcia in West Virginia. So it seems she used her husband's last name on the Ellis Island documents. She probably was told this is the custom in the USA. Most of my female relatives did the same thing when coming to America. It is possible that her husband is related to your family.

[Susan Burden]

Thank you Donna for your help! This is so difficult to find these names. I appreciate any help I can get! Take care, Susan

[Suronda]

Susan,

How nice to see your post about Cherryvale and the Vasquez Garcia family. As far as I know, Aurora Vasquez Garcia (my great grandmother) did not have any siblings in Kansas. She had only one brother, who eventually ended up in Cuba, and several sisters. As for Diego, I don't know much about him or his family. I do know that he had a brother in Clarksbug, WV but I don't know his name. I'm wondering if perhaps you are related to our family. Aurora and Diego's first born son was named Jose Maria. Perhaps it is a coincidence, perhaps not. I'll have to do some digging.

S.

[Susan Burden]

Hi Suronda, thank you for replying to my message. My grandfather, Jose Garcia had several siblings that I know of, maybe I have the order of the names wrong. His father was Francisco Garcia and his mother Juana Vasquez. The story goes that Jose's brother Gumbercindo went to Cuba, Francisco came here later then them, his sister Lola brought him and his brother Manuel here. Lola was married to Juan Jalot a Basque man. Lola was in the U.S. for only three years before she died, Juan Jalot took care of my grandfather and his brother because they didn't have anyone else here. They went to Donora, Pa. and worked in the mines there. Maybe some one from Donora out there? Thank you so much for your help! Susan

[Carlos]

Hi Susan.

The correct spelling of the surname is VAZQUEZ, with Z, not with S (it is only in Latin America that the people spells badly the words , as it results of the same pronounciation of Z and S in American Spanish, this confusion is not possible in Asturias). I have consulted the phone guide for the Vazquez from Piedras Blancas. Piedras Blancas is a little town in the Council (concejo, a kind of "county") of Castrillón, and there are only 24 people with the Vazquez surname in all Castrillón. But, and this is the most important, only 8 people in Piedras Blancas.

The Telephone Company, for some reason that I do not know, very badly organizes the populations and the subscribers in the guide. Seeing the printed guide book, they give some details more than in the guide on line. They also appear like pertaining to the Piedras Blancas town other subscribers of smaller localities. Like the date in which your grandfather Jose Maria emigrated to the USA is relatively recent, I believe that it will be very easy to find some relative yours. I can do something to find out it, but it would be of much aid if you know the locality exactly concrete, if he were from the town of Piedras Blancas or from some other smaller locality.

The Phone guide link is:

http://www.paginasblancas.es/

Cover the "primer apellido" box with Vazquez, "provincia" with Asturias, and Piedras Blancas (only for the town) or Castrillón in the "localidad" box.

Carlos

(Sorry for my English)

[Susan Burden]

Dear Carlos, thank you so much for your help! I really appreciate it. I think the problelm is though, I don't speak spanish. I could not call to Spain! I might be able to find out some more information about where they are from specifically. If I do, can I email you for assistance? By the way, your english is quite good Do you live in Spain? I live in Southern California. Would love to hear from you if you are interested in corresponding. Best regards, Susan

[Sweeney]

Susan,

Carlos is correct. You should contact people in Spain who have the same surname you are researching. Especially if you know what town your family originated.

I also do not speak Spanish, but using the Reverso or Alta Vista English to Spanish translator programs I wrote letters to people in Spain asking if they are related to me. I have found all types of relatives in Spain. I know they are actually my relatives, because almost all of them sent me scanned photos of ME! It seems my grandmother loved sending photos of her grandchildren to her relatives in Spain. Check out my post "getting genealogical information from Asturias" or "Using US records for genealogical research" to see how I have done my research. I have been doing family history research for 9 months and I have accomplished more than I ever imagined could be done. Most of my progress was achieved by contacting people through the mail. That website carlos gave you gives addresses along with phone numbers.

You can send me an email direct if you want more information. By the way, I grew up in San Diego. I hope the wildfires have not threatened you or your family!

[Susan Burden]

Hi Donna, thank you so much for your reply. I think I might be able to find out some information and it's good to know there is a way to send to Spain for records. I don't know, maybe because Carlos gave me the information on Vazquez I should try that name first. The paternal side is Garcia and that's probably alot harder! I will go back and read your posts and I really appreciate your advice, I would not even know how to go about researching history in Spain. I would really love to go there someday. Have you been to Spain? Thank you for asking after our welfare, I don't live in San Diego. I live in Simi Valley and we have had quite a time, but all is well. My best regards to you and thanks! Susan

[VICKIE]

Hi, I am new to this website, I am looking for info on my family that came here from Piedras Blancas, Spain in 1908. They came through Ellis Island, to Cherryvale, Kansas to work in the Zinc Smelter there. My grandfather was Jose Maria Vasquez Garcia, his sister Lola and his brother Manuel came together. In fact, there is a picture on this site of a lady Aurora Vasquez Garcia who was also on the same ship and I'm wondering if she is related? Does anyone have any info they are willing to share? Thank you! Susan Burden

I too am new to this site. My mother was born in Cherryvale in 1923. Her parents were from Spain, her fatehr worked at the smelter in Cherryvale, and they lived in Smelter Town or Spanish Town as my mother refers to it. Her father's name was Vasquez and her mother's name was Garcia. her father had 2 brothers in Cherryvale and one he lost contact with from Virginia. Her mother's relatives all remained in Spain.

[Susan Burden]

Hi Vicki, Thank you for your reply. My mother was born in Cherryvale in 1922. Her father was Jose Garcia, his brothers were Manuel, Alfonso, Francisco, Gumbercindo, and sisters Lola and Anita. Do any of these names sound familiar? Also I have papers from the Cherryvale Historical Society about the smelter. My scanner doesn't work, but if you would like copies, I can get copies made (although the copies they sent me are bad). Let me know..Looking forward to hearing from you again! Susan

[thomascassidy]

Susan:
VICKIE is my cousin. My grandmother was a Maria Garcia from Castrillon, Piedras Blancas area (Toboyas), She left spain via Vigo on the SS Manchuria in October of 1920 to meet her husband Avalino Vazquez in Cherryvale. I visited Piedras Blancas in 2000 and met many of my lost relatives.

Jose Garcia was married to Rafaela Alonzo there children were:
Maria (my grandmother) born 1899
Isabel
Etelvina
Pacita
Josefa
Avelina
Jose Manuel
(this information can be cofirm withe realtives in Piedras Blancas)

Avalino Vazquez was much more difficult to research. From Ellis Island records it looks like Avalino first came to the states about 1913 with a brother and met another brother already in New York, B. Vazquez. Avalino stayed in the US until about 1917 and then return to Spain. He returned to the US about 1920 via SS Monterry and met his brother Manual in New York after first stopping in Cuba to visit his friend Manual F Garcia. Avalino may have been born in Orense (south west of Asturia).

(I have not verified this information and the source is Ellis Island records)

Tom

[Carlos]

Hi Thomas.

The correct spelling is AvElino, with E, not A. By the other hand, Orense is the name of a City and a Province, in Galicia, the neighbor region to Asturias to the West. This region has 4 provinces: La Coruña, Lugo (near to Asturias) in the North-West and the North-East, and Pontevedra (in the South-West, with frontier with Portugal) and Orense (in the South-East, with frontier with Portugal by the South, and with the Spanish provinces of León and Zamora by the East.

In a extensive sense, effectively Orense is situated in the South-West of Asturias, but not in contact. The Vazquez surname is quite extended in Galicia.

Galicia and Asturias share a lot of cultural traits, and were very frequent mixed marriages between Galicians and Asturians among the inmigrant communities all over the world.

Regards

[VICKIE]

TOM, IT'S YOUR COUSIN VICKIE.. I AM NEW AT THIS RESEARCH...I FOUND RECORDS IN ELLIS ISLAND:

GRANDPA-AVELINO VASQUEZ FEB 3, 1920 PORT OF DEPART LISBON, PORTUGAL SHIP ROMA PASSENGER #28 M 34 FROM ORENSE, SPAIN

8 MO LATER GRANDMA-MARIA GARCIA OCT 17, 1920 PORT OF DEPART. VIGO SPAIN PASS #25 F 22 FROM CARBRILLION #26 GERVASIO VASQUEZ (POSSIBLY UNCLE MANUEL SAYS 14Y I THINK 14 MO?) #26 AVELINO VASQUEZ INFANT (MOM SAYS THAT WAS UNCLE JOES NAME???) ALL GOING TO PO BOX #'S IN CHERRYVALE, KS TO MEET HUSBAND-PROBALY THEIR HOUSES WERE NUMBERED. MOM CAN'T REMEMBER. SHE KNOWS THEY GOT MAIL FOR ALONG TIME GENERAL DELIVERY.

DOES ANY OF THIS MATCH UP WITH WHAT YOU'VE GOT?

[VICKIE]

I HAVE LOOKED FOR SOME TIME OF ANY PHOTO'S OF CHERRYVALE'S ZINK SMELTER...FINALLY HERE IS A LINK TO IT...WHEN IT COMES UP SCROLL DOWN THROUGH CITIES TO CHERRYVALE IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY...THANKS!

http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ks/mo ... -mont.html

THANKS!
VICKIE