Asturian-American Migration Forum

Garcia Family,

I am researching my mother's Geneology. She grew up on 12th street in Donora, Pa.
My mother is Sally (Garcia) Houston.
Her parent's were Arthur & Ann (Rodriguez) Garcia.
Arthur played soccer in Donora in a club. And they sometimes went to W.V for soccer Tournaments.
Mom say's he was possibly born in Missouri.
During summer picnics in Donora (Palmer Park) She remember's her Uncle Oscar Vega breaking an ankle while playing with the kids.
Arthur's Brother was Bennie Garcia.
Bennie was part owner at B & G's Bar.
Beyond that I don't have any information on Arthur's parents or possible Cousins.
Anyone who know's any of these folks please respond.

Thanks,
Brian

Brian,
I grew up on 12th street ,the heart of little Asturias,with the Spanish Club as the center of our culture. Donora was a great place to grow up,wonderful neighborhoods and culturally diversed.
Yes, I do remember your mom and family. Art and his brother Benny lived right below my Garcia family(1930 census).His mother had remarried, a Gonzalez. Art and Benny were born in Missouri. I remember Ray,Tomi,Roddy,Eloina and the Rodriguez's... a lot of good growing-up memories.
Good luck with your family tree and family history... your grandchildren will have more to remember. Pete Lorenzo says hello to your aunt Anita and Judy Garcia and I say hello to Sally and your familiy.
jbarbo

Jbarbo,

Nice to hear that you new them. I have even more question's now.

You say Art & Bennie lived below your Garcia family. (Which one's are your so I don't get them mixed up?) Do you know about when or what age Art & Bennie were?
Did Art & Bennie live with their mother? Do you know her 1st name? Or the Gonzalez that she married? Or if they had any more kids? Places they might have lived?

My mom is visiting us in Texas and this Weekend is with her Brother Art in McAllen, Texas. I will let them now you all said hello. As for my Aunite Anita I'm sorry to pass on the news that she passed away suddenly just weeks after discovering she had lung cancer back in 2002 or 2003. She was in the process of buying a house a block away from my mom, Sally. I have very fond memories of my Aunt Anita (Ann) She spoiled me like a good aunt is should. I loved her very much.

Any information you can provide on the Garcia side of my family would be very helpful. Names of kids, cousins, old hangouts. Anything.

I have bumped into one of my cousins on my other side on this site and told a newly found one about this site as well. But that is the Rodriguez side that all three of us are working on at the same time.

The Garcia side just puzzles me.

Brian

Brian,
Victor and Mary Garcia lived right on the corner of 12th and McKean. They had a number of Asturian boarders living there in the early years (1930's).

Right below them lived the Alvarez's, the Guardados and Jack Gonzalez with family, Gene (Generosa Alvarez) Gonzalez and sons, Benny (Benido)
Garcia and Arthur (Arturo) Garcia.

From what information that I was able to put together...Generosa came to US in 1906 with her brother, Vicente and her children, Jovita (2) and Benido (1) from Spain. They lived in St.Louis, Missouri. Arthur (Arturo) was born in April, 1907... she must have been pregnant when she came to US.

The 1910 census shows her with her brother and children. She married Jack Gonzalez around 1912. There is no other info on her daughter, Jovita. You should check on the death dates of Jack Gonzalez and Gene. Benny Garcia had married Peggy and they had the bar in Donora.

I remember your mom and family going up the 12th St. hill. She should, definitely, remember Judy and Jimmy. Please say hello to your family and especially to your Aunt Eloina. My mom was very good friends with her mom, Tomi.
I have enjoyed your posts, along with your cousin' s.



jbarbo

JBarbo,

Thank you so much for your last post. Because of this I had a dirction to move in. My mother provided some other names but did not know how some of these folks were related.

I have now positively established a link with documents between Generosa Alvarez, brother Vicente Alvarez and sister Julia Alvarez Herpers. As well as, made contact with a Herpers cousin also researching. I have also made contact with cousin Peggy (Daugher of Bennie and Peggy Garcia). She has provided a wealth of information that connects the Alvarez's to the Herpers, Alvarez's to the Garcia's and the Garcia's to the Guardado's.

I am waiting on a return e-mail from possible Guardado cousins (Children of Bennie Arthur Guardado son of my great-Aunt Josita and Louie Guardado). Cousin peggy provided the only photo of my grandfather Arthur and his siblings.

Everyone seems to have a piece of the puzzle. Your response was instrumental in it all. I have been able to locate the sources for all.

(Except Generosa Alvarez Garcia's marriage to Jack Gonzalez in 1912. Source?)

Worthy of note, Great-Uncle Bennie's real first name was Bienbienido. Very cool.

Thank you again.
Brian

Brian and family,
From the 1930 census there is a column on "how long married?"... from that, I calculated the year that they married. Your correct that your great aunt was Josita, married to Luis Guardado.
Please say hello to your cousin Peggie... see if she remembers me? Feliz Navidad y un Prospero Ano Nuevo to all your family.
jbarbo

Brian,

Although I cannot offer any insight into your family history, I knew your Mother, Sally. I lived down the hill from her on Van Pelt St. We played together as children and we graduated in the same class. I am sorry to hear of Anita's passing. If I remember correctly, didn't your mom have a cousin, Adelina? Please give my regards to your mother.

Sonia Garcia Mandzok

Brian,
I was looking through some old photos and found this one of your
great aunt, Josita, Mildred Guardado and son, Bennie from 1930. On the back side it had her name as 'Jovita' and her mom, Generosa Garcia. She died on
May 29, 1936. She was very good friends with my family. I always, called her
husband, 'LLaranes'.




Please say hello to Art and your mom, Sally.

I had not seen an adult picture of Josita. My mother remembered a strange name but could not remember the exact name, "Llaranes" must have been it. I looked on-line and found a town or village called Llaranes, Asturia. Is this why he was called that? I could not find the meaning of the word. Any ideas? I have e-mailed the picture to my Garcia & Guadardo cousins so they can admire it as well.

Thank you so much for sharing that. It is very meaningful.

Most people had a give name y dos apellidos, but they also had a nickname, which is how they were usually known. This carried over into English for the next generation, in many cases. For example, Juan and Maria Arrias were always called "Johnny next door" and "Mary next door" because they lived next door to my grandparents. At one point in my childhood I actually thought that their surname was Nextdoor.

The nicknames make the search more difficult but meaningful. We have an "Angel by the bridge" and an "Angel down the hill" in my family. Seems like location was a common theme with at least some of the nicknames. That was my line of thinking with "Llaranes". It may be significant or it may simply be a silly nickname given by friends. Makes the search even more enjoyable though, and causes me to chuckle as well.

Hi Brian,

Yes you are right. Llaranes is a little village in the Avilés area. The village dates back to IXth century, although it was in the mid of XXth century when it developped due to the industry (the factory ENSIDESA, nowadays ARCELOR/MITTAL).

Thousands of workers were ready to come from all over Spain to work in it and houses where built for them. The new Llaranes was founded the 18th July 1956 and its construction was finished by 1959, as well as the factory.

In case you would like to contact with the parish of Llaranes: Parroquia de Santa Bárbara, parroquiadellaranes@telecable.es

Here's a link to an old photo of Llaranes.
http://web.educastur.princast.es/cp/lla ... sidesa.htm

Regards,

Ana

Brian,

Luis Ramon Guardado was from the 'Llaranes' neighborhood, above Piedras
Blancas, going towards San Martin de Laspra. The Llaranes district by Aviles
is not where your great uncle is from. I haven't found any maps showing this neighborhood.
My good friend, Tony Menendez, confirmed Luis's nickname and birth location.

Please say hello to your family.

This information has been passed on to baby Bennie Guardardo's family. They may not have had this information about Luis. I know that his children are actively searching "the tree" with their mother.

You all have helped me fill in lots of blanks I had open for Alvererz.
Any idea of the mother and father for Julia, Generosa & Vincente?
I think I found Generosa married to Joe Alonzo in the 1920 census
in Illinois and she went by Rosa and Arthur and Ben were there???
So I think she may have been married 3 times?
I also have Busto family in Donora, with Richard (Dick) Amor (Amy)
Max, Louie and Libby. Their father Constantino was married to
Delfina Rodriquez and she had part of one leg missing from a train
accident when she was picking up coal by railroad tracks.
Delfina is a mystery to me for relatives.
Any news is good news, stephen