Asturian-American Migration Forum

My father is the son of Etelbina Alvarez and Jesus Gonzales. The stories we heard about my Grandmothers birth were always interesting. We got the classic - poor girl works at rich house, son gets her pregnant and won't marry her. Her Grandmother, Rosa Lopez decided that her daughter and grand daughter would be better off in America. All three of them traveled in 1907 to America. My Grandmother was passed off as another families daughter as they didn't want single mothers in America.

In 1979 my Grandmother received a letter from Jimmy Garcia Barbao. He spoke about researching his family history and told her that her grand parents were Inocencio Barbao and Manuela Gonzalez. I would love to find out if Jim Barbao completed the family tree?

My other half, my mother, is English, French, Irish and a very complete family tree has been done. Since we, the grand children, never really knew much about my Grand Mother I would love to have some history. My Grand Mother and Father had thee children. Only one of the three is alive and lucky for me it is my father, William Glennon. He was raised in St Louis, MO and during WWII was stationed in San Francisco. He met my mother and married in 1945. Shortly after marrying he decided that the name Gonzales was not going to take him very far in CA. He changed it to Glennon after the Cardinal of St. Louis. I am from a family of 5 - 3 boys and 2 girls.

I can give more information if this is not enough but I am knew at this so let me know. Thank you.

Welcome to the forum!

It would help to have more info about family members and where they were from. This post gives ideas of the info that would help:
http://www.asturianus.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2409

Sometimes it helps to search for the name in Asturias, but Alvarez and Gonzalez are extremely frequent, so that won't do. But it may be useful if you know their second apellidos (last names).

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¡Bienvenido al foro!

Sería útil recibir más información acerca de los miembros de la familia y de dónde eran. Este mensaje da ideas de la información que ayude a:
http://www.asturianus.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2409

A veces nos ayuda buscar el nombre en Asturias, pero Álvarez y González son muy frecuentes, por lo que no nos ayuda. Pero quizás sea útil si sabes sus apellidos segundos.

The only other information I have is that she was born on August 20th between 1895 and 1899. She was born in Aviles at La Zorerda. La Zorerda was the name of ther mothers house. The only nmaes of other houses near theirs were Casa de Pina Re and Tebolias. The houses were very near Piedras Blancas which might have been the county seat. Her Grandmother's name was Rosa Lopez and she was born or from Morcin. The only thing my Grand Mother knew about her father was that he lived in Piedras Blancas. He left Spain for Cuba after getting 2 girls pregnant. He lived in Cuba fora while untilhe became sick when he came back to Spain. He sent a neighbor to my Grand Mothers Mother and Grand Mother saying that he was dieing and that he wanted to see my Grand Mother and recognize her as his daughter. However, my Grand Mother's Grand Mother firmly told him no. He died shortly after that. My Grand Mother did know that his name was Colas Barbao. She also did not know anything about his family. The only other thing she remembered is that they were from the San Miguel Parish. All the birth records and baptismal records etc., are in Piedras Blancas.

That's good. You've got a lot more information!

Piedras Blancas is in the "concejo" (county) of Castrillón, which is the neighbor of the concejo of Avilés. Avilés is both a consejo and the capital city of that concejo. It is a larger city than Piedras Blancas, and is the dominant city in that region (which includes Castrillón).

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Ah, muy bien. ¡Tienes mucho más información!

Piedras Blancas está ubicado en el concejo de Castrillón, lo que es el vecino del concejo de Avilés. Avilés es tanto una concejo como la ciudad capital del concejo. Es más grande que Piedras Blancas, y es la ciudad dominante de la comarca (que incluye a Castrillón).

Nicolas Barbao (25 Jan 1872-22 Jun 1907) was from La Foz de Morcín living in Piedras Blancas and working at the mill in Arnao. Many workers went on strike at Arnao in the early 1900s and were let go. Nicolas went to Cuba for a couple of years. His brother Tomas went to West Virginia in 1905. He returned from Cuba sick and he died in Piedras Blancas in 1907 from tuberculosis.

The story of his life that was told to me: he was tall and very good looking. He knew Etelvina from Morcin. They were young and full of life. Just like many of us today. The stories of love never change.

Many young people left the hard life and the mountains of Morcin and went to work at Arnao/Piedras Blancas or to the mines in Mieres in the 1890s. Women followed their boyfriends or to look for a working husband.

Nicolas did not come from a rich family... he did come from a very proud, religious family (La Parroquia de San Sebatian de La Foz) with values.

Yes... he did get two single women pregnant and he married another having a son, Inocencio before he died. I was told that he tried to talk with Rosa's mother before he passed and that she wouldn't accept his regrets.

Etelvina came to Donora one summer to attend our annual Spanish Picnic and to meet with her Barbao cousins Joe, Mary, Gia, Emil, Ben, Angelina and Bill... everyone said how much she looked like a Barbao. They talked
about what had happened... time to forgive and time to be family.

I talked with Mary Glennon on the phone and we wrote for awhile.

I continue to work on our family tree. It's been so interesting and so rewarding. I would like to go back to Asturias and to La Parroquia de San Sebastian de La Foz to review many Barbao family records.

I can copy and send to you what I have so far.

Your cousin... Jim Garcia Barbao

15 Aug 1907 Port of Boston, Massachusetts aboard the SS Invernia arrival of Rosa Lopez (48) with daughter, Etelvina Alvarez (27) and her daughters, Maria Etelvina (7) and Julia (1). With them was a young boy, Manuel Rodriguez (11). Rosa, also used the surname Rodriguez. They listed their destination as St Louis, Missouri.

We have no information on what happen to Rosa nor her daughter, Marie Glennon's mother nor Julia.

Thanks for your most interesting replies, Jim!

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¡Gracias por tus mensajes tan interesantes, Jim!

Para Jim Garcia Barbao:
Hola Jim, Hace un año que escribiste tu lo siguiente en pueblos-españa.org/asturias/la foz: Respuesta al mensaje, enviado el 28/03/2011 a las 22:25 por Jim Garcia Barbao:
"Tamara... en la Parroquia de San Sebastian de La Foz se puede encontrar documentos de la familia Barbao. Mi bisabuelo, Tomas Barbao Gonzalez nacio (1875) en Otura, La Foz de Morcin. Tomas vino a los US en 1905. Hay mucha familia Barbao por aqui."
Da la casualidad que antier yo lo vi, y escribi lo siguiente:
"Hola, Soy nueva en este grupo. Vi su mensaje. Yo tambien tengo el apellido Barbao en mis antepasados, Maria Fernandez Barbao, natural de La Foz, casada con Manuel Vazquez. Una hija era Maria Vazquez Fernandez que murio mas o menos en el año 1874 y casada con Juan Martinez Fernandez. Tambien era abuela de Angel Martinez Vazquez, Benigno Martinez Vazquez, y Perfecta Martinez Vazquez. Todos eran naturales de La Foz. ¿Por casualidad algo de esto encaja con su arbol?
Saludos, Carmen"
Aurelio me contesto hoy lo siguiente:
"Sintiendolo mucho creo que estan equivocados de pueblo, sin duda alguna se estan refuriendo a La Foz de Morcir en el concejo de Morcir a muy pocos kilometros de Oviedo Capital, esta Foz en la que escriben es La Foz de Caso, y no nos constan estos nombres ni apellidos en este pueblo, atentamente saluda y se lo aclara Aurelio Fernandez, saludos cordiales."
?Me podrias decir si por casualidad tienes esos nombres en tu arbol?
Muchas gracias, Carmen

jbarbo wrote:Nicolas Barbao (25 Jan 1872-22 Jun 1907) was from La Foz de Morcín living in Piedras Blancas and working at the mill in Arnao. Many workers went on strike at Arnao in the early 1900s and were let go. Nicolas went to Cuba for a couple of years. His brother Tomas went to West Virginia in 1905. He returned from Cuba sick and he died in Piedras Blancas in 1907 from tuberculosis.

The story of his life that was told to me: he was tall and very good looking. He knew Etelvina from Morcin. They were young and full of life. Just like many of us today. The stories of love never change.

Many young people left the hard life and the mountains of Morcin and went to work at Arnao/Piedras Blancas or to the mines in Mieres in the 1890s. Women followed their boyfriends or to look for a working husband.

Nicolas did not come from a rich family... he did come from a very proud, religious family (La Parroquia de San Sebatian de La Foz) with values.

Yes... he did get two single women pregnant and he married another having a son, Inocencio before he died. I was told that he tried to talk with Rosa's mother before he passed and that she wouldn't accept his regrets.

Etelvina came to Donora one summer to attend our annual Spanish Picnic and to meet with her Barbao cousins Joe, Mary, Gia, Emil, Ben, Angelina and Bill... everyone said how much she looked like a Barbao. They talked
about what had happened... time to forgive and time to be family.

I talked with Mary Glennon on the phone and we wrote for awhile.

I continue to work on our family tree. It's been so interesting and so rewarding. I would like to go back to Asturias and to La Parroquia de San Sebastian de La Foz to review many Barbao family records.

I can copy and send to you what I have so far.

Your cousin... Jim Garcia Barbao