Asturian-American Migration Forum

Hello

I am trying to find out if anyone is familiar with Avelina Alonso, her
Brother Jose, and her Sister Amelita.

Avelina

She,and I assume her peers, were born in Naveces Castrillon Asturias
Spain.

She was born in 1899. She often told me how she loved living and playing
on the Bay or Ocean. Once she left Spain, although she had opportunities to return, she had no desire to return because she and her family lived in
poverty.

As a young girl, she emigrated to Havana Cuba with an Aunt and was
employed for a time as a Domestic for a wealthy family. Before leaving for USA, either in Spain or Cuba, she married Benjamin Fernandez. In USA, they had children: Evelyn, Raymond, and Aracely. In pursuit of work, they lived in Illinois and Ohio, before moving to Niagara Falls New York.

When she was about 19, she entered USA at New Orleans, LA.

I am looking for anything (Marriage License, Census, Shipping Manifest,
etc.) to be able to complete information for her family.

Jose


I know nothing about Jose except that he emigrated to Havana. When I
visited him in 1954 during the time of Batista and chose to stay there even though he could have left before Castro came to power.

Amelita

I know nothing about Amelita.

Paul Dickinson
Millersville MD
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Hi Paul:

I think I found Avelina in the 1930 Niagara NY Census. If I am correct, it appears in 1930 she was either divorced or widowed from Ben Fernandez. She was currently married to a man from Spain named Nicholas Paris. The two had a newborn baby named Mary that was born in NY. Also living with them were three Stepchildren: Evelyn (born in Illinois), Raymond (born in Ohio) and Lillian Fernandez (born in NY).

Avelina is going by the Americanized name Evelyn. She was born in 1899 in Spain. It says she came to the USA in 1917.

Do you think this is your family?

Hello

I am not having success finding Avelina on Passenger Lists from Asturias to both Cuba (1915-1917) and New Orleans (1917-1919).

Assuming there is nothing comparable to Census Records, might there be Church Records available in Both Cuba and Asturias?

Finding any official records like Birth, Baptism, and Marriage would be most helpful.

Everything I have seen points to her having been born and living in Naveces.

Paul D

Hi, Paul,

Where can we access the records of passenger lists for ships to Cuba and to ports other than Ellis Island?

--------

Hola, Paul,

Cómo podemos encontrar los documentos de pasajeros de barcos a Cuba y a puertos aparte de la Isla de Ellis?

A name my mother remember's from growing up in Cherryvale, Ks., is Lena Alonzo (not sure of spelling of 1st name). Lena could be short for Avalina, possibly Lina. This Lena my mother said moved to ST. Louis, MISSOURI and never came back to CHERRYVALE.
Thanks

Well, if the name Lena was pronounced LENA (with the spanish value for E), this could be a short Asturian form of Elena. Or, if the pronounciation was LEENA, this match very well with the Asturian short form of Avelina.

Regards.

Dear Friends

Art

In addition to the Passenger Lists available from Ellis Island, I have had some limited success with comparable lists using ANCESTRY.COM.

VICKIE

Thank you for your suggestions. I shall also look for the name Lena. Also, to my knowledge, Avelina never frequented Kansas nor Missouri.

Carlos

I will check for name Lena. Many Thanks.

Paul

Hello

In the continuing saga of looking for information on Avelina Alonso, I mention the following:

The Geographic Area

My experience in the research of Italian relatives pointed out that once I had located an individual, many of that person's ancestors had lived in the same community for years and that many descendentas still lived there in the area as well. Perhaps this is the same in Asturia and I am banking on that possibility. Once finding a person, I may hit upon a treasure chest of folks I would like to pursue!!!

MAP

Therefor, I would like to focus on the communities where I have previous knowledge that Avelina had identified. For example, in Census and travel records, she mentions Naveces. Also, I think (Iam not certain) she mentioned Piedras Blancas. Her first Husband, Benjamin Fernandez, came from Oviedo. I am not sure whether they married in Asturias or later in Cuba.

I mention these communities because I would like to see/buy a map which includes at least the above mentioned communities (Naveces, Piredras Blancas, and Oviedo).

Can anyone advise where I might secure such a map?

Picture

I am wondering if it would be beneficial to add her picture to your Picture Forum. Those that I have, were taken in USA (Depew Il, Canton OH, and Niagara Falls NY) and may not mean anything to some one in Spain. I would be happy to provide such a picture/pictures.

Branding

My wife and I visited Candas about 20 years ago and had a delightful time. The chef in the resturant across the street from our hotel branded all his red meat and fish. I had never experienced this custom before nor since. All I can say is that it was wonderful. I suspect the branding sealed in the juices. However, I am not so sure that would not work in USA today because if the work was not aged properly or some other reason bacterially, perhaps it would not be safe to eat the meat.

Thank you for yiour interest.

Paul D.

Hi Paul,

You can write to any Asturias tourist office and ask for maps. They offer a very nice one that it quite detailed, as well as individual maps of different regions within Asturias. Be sure to write to one that is open year round, for example Oficina de Turismo, Calle Ruíz Gómez, nº 21, 33400-Avilés, Asturias, Espana. Some of the staff there speak English as well as Spanish, if you want to call: Tel: 985 54 43 25. Fax: 985 54 63 15. The Spanish tourism office in New Yokr City may also be able to send you the map.

Bob Martinez

Paul, photos are always welcome. I should warn you that I'm often slow at getting them posted because it takes a fair amount of work.

I'll need the jpgs, names, place, date, etc (who, what where, why kinds of things) to the best of your knowledge. When you're ready, just email them to me at the address at the bottom of every page in the site.

Hola:

Ya se que este hilo es antiguo, pero a lo mejor se puede retomar la búsqueda. Mi bisabuela se llamada Belarmina Alonso Menéndez, y nació y vivió en Naveces. sus padres eran Ramón y Francisco. Por la información que tengo tenía al menos dos hermanos que se llamaban Ramón y Manuel.

El próximo lunes iré al registro civil a solicitar varias partida de nacimiento y matrimonio. Anoto la de Avelina Alonso nacida en 1899, por si tiene conexión con mi bisabuela o puede servir de ayuda a Paul.

Saludos

No sé si servirá para algo, pero muchas veces, los emigrantes echaban mano de vecinos del pueblo, que ya estaban establecidos en el lugar de destino.
El 26/04/1834 Bernardo Fernández Espinosa, vecino de San Román de Naveces, concejo de Castrillón, en Asturias, solicita licencia para que Ramón Fernández, su hijo y de Josefa Fernández Espinosa, natural y vecino de dicha parroquia, soltero, pueda pasar a La Habana a unirse al comercio de su primo Manuel García
El 10/06/1859 Jose de Arrojo Valdés, de Naveces, Castrillón, pide pasaporte para La Habana
El 05/02/1862 Vicente Menéndez, de Naveces, pide pasaporte para La Habana
El 07/11/1862 Manuel Ballina, de Naveces, pide pasaporte para La Habana
El 12/11/1862 Jose Menéndez, de Naveces, pide pasaporte para La Habana
1915 Ya había hecho casa en Naveces Bernardo Menéndez, que había hecho fortuna en Cuba.
1916 ya no se dedicaba al comercio en Cuba, pero había hecho fortuna un natural de Naveces, conocido como Manín el Bolao, tenía un hermano llamado Leonardo que falleció ese año.

A parte del Centro Asturiano, como otros concejos, Castrillón, también tenía sociedad o grupo en Cuba, "Sociedad de Castrillón".
Pido disculpas por las molestias que les haya podido causar con estos datos.

Hola de nuevo Jasm:

Los apellidos Alonso, Menéndez y Espinosa confluyen en mi bisabuela Bernardina Alonso, cuyos padres se llamaban Ramon Alonso y Francisca Menéndez. Es muy probable que tuvieran algún grado de parentesco con algunas de las personas de las que facilitas esta valiosa información. Ya iré dando cuenta de mis hallazgos sobre esta parte de mi familia en este hilo.

Gracias de nuevo Jasm

En 1880, naturales de Naveces,
Alejandro Menéndez Morán, hijo de Benito y Pascuala, estaba en Cuba.
Benigno Álvarez Rodríguez, hijo de Manuel y Josefa, estaba en La Habana.
José González García, hijo de Bernardo y Ramona, estaba en La Habana.
Germán Menéndez García, hijo de Ángel y Josefa, estaba en La Habana.
José Fernández Menéndez, hijo de Genaro y Ramona, estaba en La Habana.
Antonio Fernández Alonso, hijo de Benito y Joaquina, estaba en Estados Unidos.
José María Fernández García, hijo de Rodrigo y Joaquina, en La Habana, esquina de Orrille, cafe.