Further Back

Vita Castañeda Galvan’s tree.

I found some info on Isabel Galván, Vita’s mother. I remember my grandmother talking about her grandmother, that she could picture her selling tamales, or some food, on the streets of El Paso. This is Isabel Galván’s death certificate. My grandmother was seven when she lost her grandmother. (The birthdate is incorrect. I’m assuming Vita filled out the info and didn’t actually know her mother’s birthday, or the person filling out the form didn’t understand her/pay attention to her. Isabel Galván was born 8 July 1852. However, interestingly, Vita died the day after her mother, 18 August 1974.)

I also found her grave in El Paso, but it didn’t have a headstone, as I assume they were too poor to buy a cement one. It probably had a wooden cross, which disintegrated over time. I bought her one, because I think my grandmother and great-grandmother would have liked that.

Bartolo Sánchez Lucio’s tree.

This may, or may not be, Bartolo Sánchez’s death certificate. The age is off slightly, but that could be because the witnesses didn’t know his actual age. The boy who reported it, Silverio Lucio, has the correct last name, that is, it’s Bartolo’s mother’s last name. It says here that he died 14 April 1926 at a hospital in Juárez.