Isidoro Romero (31 Mar 1876) lost a twin brother when very young. His twin was named Jose Francisco, he passed away before 1880 when a census was taken and he is not listed. Before Francisco died kids used to make fun of them because they were always together. The kids used to take Francisco and hide him from Isidoro. One time they took him and hid him under the hay. There is a family story that one of my ancestors had a child that was killed presumptuously while outside by Indians when an arrow passed though his body. I speculate that this could have been Jose Francisco. Especially since his father built the, still standing, adobe wall for protection from the Indians. (Pictured on all my pages) I cannot find anything relating to the death of Jose Francisco, no official documents at all. But I was told that this was why Grandpa was so quiet and had the demeanor that he had through his life, because he felt like a piece of him was missing after the loss of Francisco.   

He went on to marry Maria Lucinda Valerio in 1898. Lucinda was born 17 Sep 1876 to Juan De Jesus Valerio and Maria Guadalupe Martinez.

The first child born to Isidoro and Lucinda sadly did not live long according to the 1900 Census, they noted 2 years married and 1 child born and 0 living. Their children were Unknown born and died in 1899, Cosmes born in 1900, Eufrocina born in 1903, My Grandpa, Marcos V. born in 1905, Maria Solidea born in 1907, Alfredo born in 1909, Amarante born in 1911, Eloy born and died in 1913, Bernadita born and died in 1915 and Delferio born in 1918.

In Isidoro’s WWI draft registration it is noted that he was of medium height, medium build, he had black hair and dark brown eyes. When asking Aunt Mina, Isidoro’s granddaughter whom he lived with since his wife died in 1923, until he himself passed away, Mina describes Isidoro’s eyes as being hazel, blue. Aunt Mina also told me a story of Isidoro, she says affectionately that he was such a good Grandpa. Her father Alfredo and mother Celina and their children (Mina included) used to go to prayer meetings on Wednesday night. They would get back late after it was dark and he would always stay up and wait for them to get home. He had a string from the light to his bed, he would turn on the light for them when they got home.  She also tells me that he passed away in his sleep, that they woke up one morning and he was gone. He also has been described as a quiet man. 

Lucinda died on 23 Oct 1923 she lived only 47 years. The story goes; She was helping shuck corn and apparently caught something from the corn. She got swollen, is all we know. I do not know what the truth is, but I believe it was very common for people to seek out a reason as to why something bad happens. She left My Great-Grandpa Isidoro with 7 children. Ages 23, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12 and the youngest was 5. I believe in my heart my Grandpa loved my Grandma Lucinda very much. I believe he even commissioned a picture for her, they were padrinos in a wedding shortly before she died and they had a picture taken. You can see some sort of a sickness taking its toll on her. In the picture he commissioned they are wearing the exact same clothes but their faces have been made to look many years younger. Maybe it was the only picture of her and he didn’t want everyone to remember her that way. He never remarried, when asked why he said, “My Wife would be angry” in Spanish. Lucinda was known by people to have been very sweet and very beautiful.

It was told to me by Uncle Mark that the reason why we are not Catholic today lies in the funeral of my Grandmother Lucinda. He said that after Lucinda passed away, it was viewed as a tragedy since she was fairly young, so many people came to the Rosary. During the rosary it is tradition that the family have seating reserved for they at the very front of the Church. Well my Grandfather Marcos and his brother saw they large crowd and got up to let some people have a seat so they would not have to stand. They moved to the back of the Church where they stood, since there was not a single seat to sit on. When the service started the priest asked them to sit down or get out. Now I have to point out that these boys had been raised attending that Church and I am sure the priest knew them well. They were shocked that knowing this was their mothers Rosary they would be asked to leave. Well they did just that, they left and never went back. My Grandfather Marcos married a Methodists daughter and around the 1940’s became Jehovah Witnesses. 

Isidoro, at some point is said to have had owned some of the infamous Taos lineas. Very narrow strips of land in Ranchos De Taos, NM. How these ‘lineas’ or ‘lines’ were formed was when the people were given the land grant they passed it on to their children in such a way that each child would have use of everything they needed from the lands from the very bottom for the winter months and all the way up the mountains where they would take their animals during the summer months. These lineas have been the object of fierce debate in recent years, due to many people claiming ownership to them. A big thing to talk about was the ‘stolen lineas.’ If Isidoro did own them they were likely passed down to him from his ancestors.

Isidoro lived 77 years, he died on 17 May 1952. He lived 29 years without Lucinda. They were buried in The old Llano Quemado Campo Santo Cemetery.

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Kim Miera, 58, was born November 3, 1959 in Garland, Dallas, Texas to Jack Wilson and Marian Claudine “Deenie” Yoder Wilson.

She was the 5th child and seeing as the first four were boys, that’s what the Wilson’s expected. Well, that’s not what they got. In her traditional form of doing things her way, she was born, much to the shock of the family.

In a rush to name her, the parents called home and asked her brothers what should they name this surprise baby girl. One of them happened to pick up a box of tissue and saw the name Kimberly- yes like Kimberly Clark under the tissue box. Kimberly Joan Wilson.

Since she was the only girl, of course, she was very spoiled, much too the aghast of her older brothers.

She grew up in Garland and Glen Rose, Texas where she enjoyed her own personal club house in her deployed brothers brand new 1965 Mustang. Soon enough the club house was relocated and of course made larger in size. Emphasis on the word “house” and for good measure they added a store called Kimi’s Korner.

She enjoyed being a television star for her 5th birthday when she appeared on the Mr. Peppermint show.

She was a ballerina for all the years they lived in Texas, and for which her mother hand sewed all her costumes.

In 1969 Jack and Deenie moved with Kim to Taos.

In subsequent years she had daughter Anita, son John and in 1983 she married Eddy Romero and had daughters Stephanie and Jacklyn.

Kim and Eddy would take over her father’s business after his passing. They ran Wilson Refrigeration for several years before opening Taos Mountain Appliance.

Kim worked as a nurse and paramedic.

She married Nestor Miera in 2005 and spent the rest of the years of her life by his side.

Kim was a born again Christian and she was beloved by the people she touched through her faith. She made friends who were more like family to her. She was always loyally sitting on the pew in the Potters House church every Sunday.

She was just about to embark on a new journey of opening a Christian book and coffee shop when the Lord called her home on 5th March 2018 at her home in Ranchos de Taos.  She was 58.  

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Jack joined the Army when he was 17 on 27 Oct 1939. He must have seen what many at that time were in denial of, the atrocities being committed by the Nazi Regime and if he hadn’t known about them, we know he learned. He saved some telling pictures, one being a photo he took himself at a Nazi concentration camp. (*Warning Graphic photo posted at the bottom of page of the horrible murders committed at a Nazi Concentration Camp. I only chose to post this so people know it was real and tragic. This was the photograph that Jack Wilson took himself when he was fighting in WWII.)

He must have seen a cause to join so young. The draft wasn’t even until a year later on 16 Sep 1940. He entered into active service on 23 Dec 1940.

He trained at Fort Hood, Texas. He was assigned to the 113th Cavalry but was soon realized that the group was too large and it was broken up into smaller sections, he was soon reassigned to Troop B 125th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron Mechanized.

He was a half track driver. Not much is known about his time there, there are a few articles and photos but he chose to never mention anything he had experienced. 

A few years back Uncle Jack was looking through some things and found a Medal among his father Jack’s belongings. He looked into it and it turned out to be a Arrowhead Medal. They were only given to soldiers who participated in the landing on the beaches of Normandy. 

His troop landed on Omaha Beach. Information about the Arrowhead Medal can be found here.

According to his discharge papers he traveled to Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Central Europe and Ardennes.

He demobilized on 15 Dec 1944. He was overseas for 1 year and 9 months. He separated on 27 Oct 1945. His time served was 5 years and 2 Days according to the Honorable Discharge. His total pay was $300

He also posed proudly with a defeated Nazi aircraft. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to post this picture here, despite the nature of the photograph. He had joined the service at such a young age, he had witnessed horrific things with his own eyes. He saw death, innocent victims, thousands of them. He fought for those lives, he liberated many towns for an evil regime, and fought to free the people in concentration camps who, by grace God, were still alive. He deserves his photograph to be shown but the political climate of today, dictates that his photo is not allowed, due to ignorance.

There are conflicting stories about whether the 125th stormed the beach at Normandy but Uncle Jack has the Medal and several stories state that a small group went ashore on D-Day.

Information about the 125th can be found here.  

Iowan recalls Omaha Beach on the 59th anniversary of D-Day

Fallen Heroes of Normandy, 125th

125th Cavalry Squadron (USA) liberated Berghem, Waterop,  Beutenaken, Billinghuizen, Crapoel, Gulpen, Nijswiller, Bochotltz, Bochotltzerheide, Lemiers 

Exploiting Combat Experience: The U.S. Forces European Theater Study of Mechanized Cavalry Units by Christopher N. Prigge, U.S. Army

 

 

 

 

 

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Jack “Big Jack” Wilson was born 15 May 1922 in Washington, Iowa to Charles Ream Wilson and Sylvia Alice May “Grandma Binkie” Ribbink. He married Marian Claudine “Deenie” Yoder on 25 Nov 1942 in Schuyler, Missouri. Deenie was born 18 May 1921 to Nicholas Jacob Yoder and Emma Belle Yohn in Greene Townplace, Iowa. They had 5 children, Jack “Lil Jack” Lee , David Bruce, Nicolas Charles, Randolph Alan and Kimberly Joan. Kimberly was born 03 Nov 1959 in Dallas, Texas. She died 5 Mar 2018 in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico at the age of 58.

When Deenie started kindergarten she walked in and went straight to the bookshelf and picked out a book and began to read it. When the teacher called her over she replied ‘I came to read’ In the first six weeks she had learned so much that they recommended that she be moved to the first grade because there was nothing left for her to learn in Kindergarten. On the other hand though… she flew through school and she completed high school in 3 years with the exception of .5 of a point. She decided she didn’t want to go to school for another entire year for just a .5 of a point so she didn’t graduate.
Deenie was able to play multiple instruments, she wanted to learn the Clarinet but her and her four sisters got scarlet fever and it affected her ears. She couldn’t blow hard enough to play, she tried the flute but it was the same result.
Deenie was raised Menonite, her Grandmother Katie Swartzentruber Yoder, was raised Amish. She was sad because Nick and Emma raised their daughters in the city and because they wore short sleeved dresses.

Jack joined the Army when he was 17 on 27 Oct 1939. To read more about his military career, click here. The family relocated to Dallas, Texas in the late 40’s.
Deenie was in the Signal Corps, she learned to type messages over the telegraph wires. The Signal Corps was called “the Arm, Behind the Army”

When Jack learned he was going overseas they eloped. They likely decided that it would be better to be married for even just a short period of time than not to marry at all. I could imagine that their early years in marriage were difficult because of his service but that was something that they both gave, that all their descendents should be proud of. Honor them for their effort and sacrifice.
While Jack was away Deenie gave birth to their first son, more specifically exactly two months to the day that Jack stormed the beach at Normandy, Lil’ Jack was born on the 6th of August. There is no telling what horrors he witnessed and the things he lived through but with God’s grace he made it home.

He was stateside on 22 Oct 1945. His son Lil’ Jack was over a year old the first time he must have seen him.
The family remained in Texas. Jack went into Refrigeration Service. He was a member of the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society beginning in 1954.

They moved to Taos around 1973. He opened Wilson Refrigeration which, in time, he passed over to Kim and Eddy (my father) after his passing. Eddy worked for Jack and it became a common thing, that people thought he was his son, so he took to the name Eddy Wilson.

 

Jack became very involved in the Taos Mountain Balloon Rally, he sponsored a balloon every year and enjoyed flying. It became a family tradition for many years.
They loved Kim and they doted on her. Deenie got kim into ballet and she handmade all her costumes. She also handmade her Barbie clothes in the style that Kim liked. She was very spoiled. Their aspiration was for her to become a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.

Deenie loved her yard and her flowers. Her most treasured were her black iris’. Very few of these remain but if you dare try to spot one just look directly behind Bud’s Flowers and you just might see a few.
When they first moved here they bought all the buildings directly next to Baskin Robbins but sold them a few years later.

Jack passed away first on 11 Feb 1987 at the age of 64 in the Taos Holy Cross Hospital, which used to be located almost directly across the street from their home.

Deenie passed away only 5 months after her lifelong love, on 19 Jul 1987 at the age of 66. Deenie was buried with all of her love letters that Jack sent her during the war.They were married for 44 years.

Both passed away at relatively young ages, as well as their daughter Kim.

Click here for information about:

Carolee Yoder Buccalo

Shirley Yoder Elam

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Marcos V. Romero Sr. was born 14 June 1905 in Llano Quemado to Isidoro Romero and Lucinda Valerio. V was his actual middle name, we believe it was for Valerio his mothers maiden name. He married Mabel Montoya who was born on 30 March 1910 to Pedro “Pete” Montoya and Margarita Lucero. They married on 28 Aug 1924.

Theirs is a very romantic story; As Marcos’ mother Lucinda had died in 1923 a lot was changing in his life, maybe he was wanting to escape for a bit and just live his life. In 1924 he was tending his father Isidoro and Grandfather Juan De Jesus Valerio’s sheep. They owned them together. He was 19 years old and used to spend 3-4 months in the mountains behind their home in the Pot Creek area, before getting a small break to come down to town. Then back up again he would go. Well in early 1924 he was tending sheep with his cousin Polito Valerio and decided he wanted to do other things, so he ran away on his short break. He ran to Colorado where he took a job at a beet farm, while there he met and fell in love with a beautiful girl named Mabel. She was the daughter of the share-cropper at the farm, Pete Montoya. Mabel used to work as a cook, being 13-14 years old this must have been a lot of responsibility for my young grandma.  Soon after meeting and falling in love, they were married. Shortly after Marcos’ brother Alfredo and Mabel’s sister Celina also married. They wanted Mabel’s sister Emily to marry Marcos’ brother Amarante but she didn’t like him she liked her future husband Salamon Mascarenas.

Marcos and Mabel had 10 children, they are Lucinda born 25 Aug 1925 in Kersey, Colorado. Lucy was born almost exactly one year after their marriage. Lucy died 31 Dec 2011 at her sister Dorothy’s home. Dorothy Ann born 11 Oct 1928 in La Salle, Colorado. Marcos Victor Jr born 27 Sep 1931 in Kersey, Colorado. Mark died 22 Apr 2015.  Viola born 25 Oct 1933 in Talpa. Viola died  9 Feb 1947 in Talpa. Gilbert Cornelio born 4 Jul 1936 in Talpa. Gilbert died on 5 Jun 2018 in Roseville, CA. Pearl born 25 Jul 1940 in Talpa. Pearl died on 5 Oct 2018 in Martinez, CA.  Thomas Clyde born 25 Mar 1944. Samuel Carlos born 24 Sep 1946. Sammy died 2 Oct 1974 in Penasco, NM. Bernard born 19 Feb 1948. Bernie died 16 Jan 2017 in Dublin, CA. Eddy Lee born 26 Apr 1952.

Marcos had a dent in his forehead, he told the story of what happened to Marcos Jr and Sandra. When he was a child men used to run around and scare children for Christmas. He had forgotten to shut the barn and he had to go out after dark to shut it. When he came outside the men jumped out and scared him. They started chasing him and he ran right into the wooden fence post. A knot was sticking out and it went into his head. He could not free himself so he had to call his parents. They could not pull it off either, they had to wrap him in blankets and he had to stay out all night. In the morning they were able to see what they were doing and they freed him from the post but he remained with a hole in his head. It healed into a dent like scar.

Marcos and Alfredo bought a farm in 1931 in Colorado, then the depression hit and they had to move home to Llano. That is when they split their father Isidoro’s home in half. The half that was close to the hill belonged to Marcos, the other to Alfredo. Grandpa Isidoro moved into Alfredo’s side of the home. Our side of the home has since fallen.

My Grandpa Marcos worked in Wyoming as a Vaquero or sheep herder. Most likely due to the lack of work in Taos. In order to support his family he spent 6 months to a year away from it. Lucy said every time her Dad came home it was a happy time. But when he left Grandma would be expecting again, which meant more work for the other children. Grandma kept up the house and fed the children. She did the job of the man and the woman when he was away, so the help needed from the children was far greater then most of the other families they knew. Lucy remembered  having to run to check the mail everyday for letters from her Dad. Lucy was a very hard worker all her life and when she was young and her mom had a baby she used to help pay the midwife by going to her home and mudding the outside walls. Lucy also told me about walking down the hill to get water, she used to have to haul full buckets up the big hill back to the house.

Grandpa was diagnosed with congestive heart failure so Aunt Judy gave him a glass to hold upside down and a spoon to hit it with so he could call if he needed anything, he rang at 3 am to go to the hospital to die. When everyone heard they all showed up to the hospital, it was around 50 people crowded into his tiny hospital room (to me that proved he was very much loved) he decided he wanted to go home where he could be without so many people around. At 7 am he was eating peaches, Mark went outside to get some wood for the fire, when he brought it in grandpa said “Come and eat,” Mark said “One more arm load,” and he went out he heard Lucy calling and he ran. Grandma had him and she handed him to Mark and he died right then with his head on Mark’s chest. Marcos died on 17 Nov 1985 of congestive heart failure in the trailer home they were living in on their son, Mark’s land. Right where the newer home is except the trailer used to lie the opposite direction. He was cremated and his ashes were buried under a Pine tree on the same land. He lived 80 years.

Aunt Lucy recalled about her father’s death, he really wanted rice so she was preparing rice for him. She says he started grabbing his chest and she ran for Judy because she was a nurse. In recalling, she got pretty emotional, she says she ran out the back door and not the front. She had to run the whole way around the trailer. All the while missing her brother Mark since he had gone the opposite way to the front door. I could tell she had some regret in thinking if she had gone out the front everything would have been ok, but she needed to understand it was her beloved Daddies time to go and nothing was her fault.

Mabel went on to live without her life long companero for 2 years. They had spent 61 years together. Mabel died of complications of Diabetes in Pueblo, Colorado where she had gone to be with her sister on 11 Nov 1987. She was buried in Taos next to her son Sammy and daughter in law Soveida and their unborn baby. She lived 77 years.

On March 25, 1999 a baby girl was found abandoned in a field and she was never identified. They named her Baby Angelica Maria. When she was buried, they chose to bury her right next to Grandma Mabel because they thought she must have been a loving mother and grandmother and they knew she would take care of her.

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My Romero family in Nueva España, as far as we now know, begins with Matias Romero (born abt. 1630-40). He is our first known ancestor, in what is now modern day Mexico. 

He and his wife, Andrea De La Cruz, had one known son named Francisco Xavier Romero (born abt. 1660). Matias and Andrea were still living in Mexico City, El Barrio Del Carmen, when their son Francisco Xavier left for New Mexico in about 1691. 

There are no records I have found that reveal the location of El Barrio del Carmen, although there is a convento with that name that dates back to the 17th century. Maybe they lived in the area surrounding the convent?

I have no way of accurately tracing Matias or Andrea during the year of 1693. And in all actuality I cannot trace them at all at this time.

I also do not know if they migrated from Spain or were born in Mexico.

We do have sort of an idea as to why Matias, or possibly his ancestors, answered the call and made the journey of about 5,254 miles, or 4,565 nautical miles from their ancestral home in Spain, all the way to far off Mexico, or as it was known then Nueva España.

Matias, or possibly his ancestors, likely could have been Conquistadores.

A reason that was known to be the popular cause for this long journey and change of home land was for the glory and loyalty to the Spanish Crown. Those who came to Nueva España, came to fight for new land and to help expand their beloved country. 

Another reason for the long journey is the rumored Gold of the Seven Cities of Gold or Cibola. Many Spanish conquistadors who made the journey and sought to discover the wondrous wealth that would surely be found. It never was.

Last, but not least, a more secretive reason for the abandon of Spain came with trials of the Spanish Inquisition.

Many Spanish fled Spain as quickly as they could for Nueva España, running from it. The reason? They were Sephardic Jews also known as Crypto Jews. They were able to live in peace for a time in their new found land, yet they still had to hide their faith.

The inquisition eventually followed them to their new home, causing them to push farther north into Northern New Mexico. There, it seems the inquisition was unable to continue its murderous rampage, to some extent.

They finally found their peace, yet kept their faith hidden and eventually it was lost to their descendants.

One piece of evidence that is evident are the strange customs of some of these people who were descendants of the families who were Crypto Jews, they still, until recently carried out customs taught to them by their ancestors, most not knowing the reason for them.

Customs like tortillas, lighting candles on Friday night, blessings that seemed more favorable to Jewish customs than to Catholic ones, washing on a schedule more rigorous than seemed normal and baptism after birth.

This little tradition proved to be a blessing, yet also in some cases, no blessing at all.

The newborn baby would accompany the chosen Godparents, alone, to the church as soon as possible after birth. In most cases 3 to 7 days after birth. The parents would not attend, likely because the mother needed rest, with it being so soon after the birth.

It was up to these Godparents to state the given name of the baby, the names of the parents, including surnames. Even the names of the four Grandparents.

In most cases the chosen were well familiar with and learned with the knowledge they needed to pass on to the priest. But in some cases they were not and names were not properly given, surnames mistaken for others or left out altogether.

This theory of Sephardism seems to be a very big possibility since the suspected Y-DNA of Matias Romero is JM-267, which is a known Jewish haplogroup and is associated with the Cohanim Ancestry and said to be descended from Aaron himself. Matias’ descendants are matching to a famous Rabbinical Family the  Katzenellenbogens of Germany. They are theorized to have originated in Spain before Germany and The Holy Land.

 It may never be known why, or when, our Romero family came to re-settle here, in Nueva España, but every day there are new sources coming to light, with the assistance of so many dedicated people who are sharing and working hard for these things to be made available easily to everyone. Maybe one day it will be easily known who in our family arrived first, and what the reasoning was.                                                                                                                                                  

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