Who's Stuck? Who Doesn't Know Where To Start?

Are you stuck? Are you wondering where to start? Well one good place would be to ask your questions on the research@nuestrosranchos.org list. We might not be able to help but we'll try.

If you are just starting out in genealogy then you need to familiarize yourself with your local Family History Center. Your local FHC is part of the LDS church and is an absolute goldmine of information for Mexican Genealogy and other locations around the world. Go to www.familysearch.org to find your closest location with the best hours to fit your schedule: go to the site and click on "Library" and "Family History Centers" to find your location. Give them a call and pay them a visit. Ask questions about how the center works.

If you know your specific location then go to the familysearch.org site and do a "place search." go to the site and click on "Library" and then on "Family History LIbrary Catalog" and then click on "Place Search" [Note if your location doesn't come up in the results maybe it was too small to support a church in earlier times. In cases like that then go to one of the online maps - Expedia.com is one I use - and see if you can find your location. Then slowly start entering in the towns closest to your location in the "Place Search." Keep doing that until you find a location that gives you some results from the "Place Search."

Once you've found a location you should see something like this:

Place
México, Zacatecas, Sombrerete

Topics
México, Zacatecas, Sombrerete - Census
México, Zacatecas, Sombrerete - Church records
México, Zacatecas, Sombrerete - Civil registration

---------------------

then you would click on the live links for each to familarize yourself with which films are available.

Under "Church records" you'll see something like this with the film numbers you can then order from your local family history center [note: you can only view the films at the FHC as they cannot be removed from the building]:

Topic
México, Zacatecas, Sombrerete - Church records

Titles
Registros parroquiales, 1678-1940 / Iglesia Católica. San Juan Bautista (Sombrerete, Zacatecas)

and if you click on this you'll see the following [note: to see it like this you'll need to click on "See Film Notes" at the top. If you see a film that might be when your relatives lived in that area then that would be the one you would order at the Family History Center:

Title
Registros parroquiales, 1678-1940

Authors
Iglesia Católica. San Juan Bautista (Sombrerete, Zacatecas) (Main Author)

Notes
Microfilme de manuscritos en el archivo parroquial.
Muchos de los registros incluyen índice.
Parish registers of baptisms, confirmations, marriages, marriage petitions, deaths, and other church records from Sombrerete, Zacatecas, Mexico.
Many of the registers include an index.

Subjects
México, Zacatecas, Sombrerete - Church records

Format
Manuscript (On Film)

Language
Spanish

Publication
Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmados por la Sociedad Genealógica de Utah, 1966, 1994

Physical
42 carretes de microfilme ; 35 mm.

Film Notes
Note - Location [Film]
Bautismos 1679-1688, 1693-1695, 1710-1770 - FHL INTL Film [ 604811 ]
Bautismos 1741-1747, 1758-1760 - FHL INTL Film [ 604812 ]
Bautismos 1761-1777 - FHL INTL Film [ 604813 ]
Bautismos 1789-1791, 1794-1795, 1797-1800 - FHL INTL Film [ 604814 ]
Bautismos 1802-1803, 1809-1825 - FHL INTL Film [ 604815 ]
Bautismos 1824-1825, 1833, 1839-1841 - FHL INTL Film [ 604816 ]
Bautismos 1863-1869 - FHL INTL Film [ 604817 ]
Bautismos 1865-1869 - FHL INTL Film [ 604818 ]
Bautismos 1869-1871 - VAULT INTL Film [ 604819 ]
Bautismos 1871-1880 - FHL INTL Film [ 617424 ]
Bautismos 1872-1878 - VAULT INTL Film [ 654972 ]
Bautismos 1876-1879 - VAULT INTL Film [ 654973 ]
Bautismos 1878-1889 - VAULT INTL Film [ 654974 ]
Bautismos 1881-1886 - VAULT INTL Film [ 654975 ]
Bautismos 1886-1890 - VAULT INTL Film [ 654976 ]
Bautismos 1889-1893 - VAULT INTL Film [ 654977 ]
Bautismos 1893-1896 - VAULT INTL Film [ 654978 ]
Bautismos 1896-1899 - VAULT INTL Film [ 654979 ]
Bautismos 1899-1901 - VAULT INTL Film [ 654980 ]
Confirmaciones 1869-1903 - VAULT INTL Film [ 654981 ]
Matrimonios 1695-1788 - FHL INTL Film [ 654982 ]
Matrimonios 1793-1854 - VAULT INTL Film [ 654983 ]
Información matrimonial 1863-1878 - VAULT INTL Film [ 654984 ]
Información matrimonial 1867-1889 - FHL INTL Film [ 654985 ]
Información matrimonial 1890-1900 - FHL INTL Film [ 654986 ]
Información matrimonial 1891-1892 - VAULT INTL Film [ 654987 ]
Información matrimonial 1892-1896 - FHL INTL Film [ 654988 ]
Información matrimonial 1896-1899 - FHL INTL Film [ 654989 Item 1 ]
Docmentos eclesiásticos 1895-1920 - FHL INTL Film [ 654989 Item 2 ]
Defunciones 1678-1811 - FHL INTL Film [ 654990 ]
Defunciones 1809-1901 - VAULT INTL Film [ 654991 ]
Bautismos L. 41-46 1902-1904 - VAULT INTL Film [ 1909685 ]
Bautismos L. 47-53 1904-1908 - VAULT INTL Film [ 1909686 ]
Bautismos L. 54-59 1908-1912 - VAULT INTL Film [ 1909687 ]
Bautismos L. 60-65 1912-1915 - VAULT INTL Film [ 1909688 ]
Bautismos L. 66-70 1915-1922 - VAULT INTL Film [ 1909689 ]
Bautismos L. 71-74 1922-1927, 1929 - FHL INTL Film [ 1909690 ]
Bautismos L. 74-77 1929-1931 - VAULT INTL Film [ 1909691 ]
Confirmaciones L. 6-7 1910-1914, 1919-1931 (El L. 6 incluye algunas de la parroquia de Fresnillo.) - VAULT INTL Film [ 1909692 Items 1-2 ]
Matrimonios L. 19-28 1901-1911 (Falta el L. 23.) - VAULT INTL Film [ 1909692 Items 3-11 ]
Matrimonios L. 29-36 1911-1914 (Incluyen informaciones matrimoniales.) - VAULT INTL Film [ 1909693 ]
Matrimonios L. 36-43 bis 1914-1925 (Los L. 37-41 incluyen informaciones matrimoniales y el L. 42 incluye dispensas.) - FHL INTL Film [ 1909694 ]
Matrimonios L. 43 bis-44 1925-1926, 1929-1931 - VAULT INTL Film [ 1909695 Items 1-2 ]
Noticias matrimoniales L. 1 1908-1940 (Faltan años.) - VAULT INTL Film [ 1909695 Item 3 ]
Informaciones matrimoniales L. 1-3 1915-1922 - VAULT INTL Film [ 1909695 Items 4-6 ]
Presentaciones matrimoniales L. 2-3 1922-1924 - VAULT INTL Film [ 1909695 Items 7-8 ]
Presentaciones matrimoniales L. 4 1924 - VAULT INTL Film [ 1909696 Item 1 ]
Informaciones matrimoniales L. 4-6 1924-1926, 1929-1931 - VAULT INTL Film [ 1909696 Items 2-4 ]
Entierros L. 2-4 1901-1940 - VAULT INTL Film [ 1909696 Items 5-7 ]

if any of that was unclear just ask a question but definetly get yourself into your local FHC so you can start discovering your Rich Family History.

joseph

RE: Who's Stuck? Who Doesn't Know Where To Start?

Comment

Hi, there. This information is very helpful (Thanks!) and I agree that the LDS sites are ideal locations to start looking but, in my case, I know for a fact that the records prior to the 1955 in Momax, Zacatecas (possibly Tlaltenango, also), were destroyed by student protesters, so I doubt that I'll have much luck going that route. I have been able to get to a certain point from information I recieved from my mother, but it seems that I have many branches out there where I got stuck and couldn't proceed. I'm hoping someone from my area (Tlaltenango, Momax, Atolinga) and surnames (Ávila, Álva, Haro, Campos, Róbles, etc.) search can share with me their information in case I can tie our lines at a certain level where the may have branched out. I have a PAF & gedcom (??) file in case anyone wants to peruse it. I really don't know where I can post any of this for you all to look at, but any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

OK, I think I'm rambling, but I hope someone understands what I'm trying to get at!!! :-)

Who's Stuck? Who Doesn't Know Where To Start?

Comment

I was told the films were copied by the LDS at the capitol and not in each town or village. There were always at least 2 copies for the records, one stayed in each parrish and the second went into the main archives. It could be wrong but this is what I was told at the history center. There may still be hope for you to find your info..
Linda in Everett

cavilah wrote:

OK, I think I'm rambling, but I hope someone understands what I'm trying to get at!!! :-)

Who's Stuck? Who Doesn't Know Where To Start?

Comment

Hi, Linda, thanks for that information. I so hope you are correct because then I can get ahead in this search of mine. I do appreciate your input!

Cristina in California

Erlinda Castanon-Long wrote:
I was told the films were copied by the LDS at the capitol and not in each town or village. There were always at least 2 copies for the records, one stayed in each parrish and the second went into the main archives. It could be wrong but this is what I was told at the history center. There may still be hope for you to find your info..
Linda in Everett

cavilah wrote:

OK, I think I'm rambling, but I hope someone understands what I'm trying to get at!!! :-)

Records in Momax, Atolinga, Tlaltenango

Comment

Cristina:

Whoever told you that records in these towns prior to 1955 were destroyed misinformed you. While civil records may be missing for some years, the church records are very complete for Tlaltenango (back to about 1630) and Atolinga (back to the founding of San Cayetano in 1788 or so) and exist with some years missing for Momax also back to that parrish's founding in 1776. Best of all, nearly all of these records are indexed.

What you will have to have is the names of your ancestors who were baptized or married prior to 1880 or so because LDS has not indexed beyond that year.

I tried looking at your genealogy files, but they are very difficult to decipher, as they are not in any standard format and have many of the older ancestors marked as living and with no birth dates or marriage dates. As guidance, GEDCOMs should not be posted in file folders, they should be uploaded to the GEDCOM database and files that are uploaded should NOT contain any living person's information. If you post things in the file folders ideally they should be Ahnentafel or register charts in text.

I share most of your surnames and have a great deal of information on the Haros of Tlaltenango. If you can organize your information and point us to a specific lineage where you are having trouble, I am sure there are members that would be willing to help.

Records in Momax, Atolinga, Tlaltenango

Comment

Arturo, thanks so much for that information. I will have to check with my mom because this is the information that she has. I don't know where she got it, but she had told me that the years prior to her birth year (1956) had been destroyed. I will have to let her know in case there was a misunderstanding. Thanks again for pointing this out. :-) As for my files, I apologize por posting them in the wrong place, but I didn't know where else to post them. I tried uploading it in the gedcom area, but it kept asking me for a password and I would put my usual password and was getting an error message. I asked for my password to be e-mailed to me, but when I tried to use that password (which seemed to have been automatically generated), I still was unsuccessful logging in to that area of the website. Anyway, I know my file is very difficult to understand, but the reason is that I do not know where to start and I only have information passed down from my family. I will try
to get everything organized so that I can share it with the group and hopefully get a lead to follow.

Thanks, again, and please all keep checking my files for updates. I will try really hard to get them all squared away.

Cristina

arturoramos wrote:

Cristina:

What you will have to have is the names of your ancestors who were baptized or married prior to 1880 or so because LDS has not indexed beyond that year.

Atanacio Campos

Comment

Cristina:

As I wrote in an earlier message, there are many entries in the LDS databases of the extracts from Momax and Tlaltenango for your family. I think that is where you need to focus and start ordering films that are relevant to fill in the information.

If you would like to upload a GEDCOM just let me or Joseph know and we can create a tree for you in the GEDCOM database. You do not need to log on to that database seperately. Just click on the GEDCOM menu item once you have logged into Nuestros Ranchos. You can only read records unless we create a special tree for you to upload and edit records.

See the record I found for one of your ancestor's marriage. This would be a good film to order so that you can find the names of the parents of these two individuals.

ATANACIO CAMPOS
Spouse: NATIVIDAD CORNEJO
Marriage:
24 JAN 1877 Tlaltenango De Sanchez Roman, Zacatecas, Mexico
Batch: M607146 Film: 0443974

Atanacio Campos

Comment

Arturo, thanks for all our help with this. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. I found a lot of records already, just by going on familysearch.com. I thought the info. you found was for my great-grandfather, but it turns out to be another person with the same name. Anyway, you gave some see good ideas for my search. Can I e-mail you my file so you can create a tree for me. I do want to start filling in the blanks, but for now I have some placeholders in just so you can see the names. I only put that for the deceased for which I don't have deceased dates. Anway, maybe you can take a look at it and tell me if you think I have too little or too much on it. I think I started adding people that maybe I shouldn't be adding yet and just concentrate on one branch, to start.

Well, again, thanks for all of your help, as well as to all the members who have already helped me so much!!!

Cristina

arturoramos wrote:

Cristina:

See the record I found for one of your ancestor's marriage. This would be a good film to order so that you can find the names of the parents of these two individuals.

ATANACIO CAMPOS
Spouse: NATIVIDAD CORNEJO
Marriage:
24 JAN 1877 Tlaltenango De Sanchez Roman, Zacatecas, Mexico
Batch: M607146 Film: 0443974

Avila, Campos, Cornejo in Tlaltenango

Comment

Cristina:

Yes, please email me what you have and I will try to organize it for you and create an Anhentafel or register table for you to post in your file folder. Did you take the files you had in there down?

One question, why do you think that this Atanacio Campos is not your ancestor? The dates and the name of the spouse seem to match the information you provided in your first introductory email.

One rule that should always be followed is that you have to go one generation at a time. It is always tempting to skip to the next generation based on a hunch or oral history when one is stuck, but it is imperative that each generation's link to the next is well documented. Otherwise, the basis for the genealogy falls apart.

I will send you a personal message with my email address.

Avila, Campos, Cornejo in Tlaltenango

Comment

Thank you so much for your willingess to help. I know that I get ahead of myself, but this is all a new experience for me and I get so excited when I see a possible ancestor. I will try to reign in my emotions, lol, and go about this a little more logically. For now, I have mostly added only that I am sure of. For example, I obtained the names from my mother first, then looked them up to verify. That is how I found additional details such as birth dates and marriage dates to add. I suppose I should just try to complete one at a time before I continue. I just felt that the more info. I had on anyone, the more leads it could provide to find the next ancestor. Anyway, I will be very patient and do as suggested and, with your help and everyone elses, I'm sure it will be for the best. As for this Atanacio Campos, the reason I know he is not my great-grandfather is because his parents' names were Valentín Campos Campos and Cruz Mota (his full name is Atanacio Campos
Mota) and he was married to María de Jesús Campos Cornejo, hence my grandmother being a Campos Campos. :-) Have you noticed this occurence in your family, where you have families marrying their own relatives? My brother calls our family the "Mexican Hillbillies..." LOL! For example, my grandfather is Haro Haro and his wife, my grandmother, is Campos Campos. Already we see a pattern, yet it doesn't stop there. My granmother turns out to me my grandfather's distant Aunt and also his cousin, or some such strange thing...It is so hard to keep track of the connections!!!

Cristina

P.S. I did delete my files so as not to confuse anyone else!!! I will be sending you my files, shortly. Thanks, again!

arturoramos wrote:

Cristina:

Yes, please email me what you have and I will try to organize it for you and create an Anhentafel or register table for you to post in your file folder. Did you take the files you had in there down?

One question, why do you think that this Atanacio Campos is not your ancestor? The dates and the name of the spouse seem to match the information you provided in your first introductory email.

I will send you a personal message with my email address.

Atanacio Campos and Natividad Cornejo

Comment

Cristina:

The name "Atanacio" is very unique as is the surname "Cornejo" thus I would venture to guess that there is a high likelihood that this Natividad Cornejo is the same person as Maria de Jesus Campos Cornejo. It is not uncommon to find people changing their name during their lives or having priests write down a wrong name, having the name mistranscribed by the person extracting the records or having someone misremember a name (incorrect oral history).

The fact that you have someone with the name "Atanacio Campos" marrying someone with the surname "Cornejo" should be enough to get you to look at the record. You will note that there is another entry for an Atanacio Campos marriage in Momax a decade later. This may be the same person remarrying.

ATANASIO CAMPOS
Marriages:
Spouse: AURELIA VALDIVIA
About 20 AUG 1885 Santo Thomas De Momax, Momax, Zacatecas
Batch No. M600845 Film No. 0444019

Alternatively, the name Atanacio may be incorrect. There are several baptisms in Momax where there is an "Atilano" Campos married to a Maria Campos having children in the 1860s and 1870s:

MA. DEL CARMEN CAMPOS CAMPOS
Christening: 26 APR 1862 Santo Thomas De Momax, Momax, Zacatecas
Father: ATILANO DE CAMPOS
Mother: MARIA DE CAMPOS
Batch No. C600844 Film No. 0443990

1. MA. DEL CARMEN CAMPOS CAMPOS
Gender: Female Christening: 26 APR 1862 Santo Thomas De Momax, Momax, Zacatecas, Mexico

2. REFUGIO CAMPOS CAMPOS
Gender: Female Christening: 04 APR 1864 Santo Thomas De Momax, Momax, Zacatecas, Mexico

3. VALENTIN CAMPOS CAMPOS
Gender: Male Christening: 18 DEC 1869 Santo Thomas De Momax, Momax, Zacatecas, Mexico

4. MARGARITA CAMPOS
Gender: Female Christening: 10 JUN 1871 Santo Thomas De Momax, Momax, Zacatecas, Mexico

5. BONIFACIO CAMPOS CAMPOS
Gender: Male Christening: 07 JUN 1867 Santo Thomas De Momax, Momax, Zacatecas, Mexico

Atanacio Campos and Natividad Cornejo

Comment

Hi, Arturo. One thing is for sure. Although the Atanacio Campos that married Natividad Cornejo is not my great-grandfather as I actually met him and my mom lived with him and her grandmother, María de Jesús Campos Cornejo (called "'Amá Chuche" by her) so he could not have lived that long, I do know that you just gave me a good deal of missing information with your search! The information on Atiliano & María Campos are my ancestors (Atiliano de Santa Brigida Campos Álbares or Álvarez & María Apolina de Campos) as my mother had given me the names. They are my great-great-great grandparents, parents of Valentín Campos who married Cruz Mota. They are parents to my great-grandfather, Atanacio Campos. I didn't have Valentín's siblings name, but you just gave me a nice little gift. THANKS!