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By Raul Luna |

I Have been searching and searching for my grandmother,Enriqueta Medina Alva's birth record for a long time now, to no avail.She was born on April 24, 1880, Jerez, Zacatecas. Her father, Faustino Alva,died right before she was born. Her mother was Amada Avila (Alba)Medina.I read somewhere that some one had seen some Jerez records in another city's record. I believe it was in Apostol, Zacatecas.I have checked and checked and have been unable to find such records. Has any one heard of,or seen, such a thing? I could use any advise on this research.

Saludos,

Raul Cristena Luna

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rosa9972

9 years 4 months ago

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Hi Raul,

I hope you don't mind if I ask a few questions to clarify so we can help you better.

1. Which records have you searched already? Both the church and civil records?

2. How many of the years did you search before and after the date?

3. Did your grandmother have any siblings, and have you found their records?

4. Was she born in Jerez the town, or was she born on one of the ranchos?

5. Have you searched knowing that her full name may not match exactly the name you've identified? Enriqueta may have been a middle name.

Once we know the answers to these questions, I think we should be able to give you better advice.

Rosalinda

Thank you Rosalinda for your response.I have tried from 1878-1886. Husband,Paulino Acuna Cristerna, was  born in June 22, 1877,(Ojo Caliente,Jerez,or Chihuhahua,) so I have tried to figure out her age from this also. Her death record reported by her son, my uncle, indicates  a 1883 year of birth; her marriage record of June 28,1899,Jerez,Image # 473-565 of 767 images, indicates that she was 19 years old, making her birth year, 1880. Her date of birth is April 24, 1880-1886.I figured she was 1 to 5 years younger than her husband. Records of her children's birth records also show different ages. Her children were born in Guanacevi, Durango; her mother,Amada Avila Medina, remarried a Marciano Camps Carlos and had several children in Guanacevi; I have searched in several cities listed under the Zacatecas state; her only other name would have been Queta, or Maria, as many in Mexico were named.Her father,Faustino Alva, died when he was thrown off a horse, before she was born.I am not familiar with any ranchos around the area. Again, thank you for the response and I keep praying that one day I will find it. Sometimes, I just click on a strange city under the Zacatecas state, in hopes of lucking our.Sincerely and Saludos, Raul Cristerna Luna

On Friday, July 10, 2015 9:16 PM, "rruizgenealogy@ix.netcom.com" wrote:

Hi Raul, I hope you don't mind if I ask a few questions to clarify so we can
help you better. 1. Which records have you searched already? Both the church
and civil records? 2. How many of the years did you search before and after
the date? 3. Did your grandmother have any siblings, and have you found their
records? 4. Was she born in Jerez the town, or was she born on one of the
ranchos? 5. Have you searched knowing that her full name may not match
exactly the name you've identified? Enriqueta may have been a middle name.
Once we know the answers to these questions, I think we should be able to
give you better advice. Rosalinda

Raul,

My first suggestion is to search the time period before what you have searched already, going page by page. While it may be generally true that the wives are younger than the husbands, that is not always the case. I would work my way backwards from the dates you've looked at, and the day and month may not be accurate-- have you looked at the records page by page, or just on that specific birthdate? Most of my great-grandparents and even grandparents had incorrect birthdates, and I've found records even years before/after what I expected. Even dates on headstones can be wrong.

I do see in the informacion matrimonial that Enriqueta was born in Jerez, but that may or may not be accurate as well. Furthermore, you may have to prepare yourself for the idea that her record may be missing altogether (this happened to one of my ancestors-- all his siblings were baptized in the same church, his marriage record lists his birthplace, etc., but I am unable to find his baptism certificate).

Have you found Enriqueta's parents' marriage record? Usually the children are born in the same area, but not always. It could be true that they moved a lot, so she could have been born in Jerez but baptized elsewhere-- sometimes the baby was a bit older when baptized, although that happened closer to the end of the 19th/start of the 20th centuries. This is my observation, though. Have you ever found Enriqueta's father's death record? If he died before her birth, that could give you an idea as to a date for her birth. Check the civil and church records for that.

These are just some suggestions; I wish you all the best luck.

Rosalinda

Rosalinda..Thanks for your response and the suggestions..I will begin anew my research..sometimes, one has to think outside the box as you have suggestioned..Thank You & Saludos, Raul

On Saturday, July 11, 2015 11:21 PM, "rruizgenealogy@ix.netcom.com" wrote:

Raul, My first suggestion is to search the time period before what you have
searched already, going page by page. While it may be generally true that the
wives are younger than the husbands, that is not always the case. I would
work my way backwards from the dates you've looked at, and the day and month
may not be accurate-- have you looked at the records page by page, or just on
that specific birthdate? Most of my great-grandparents and even grandparents
had incorrect birthdates, and I've found records even years before/after what
I expected. Even dates on headstones can be wrong. I do see in the
informacion matrimonial that Enriqueta was born in Jerez, but that may or may
not be accurate as well. Furthermore, you may have to prepare yourself for
the idea that her record may be missing altogether (this happened to one of
my ancestors-- all his siblings were baptized in the same church, his
marriage record lists his birthplace, etc., but I am unable to find his
baptism certificate). Have you found Enriqueta's parents' marriage record?
Usually the children are born in the same area, but not always. It could be
true that they moved a lot, so she could have been born in Jerez but baptized
elsewhere-- sometimes the baby was a bit older when baptized, although that
happened closer to the end of the 19th/start of the 20th centuries. This is
my observation, though. Have you ever found Enriqueta's father's death
record? If he died before her birth, that could give you an idea as to a date
for her birth. Check the civil and church records for that. These are just
some suggestions; I wish you all the best luck. Rosalinda

Are you aware of any ties to Tepetongo, Zacatecas? You may already have this..... J. Miguel Medina Avila born to Bruno Medina and Refugia de Avila - Tepetongo Zacatecas records May 10, 1840. Film 445159 Page 545. Could this be Amada's brother?

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