July 23, 2018
The idea began five months ago at my mother’s funeral. Cousins from both sides of the family talked
about getting together at a party of our choosing, instead of waiting for a death
or a wedding to bring us together again.
We needed time to get to know each other; we needed time to share family
history and stories.
Only
one uncle and one aunt remain of my mother’s entire generation, so it was up to us
The Cousins (Los Primos) to tend to
the family tree. Our parents and grandparents were brothers and sisters to each
other, and we the cousins had once also been close, childhood friends, but
marriages, careers, and travels had taken us down different paths. It took a
small group of The Cousins (Los Primos) from my mother’s side of the family to
take on the formidable task of hosting a matriarchal family reunion on short
notice, but it was one amazing afternoon.
We
have an astounding history; we have memorable stories, and by sharing them with
each other, we hope to inspire future generations.
Because
my mother’s family history was so important to her, I looked up what I could
about her heritage, and I noticed a pattern of strong women:
- a
great-great-grandmother who immigrated husbandless with her children to Texas
from the state of San Luis Potosi in Mexico,
- a
great-grandmother left penniless to raise four young teenagers during a time
when widowed women were easily cheated out of their fortunes,
- a
grandmother who raised her five children alone during the Great Depression and
World War II while her husband went off to eke a living as a migrant worker for
months at a time,
- and
my mother who dropped out of school after the eighth grade to help her mother support
her younger brothers and sisters.
There is a lot to be added to this history
and to these stories, but the reunion has provided me with additional names and
dates. There is a lot that needs to be revised. Genealogical records sometimes
misspell or transpose names. They sometimes do not provide correct birthdates
and dates of death. Hopefully, the information gathered at the reunion of Los
Primos will help me fill in the blanks and send me in search for more
information.
Most importantly of all will be the
tribute to our antepasados and the
stories of the grandmothers and their families, inspiring the future
generations in our family to bravely strive for more.
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