Los Portales

Newsletter March, 2012

Dear Members,

I, Erasmo Payan, accepted the position of president of the San Elizario Genealogy and

Historical Society for various reasons. For one; I hold the SEGHS as an organization

that through the years has grown from a small family in San Elizario to a family that

has extended itself to 15 states. Holding the most members are Texas and California.

I have a genuine interest in sharing with you our short and long term goals. I applaud

the members that from miles and miles away seem to find time to send their annual

dues, inquire about why they have not received their newsletter, and best of all when

all of the members far and near come through with their generous heart to donate to

the cause.

My faith in our membership and our Board of Directors will always sustain us in keep-

ing our goal; that is, to keep the memory of our ancestors alive and teach our grand-

children the value of their genealogy.

Let’s keep doing excellent work and let me share with you The First Thanksgiving

Event that will be April 28, 2012, at the L.G. Alarcon School cafeteria, 2501 Socorro

Road. The history conference is made possible thru a grant by Humanities Texas.

Please make every effort to support SEGHS.

Erasmo Payan

SEGHS, President

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San Elizario Genealogy/Historical Society & El Paso Mission Trail Association

Present the 2012 Observance of the

First Thanksgiving celebrated at San Elizario Texas

Schedule of Events:

April 27, 2012, Friday:

12:45-2:45 pm “The Native Cultures: Through the Ages”, presented by represen-tatives of the different original tribes; The Lipan Apache by Gilbert Telles, The Piro Family by Eugene Trujillo & The Manso Tribe by Cruz Camargo at Alarcon Elementary School Gym

6:00 to 8:00 pm “History and Culture as depicted by Arts”, Reception and Art Ex-hibit Opening, by Al Borrego at Main Street Gallery

April 28, 2012, Saturday

8:30 am to 12:30 pm, San Elizario First Thanksgiving Conference at Alarcon School Cafe-teria

Conference Events:

8:30 to 8:45 am Registration & Coffee and Introductions by Miguel Teran, Master of Ceremonies

9:00 to 9:15 am Introductions by Presidents of SEGHS & EPMTA

9:40 to 10:30 am “El Paso Del Norte Confluence of Cultures throughout the Cen-turies” by Dr. Felix D. Almaraz Jr., Peter T. Flawn distinguished professor Emeritus of Borderlands History, University of Texas at San Antonio

Panel Reaction by Dr. George Torok, El Paso Community College & Dr. Maceo C. Daily Jr., Uni-versity of Texas at El Paso

10:45 to 11:30 “Alternatives to encourage inclusion of local history and cul-tures into the curriculum by our schools, K-12” by Dr. Keith Erekson, University of Texas at El Paso

11:30 am to 12 pm “The First Thanksgiving Pageant; A new approach” presented by Maria Del Pilar Muñoz

12:00 to 12:30 pm “History stations, a new approach”, presented by Jose Gutierrez. History Stations depicting different aspects of cultures at the Placita presented by repre-sentatives of different groups, i.e. Native Tribes, Conquistadores, Charros, Cowboys, Buffalo Sol-diers & Veterans

2:00 to 3:30 pm Grand Opening of Library

5:00 to 6:00 pm First Thanksgiving of 1598, a re-enactment Pageant

Concurrent exhibits and activities taking place at the Placita & Museum, Art Exhibits at local Galler-ies on Main Street, Genealogy Exhibits & Q&A Workshops at Los Portales Museum. Interacting with Genealogists & Resources available to start conducting research and start organizing your Family Tree.

Food is available at booths at the Placita and surrounding restaurants and coffee shops.

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SEGHS Enthused about Grand Opening of Library

Anticipation over the newly established resource library at Los Portales is building as the

SEGHS announced plans for the grand opening which will be held on April 28, at 2 pm. The unveiling

will coincide with the organization’s 21st Annual First Thanksgiving Conference.

The Library will be housed in the Genealogy Room at Los Portales and will hold varied collec-

tion of historical works, ranging from family histories of San Elizario’s pioneer families to out of print

editions chronicling the history of the Southwest, Mexico, and other border areas. Also included are

works of artist Jose Cisneros, local civic leader and historian Cleofas Calleros and Sister Lillian Owens,

S.L., who wrote about the arrival of the Sisters of Loretto in San Elizario.

Visitors to Los Portales will find diverse sources to fuel their interest in both family and local

histories. Future plans include the addition of a computer to further assist patrons in researching their

ancestral lines.

Hardworking committee members who helped organize the donated materials for the library

include Nancy Dindinger, Marguerita Saenz, and Transito Macias. The SEGHS wishes to thank every-

one who has contributed to the library and encourages visitors to stop by and browse the collection.

Prayers for our dearly departed: Sabino Guerra, brother of Elisa Contreras and Elvira Montes,

uncle to Darlene Dumain, and Sandra Marquez.

Membership: We are very happy to welcome the following new members: Lisa Abouhamad, Jenny

Ross Baran, Cathy Nolte & Chrissy Piefer, whose parents are Wm. Ross & Teresa Macias Ross, Tran-

sito James, David M. Macias, Joe Macias & Paul Macias, whose parents are Betty Farris & David O.

Macias.

Ruth C. Vasquez, Chairperson

Gift Shop: Cookbooks are selling very well at 12.00 + tax. We have postcards , pictures of the three

missions, history books, Census of 1841 and 1682 and other items.

Los Portales office hours: Tuesday – Saturday: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Sunday: 12 noon - 4 p.m.

Closed Mondays

Phone: 915-851-1682

Fax: 915-851-0045

E-mail: sanelizario@sbcglobal.net

Web site: www.epcounty.com/sanelizariomuseum

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Alberto Lara Jr. Bertha Lara Daniel Lara married Senaida Salmon

Married Luz Alarcon Armando Lara+

Raul Lara Maria Juanita Lara

Refugio Lara Elvira lara

Married Jesus “Chuy” Sanchez Flora Sanchez Daniel Lara, Jr.

Elinora Sanchez Reynaldo Lara

Gilberto Sanchez Mario Lara

Silvestre Sanchez

Ruben Sanchez

David Sanchez

Elfida Lara Alfredo Madrid +

Married 1st husband- Conrado Madrid Alberto Edmundo Madrid

Elena Madrid

Jose Madrid+

2nd husband - Alfonso Juarez Francisco Javier Juarez

Roberto Juarez

3rd husband-Simon Canales Juan Canales

Edmundo Lara Edmund Richard Lara

Married Josephine Dindinger John Lara

Rosalin Lara

Cathy Lara

Randy Lara

Clara Lara Juan Manuel Levario

Married Manuel Levario Lucila (Chila) Levario

Jaime Levario

Pedro Levario

Amelia Levario

Benjamin Levario

Arturo Levario

Rafael Lara Rafael Lara

Married Francisca Mercedes Garcia Albert Lara

Bernard Lara

Patricia Lara + (2010)

Roger Lara

Russel Lara

John F. Lara

Isabel Lara

Married Fco. Aristeo (Ari)Solis Ma. Cecilia Solis

Sylvia Solis

Rene Solis

Hilda Solis

Irma Solis

Ysela Shirley Solis

Back row: Left, Alberto Lara (groom), right, Felipe Holguin (witness)

Sitting: Maria Leyva (bride), right, Escolastica Holguin (witness)

Alberto Lara 1893 to 1943

Alberto Lara was born on April 10, 1893 in San Elizario, Texas to Bernardo and Refugio Lujan. He

was one of five children.

Maria Leyva was born on March 2, 1897, in Carrizal, Chihuahua, Mexico to Jose Angel Leyva and

Abrana Romero. She was one of six children.

The family of Maria Leyva had to flee Mexico in 1910 during the Mexican revolution. Jose Angel

Leyva, Maria’s father, traveled to San Elizario, Texas from Carrizal, Chihuahua, Mexico to hire a covered

wagon to go pick up his family to get them out of Mexico because the Mexican revolution was getting

too close to their community.

Pilar Grijalva, a San Elizario resident, went to pick the family of Jose Angel Leyva from Carrizal,

Chihuahua, Mexico. They crossed the Rio Grande at Caseta , Mexico and settled for a while at La Isla,

Texas, a community near Fabens, Texas.

Alberto and Maria, after a long courtship, married on September 1916. They had twelve children,

Amelia, Alberto, Refugio, Elfida, Edmundo, Clara and Rafael, (twins) Rosario, Manuelita, Isabel, and

Daniel.

Alberto was a sharecropper with Ballard Coldwell for many years until he moved back to his

homestead to farm his land. He was active in the community of San Elizario. He would serve as a may-

ordomo for the church fiestas and also served as a trustee on the first school board of San Elizario Ele-

mentary School followed by his son Alberto Jr. (in the 1950’s) and his daughter, Isabel, who was serving

on the board when the school bond was passed to build the San Elizario High School. Alberto, Sr. died in

1943, at the age of 49, along with 3 other men when their truck was hit by a train at the Bauman cross-

ing, behind what is now Serna Elementary School in Socorro.

Maria was a housewife. After Alberto passed away, she ran the small farm with the help of her

children as this was their only source of income. Some of her older children worked to help her finan-

cially. Maria passed away on January3, 1987 at the age of 89.

Article provided by Isabel Solis

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Veteran’s Talk

Sunday, March 18. We sold bottle water, sodas, shirts with our logo and veterans caps. We also

gave out memorial brick applications. Our next fund raiser will be at the Art Market on Sunday, April

15, 2012 from 9 am to 4 pm. The Art Market is on Main Street in San Elizario.

Eduardo M. Pedregon Veterans Museum: We re-arranged the Museum in order to create a

more open area and provide us with more space to add more veterans photos and other memora-

bilia. We also purchased a 32” LCD TV to play continuously military music and show videos of our

veterans, parades and other events. We have received a very good feedback on the re-arranged

museum and LCD TV.

Veterans Memorial Walk; As of March 2012, we have 312 bricks on the ground honoring our

veterans. Our memorial bricks sell for $30 each.

Veterans Cemetery Monument: The Veterans Committee has done some improvements to the

cemetery monument (painting, laid cement, etc.). Local artist Sergio Acosta, has donated his lab to

re-painting the picture at the monument with a new picture. The old picture had faded away due to

the weather and sun. The Veterans Committee contributed money for the cost of the materials

only.

Veterans Memorial Plaza: The plaque honoring Eduardo M. Pedregon has been placed at the

Veterans Memorial Plaza (at the placita). We thank the El Paso County employees for placing the

plaque at the monument.

Other: The Veterans Committee donated $129 to the San Elizario Church for its building fund.

Our veterans Committee meeting are held on the first Tuesday of each month, at 6:30 pm, at the

Veterans Museum, 1501-B Main Street, San Elizario. For questions regarding our events, projects,

programs, meeting, purchasing memorial bricks, t-shirts, or becoming a member, please contact

Ray Borrego at 383 8529 or Ann Lara at 345 3741.

Ray Borrego, Chairman

San Elizario Tidbits

The Historic District in San Elizario is bustling with big trucks, filming crews, prop designers, movie

actors, movie extras and best of all a lunch truck/wagon whose aroma fills the air of the Placita

area, where the Presidio Chapel and the Portales Museum are. Yes, there is a movie being made in

San Elizario. The leading actor is Fred Thompson, of TV show “Law & Order”. The name of the

movie is “Unlimited”.

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San Elizario Genealogy/Historical Society

P.O. Box 1090

San Elizario, Tx. 79849