A Connection to the Lopez and Montano Families

In looking back at my great-grandmother Manuela Portillo's arrival information into the US from November 1922 (see my post titled Manuela's Arrival from May 2012), I recall Manuela listed a cousin, Cleotilde de Montano as who she and her mother Teresa Diaz were going to visit in Tucson. I am assuming Cleotilde was related to Teresa & the Diaz family, not to the Portillo side of the tree.

I have been trying to use AncestryDNS results & matches in the hopes of finding the connection between Cleotilde, Teresa and Manuela. I'm posting this in the hopes that other Lopez and Montano researchers may find this post and have information that helps complete the link between Teresa, Manuela and Cleotilde.

Cleotilde Lopez de Montano
According to the Tucson City Directory for 1922, Cleotilde Montano worked at the Tucson Steam Laundry in the Barrio Viejo neighborhood in Tucson. This was the first place where Manuela Portillo took a job when she came to Tucson.

1922 Tucson City Directory, via Ancestry.com

Cleotilde died on 7 May 1946 in Tucson, Arizona. According to her death certificate, she was born Cleotilde Lopez, daughter of Refugio Lopez and Isabel Colmenero, in Chihuahua, Mexico. I am not so certain she was born in Chihuahua though. She married Felizardo Montano in Mexico. In the 1920 US Census, Cleotilde appears as head of household, at the corner of Convent and Simpson Street in Tucson (Barrio Viejo). The record also shows that Cleotilde came to the US in 1916.

Cleotilde's son Reynaldo Montano, who appears in the 1920 US Census, took a job as a railroad fireman after he arrived in the US in 1916. His border crossing record shows that the Montano family moved from Hermosillo to Tucson.

8 May 1946, Tucson Daily Citizen

Cleotilde's funeral announcement from the Tucson Daily Citizen provides valuable clues on her family, listing the names of five of her daughters. After comparing the border crossing records, and finding a funeral notice for Cleotilde's sister, Rosalia Lopez Ramos, I have a better picture of her family.

Cleotilde married Felizardo Montano in Mexico, possibly in Hermosillo, although I have not yet looked for a marriage record for her there. He died before 1917. Their children were:
- Felizardo Montano Jr, born about 1890 (possibly in Guaymas)
- Reynaldo Montano, born about 1894/1895 in Hermosillo
- Cleotilde Montano Sarabia, born 14 March 1897, died 31 October 1974 in Los Angeles
- Adela Montano Colocio, born 27 July 1899 in Hermosillo
- Aurelia Montano Garcia, born 22 July 1900 in Hermosillo
- Mercedes Montano Sotomayor, born 27 June 1902, died 23 August 1982 in Los Angeles
- Josefina Montano Robles

According to Rosalia Lopez Ramos' death certificate, she was born in Alamos, Sonora on 4 September 1862. She married Ignacio Ramos. Her border crossing record from 1910 listed a birth place of Chinipas, Chihuahua. This is not too far from Alamos, so it is possible that Alamos was the nearest church to report her birth. I have included a map showing Chinipas in relation to Sonora below.