Saguaros

 

Photo by L. Campuzano Reid. Saguaro National Park, 1970.

The photo above is from a slide converted to digital, taken by my Granny during a visit to Saguaro National Park outside Tucson, sometime in the summer of 1970. I previously shared a photo of my Granny with one of her brothers at the park in a post dated 15 September 2015.

Sunday Memories

 

Lydia C. Reid at the Colts Locker room.

My Granny loved football, so stumbling on this photo taken by my Aunt Patty during a visit to the Colts Locker Room in Indianapolis brought back some memories. I'm not sure when this photo was taken, but she's standing in front of Marvin Harrison's locker and next to Reggie Wayne's, which puts this probably between 2001-2006. The Colts won the Super Bowl in the 2006 season.

Estate of Concepcion Suastegui

 

Ancestry. Arizona Wills & Probate Records.

I have posted previously about Concepcion Suastegui, sister of my 5th-great-grandfather Pedro Suastegui. Ancestry recently added newly digitized copies of will and probate records for the State of Arizona, and I've been able to locate her probate file from 1903. There are fifty pages in the file. Concepcion's son Adolfo Vasquez was the executor of the estate. Antonio Orfila Jr. was the attorney in support, and I've previously written about the long connections between the Orfila family and the Campuzanos in California. There are some other familiar names in the file - Federico Ronstadt and J. M. Ronstadt, Josefa Vasquez and Maria Jesus Vasquez Dalton.

The file includes a promissory note signed by Adolfo and Concepcion in 1901.

Adolfo and Maria Jesus Vasquez waived their rights to the estate and allowed the proceeds and property to pass to their sister Josefa.

Hispanic Heritage Month 2020

 

Photo by Patrick Jones. Blessing of the Animals mural, 3 Jan 2016.

Tuesday marked the beginning of another Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs annually from 15 September to 15 October. For this year's post, I'm resharing a photo I took during a visit to Historic Olvera Street in Los Angeles back in 2016. The Blessing of the Animals mural by Leo Politi dates from 1974-1978 (see also here). My post about the month from last year is available here.

Refreshed AncestryDNA results

 

AncestryDNA update Sept 2020.

Ancestry has updated their reference sample and DNA results. It's interesting to compare against prior updates. The last one was in November 2019. They have separated Wales from England & Northwestern Europe, so my percentages dropped from 68% to 48%, and Wales is now 7%. Scotland is now separate from Ireland, so instead of a combined 20%, I'm now 14% Ireland and 10% Scotland. My Germanic Europe went up to 6%, which isn't a surprise given my 3rd-great-grandmother Marianna Hais was a German immigrant. I'm also pleased to see Spain return at 6%. France moved up a percentage to 4%, and I'm still 4% Indigenous Americas - Mexico. My 1% Cameroon, Congo & Southern Bantu peoples is back to 1% Nigeria, which was in the September 2018 AncestryDNA update.

My sister's update was similarly fascinating. Her England & Northwestern Europe dropped to 41%, and her Scotland went up to 26%. Ireland is now 8%. Her Germanic Europe is 7% and Wales 5%. Her Indigenous Americas - Mexico is now the same as mine at 4%, but she also has 1% Indigenous Americas - Andes. She also has a scattering of 2% Spain, France, Norway. She's 1% Cameroon, Congo & Western Bantu peoples and 1% Greece & Albania.

My Dad's percentages changed, his percentage of England & Northwestern Europe dropped to 56%, but Scotland is now 24%, and Ireland is 18%. Weirdly, Dad shows up as 2% Spain, which doesn't track in the research on that side of the family at all.

Mom's percentages were also a shift from last time. Her England & Northwestern Europe went up to 50%, but her Spain is now 24%. Her Indigenous Americas - Mexico held steady at 11%, but she gained Ireland at 7% and Wales at 3%. Basque remained 1%.

One Aunt's percentages for Spain went up to 29%, and 11% for Indigenous Americas - Mexico, 1% Indigenous Americas - North and 1% Indigenous Americas - Andes. Another Aunt was at 33% for Spain, 11% Indigenous Americas - Mexico, 1% Indigenous Americas - North, and Northern Africa 1%.

Back to School

 

Library of Congress. 1940.

Hiking in Shenandoah

 

Photo by Patrick Jones. Hawksbill Summit, 6 Sep 2020.

Yesterday my sister and I did a morning hike on the Hawksbill Trail at Shenandoah National Park. I'm glad we went early before the trails became too crowded. We wore masks, many of the hikers did as well, although others did not.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Appalachian Trail.

We did a bonus loop on a section of the Appalachian Trail, which was really cool.

Cotton Candy Skies

 

Photo by Patrick Jones. Duck, NC. 4 Aug 2020.

Five Years Ago

 

Photo by Patrick Jones. Cats in Istanbul. 1 Sept 2015.

I've shared this photo previously, but with missing travel and it being five years ago today I was wandering around the Asian side of Istanbul, I thought I'd share this again.

As the calendar turns to September, we're moving away from summer and into calendar fall. The temperatures are shifting here too. A few weeks ago 72 would have been our low for the day. While it still humid & soggy in the DC area, there's hope we might dry out for the weekend.