Guadalupe

Yesterday's find of Lupe Armenta and family in the 1950 Census opened up more information on this sister of my great-grandmother Manuela Portillo. She was born Guadalupe Portillo on 5 January 1901 in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. Her birth record was submitted by her mother Teresa Diaz on 28 December 1918 (available via FamilySearch, with a screen capture below). Interestingly, according to this document, Guadalupe was the first child of Teresa and Manuel Portillo. This also shows Teresa and Guadalupe living at Calle Campeche 8 in Hermosillo. According to Google Maps, there is still a house at that address, perhaps it is the same building.

FamilySearch. Birth record for Guadalupe Portillo.

Guadalupe ventured north to Arizona at least twice before residing in Tucson. She appears in the border crossing records in August 1919 at Nogales, and again in March 1921. Both records include photos. On her first visit at the age of 18, she said she could read and write, and was living in Nogales, Sonora.

Guadalupe Portillo, 1919.

Border Crossing Record for Guadalupe Portillo, 22 Mar 1921.

The second border crossing record stated that she was 19 (she was actually 20), noted she was working as a servant in Nogales. This document also included her signature and a photo. Looking at these records, it isn't clear whether Guadalupe made these travels to America on her own, but it is certainly possible she did this alone. She was later joined by her sisters and mother by 1922, but these initial journeys may have been solo. Perhaps distant cousins or extended family helped once she arrived in Tucson, but I can't tell yet.

Guadalupe took a job at the Tucson Steam Laundry, where she worked with her sister Isabel in 1924. In the 1930 US Census, she was living in the same household as my great-grandparents Plutarco and Manuela, along with her mother Teresa. She is listed living with Teresa in the Tucson City Directories in 1933 and 1936.

Guadalupe had a daughter with Carlos Morales in November 1934, Mary Teresa Morales, probably named after her mother. The couple were married in Tucson on 13 April 1935, after living together since at least mid 1934.

Arizona County Marriages, 1935.

Their marriage was brief. It appears that Carlos filed for divorce in July 1935, which was granted around 23 August 1935. He remarried to Carlota Otero in November 1936.

Guadalupe entered a relationship with Candelario Trujillo in 1938, who may have been married at the time. They had a daughter, Margarita Trujillo, in August 1938. This relationship was also short-lived.

At some point, Guadalupe met Francisco Armenta, a fellow Sonoran immigrant who had been working seasonally in the citrus farms of Orange County, California. After the death of her mother Teresa in 1940 (or perhaps before), Guadalupe moved with her daughters to join Francisco in California. I'll pick up the rest of their story with the next post.