Alcaria Barbero y Valencia de Ortiz 1858-1946

Alcaria Barbero was born on March 10, 1858. Her father is considered to have been Pablo Barbero (Rodriguez) and her mother Cruz Valencia (child of José Valencia and Tomasa Riberia) who was born in about 1824 in Santa Fe and died December 28, 1901 in Santa Fe. It is to be noted that Cruz seems to have been a widow in 1860.

However, I have a baptismal record for Maria Alcaria baptized March 14, 1858. It is a little mysterious because her last name is given as Valencia and she is said to be the legitimate daughter of Ramon Valencia. Above his name is written Pablo Barbero in a different hand. The mother's name runs off into the margin of the microfilm, but looks like Maria Martiana. Above that name is written Cruz Valencia. It gives the paternal grandparents as José Valencia and Maria Tomasa Ribera and the maternal grandparents as Pablo Ortega and Francisca Ortiz. Though the document is in Spanish, a note in English reads, as far as I can tell: B. Alcaria Maria. Names above are of the uncle and aunt; not the names of parents of girl(??). This makes it look as if Pablo and Cruz were not Alcaria's parents. (LDS 0016894).

According to the Santa Fe Baptisms book, 1939-1851, p. 1: Maria Martiana Hortega was baptized on February 25, 1839 and born the day before. Her father was Pablo Hortega and her mother Francisca Ortiz. Her paternal grandparents were Pablo Hortega and Francisca Herrera and her maternal grandparents were Antonio Ortiz and Gertrudis Roibal. Her godparents were Ygnacio and Rosario Sanchez.

Alcaria's descendent Leroy Garcia has written to me: "I was going through some of my old records and was reading the information in 'Rancho Pancho'. I have a copy of the record of the marriage of Ramon Ribera with Matiana Ortega on 10 February 1858. The father of Ramon is given as "el difunto" Miguel Ribera and Tomasa Valencia. Testigos were Prudencio Garcia and Anastacio Borrego. If your records on Ramon Valencia and Martiana Ortega are correct, this would mean that Ramon adopted his mother's name presumably because he never knew his father because he died before he was born. AASF # 89, February 1858. His father, Miguel Ribera must have been born before or about 1828. This would also explain why Tomasa also went by the Ribera name in some other church records. What I am speculating now is that Martiana and Ramon had a child (Alcaria) that she gave up for adoption by Cruz Valencia. There is a Miguel Ribera listed in the Santa Fe Census for 1823 married to Juana Garcia, his age is 46 and his wife is 40. He is listed as a carpenter. They are the 71st household and Maria Francisca Ortiz and Jose Eldifonso Ortiz was living in the 82nd household with their father Antonio Ortiz. Miguel Ribera could have married a second time to Tomasa Valencia before 1858."

According to the New Mexico Marriages of Santa Fe and the Military Chapel of Our Lady of Light p. 214 on December 16, 1844, Pablo Rodriguez, single son of Mariano Rodrigues and Soledad Moya married Maria de la Crus Valencia, single daughter of Tomasa Valencia of this city (frames 924-25).

Page 150 of the same shows the marriage of Mariano Rodrigues and Maria de la Soledad Moya on January 28, 1821 (frame 554).

The 1850 Territorial Census (p. 164) for Santa Fe, Sheet 367, December 28th shows this:

Pablo Barbero, a 30 year old male, born in NM;

Cruz, a 25 year female, born in NM;

Miguel, a 4 year male, born in NM;

Manuel, a 3 year old male, born in NM;

Pedro, a 5 month old male, born in NM;

Tomasa Valencia, 50 year old female, born in NM.

According to Paul Hill's notes Pablo Barbero was a carpenter.

The Santa Fe Baptisms book 1851-1871 (LDS 0016894) p. 113 gives a baptism for three day old Maria Amada Barvero, baptized on September 13, 1852. Her father is Pablo Barvero, son of Mariano Barvero and Leonor Tafoya. Her mother is given as Cruz Valencia, parents unknown.

On p. 274, there is a baptism for 8 day old José Beneslao Martinez, baptized on October 6, 1854. His father is given as Pedro Martinez, son of Pedro Martinez and Dolores Lovato. His mother is Maria de la Cruz Barbero, daughter of Mariano Barvero and Soledad Moya. The godparents are Matias Montoya and Josefa Balensia. (LDS 0016894)

Paul Hill's notes say that according to the 1870 census Manuel Barbero's and Pedro Barbero's names may be Valencia-Valencia.

The 1860 census for household 655-681, examined by Paul Hill, gives:

Cruz Barbero, age 36, widowed

Miguel, age 11

Manuel, age 10

Pedro, age 6

Alcaria, age 2

The 1880 census finds Cruz Barbero, 57 years old, keeping house with son Manuel, who is 29 years old and working as a teamster.

1. Manuel V. Barbero. I have these baptismal records for children of Manuel Barbero (LDS 0016894): Romualia Barbero, baptized February 20, 1869, child of Manuel Barbero and Manuelita Chavez.

Cosme, baptized October 9, 1881, born eight days earlier to Manuel Barbero and Francisca Gonzales, godfather Patricio Valencia and Isabel Herrera.

Pedro, baptized February 25, 1883, born to Manuel Barbero and Francisca Gonzalez, godparents Pablo Borrego and Beatix Yton?

Eduwigen, baptized October 26, 1884, born eighteen days earlier to Manuel Barbero and Francisca Gonzalez, godparents Julio Sena and Marcelina Rodriguez. According to her marriage record, she married Eduardo Tafoya, né Eduardo Chavez, the adopted son of George Tafoya and of Romualda Tafoya on January 23, 1905 at St Francis Cathedral.

Benita, baptized September 5, 1886, thirteen days old, parents Manuel Barbero and Francisca Gonzales, godparents Francisco Ortiz and Alcaria Barbero.

Maria Natividad Barbero, baptized on December 22, 1888 and born two days earlier to Manuel Barbero and Francisca Gonzales. Godparents Francisco Gallegos and J. Montoya. According to her marriage record, she married Ramon Lucero, the son of Daniel Lucero and of Barsabe Montoya on April 26, 1909 at St Francis Cathedral. Francisca Gonzales was deceased at the time of this marriage. John and Tonita Callahan were witnesses.

I have a marriage record for Anita Barbero, daughter of Manuel Barbero and of the late Francisca Gonzales, who at the age of 17 married 19 year old Guadalupe Archuleta, son of Ventura Archuleta and Marcelina Garcia on December 6, 1909 at St Francis Cathedral.

According to his death certificate, Manuel Barbero was born in Santa Fe in 1848 and died at the age of 75 on September 12, 1923 at 4 am. The primary cause of death was given as "no medical attention". His father is given as Pablo Barbero, born in Santa Fe and his mother as Cruz Valencia, born in Santa Fe. He was listed as a self-employed farmer who resided at 112 Delgado Street . He is buried in Rosario Cemetery, section A.

2. Miguel was born in Santa Fe. He married Juana Galvadan on March 3, 1869. I have found these children for them (LDS 0016894):

Maria Barbero, baptized February 1, 1871, born three days earlier, godparents Ramon Valencia and Mathiana Ortega;

Amada Barbero baptized September 28, 1873, born nine days earlier, godparents Manuel Barbero and Cruz Valencia;

Maria Sista Barbero, baptized March 30, 1875, godparents Ramon Valencia and Martiana Ortega;

Maria Sabiniana, baptized March 5, 1876, born five days earlier, godparents Ramon Valencia and Mathiana Ortega;

Manuelita Ursula baptized October 21, 1878, born two days earlier, godparents Gerardo Galvadon and Antonia Barbero;

Pablo Barbero, baptized October 17, 1880, born 8 days earlier, godparents Francisco Ortiz and Alcaria Barbero.

Beatrix, baptized July 30, 1882, born five days earlier, godparents Simon Vigil and Maria Rodriguez.

Pablo, baptized May 9, 1885, ten days old, godparents Rafael Trujillo and Incarnacion Lopez.

Francisco baptized at the age of two days on April 3, 1887 (the godparents look like Miguel Sena and Maria Rodriguez). According to his marriage record, at the age of 23, he married Rita Romero, the 19 year old daughter of Francisco Romero and Manuelita Chavez on November 23, 1909 at St Francis Cathedral.

Rafaelita, baptized June 9, 1889, born May 31. Godparents Carlos Shultz? and Maria Prudencia Chaves.

According to his death certificate Miguel Barbero died of "dropsy", no medical attendance, at his residence on Canyon Road on at 5:30 am on June 3, 1928. He was male white and widowed. The name of his wife was not given. His place of birth was Santa Fe, date of birth was given as about 1845, and his age as about 83 years. His occupation was given as retired farmer. His father was Pablo Barbero and his mother Cruz Valencia. The informant was Manuel Barbero. He was buried in National Cemetery on June 5, 1928.

A third brother was Pedro, but I only have a birth date for him: 1850.

I have a baptismal record for Antonio Ortiz, 6 day old son of Juan Ortiz and Cicilia Barbero, baptized on February 3, 1888; and a death certificate for Cecilia B. de Ortiz, who lived and died at 610 Agua Fria St. She was a widow and self-employed housewife, born in November 1863. Her father was L.? Ortiz of Santa Fe and Lola Gutierrez of Santa Fe. She died of stomach and liver cancer on April 27, 1926 at the age of 62. She is buried in Rosario Cemetery.

I also have a baptismal record for Juan Erwin, one day old son of José Erwin and Maria Merced Barbero, baptized on April 10, 1888. His godparents were Ramon Valencia and Martiana Ortega (LDS 0016894). According to his marriage record, at the age of 22, he married 20 year old Hermenegilda Gabaldon, daughter of Silverio Gabaldon and Teresa Sandoval on July 14, 1909 at St Francis Cathedral. Mercedes was deceased at the time of this marriage. I have a death certificate for Maria Ermegildo G. Erwin, wife of John Erwin and daughter of Silva Galbadon of Pecos and Teresita Sandoval of Pecos. She lived and died on Alto St. in Santa Fe and had been a resident of the country for 20 years. She was born around 1895 and at the time of her death from septis pneumonia related to post abortive sepsis on March 2, 1931 was around 36 years old. She was a housewife in her own home. She was buried in Rosario Cemetery on March 4, 1931. I also have a death certificate for Joe Erwin, a lifelong resident of Santa Fe who lived and died at 421 San Francisco St. His wife was Mary Erwin who was the informant. The name of his father and mother were not none. He was 70 years old at the time of his death on June 3, 1932 from apoplexy related to hypertension. He had been a painter in his own shop for 60 years. He was buried in Rosario Cemetery.

The 1920 census for Acequia Madre St. gives a number of Barberos. One is Miguel Varbera, a male white, widower head of the household. He is a laborer in a sawmill. He is living with his 28 year old married son Manuel (National Cemetery gives him these dates December 4, 1890-July 15, 1963) and 26 year old daughter in law named Guadalupita (National Cemetery gives him these dates June 2, 1895-September 12, 1988). There is a 3 month old grandson named Margarita. Next door is a head of the household Frank Varvera, 32 years old and married to 28 year old Rita. He is a servant in a private home. They have two sons Andres 8 years old and Pablo 4 years and 8 months old (National Cemetery gives him these dates: May 18, 1915-August 13, 1985). They have a daughter Esabelita, 10 months old. There is also a Francisco Varvero, 32 year old head of the household, his 32 year old wife Nita and their daughter Eloisa 11?, two sons Henry? 8? and ? 5, and another daughter Isabelita, less that 1 year old. With these people is a 30 year old Natividad Gonzales, married, 30 years old, with a son Henry 9 and José 8.

The Quintana Collection 53, 1927 at the State Archives lists Natividad Barbero, Eduvigen Barbero de Tafoya, Miguel Barbero Jr as the sole and only heirs of Manuel Barbero deceased. It is a matter of the property of Cruz Valencia and Teodora Provencio.

Matiana Ortega Balencia is buried in Rosario Cemetery, sect. 194. According to her tombstone she died January 1, 1908 at the age of 68.

Cruz Valencia is buried in Rosario Cemetery. Her tombstone reads:

Alcaria married José Francisco Ortiz, the son of José Eldifonso Ortiz, known as Alfonso. They parented Sofio; Antonia, November 1886-February 1979; Lourdes June 1891-March 1957; Francisco 1879-1880, Pedro 1876-1880, Luisito. Francisco (Frank) was born in Santa Fe on November 26, 1897 and died there on December 1, 1992. Pedro, Luisito and Francisco died in an epidemic as children.

Alcaria's granddaughter Adelina remembers her elderly, blind grandmother fondly. She has now written her memories for this page:

"My memories of my grandmother Alcaria Barbero Ortiz, took place in the 40's and 30's. All the time I knew her she was blind. She mostly confined herself to her bedroom. It was a shared household with her daughter Lourdes Howland (Mrs Juan Howland) and her children Matilda, Josina, Johnny, Janette and Consuelo. The room was furnished with a huge Victorian bed, the headboard was 6 ft high, a commode with a pitcher and basin and a large almario. The almario where she kept her tobacco (bull durham in small sacks), candy and her clothes was always locked. She wore long black skirts and calico blouses. Most of my visits with her consisted of my sitting on a stool by her feet. We rarely spoke, my childish Spanish was amusing and limited. She would sit and say the rosary, occasionally rolling her own cigarette, pretty expertly. The tobacco sacks had blue tax stamps that she would paste on her temples to relieve her headaches, considered a cure at the time. Her blindness was due to glaucoma. After sitting a while, she would put her hand on my shoulder. That meant let's go for a walk. Leading her out the door to the garden, the yard was terraced with an acequia, or to visit Antonia Callahan, her daughter, next door or over to the Barbero's, her brothers. While visiting one Sunday, two little boys came in and requested her blessings, they knelt at her feet and she offered a blessing. Her death and funeral left a profound image in my memory, the velario (wake) held on a cold and blustery night was well attended. She laid in state in el cuarto de recibo, the parlor where I was born. As a member of the Third Order of St Francis, she was dressed in a Franciscan robe. Rex, our German shepherd, also blind, slept at the foot of the coffin. Her funeral procession from St Francis Cathedral to Rosario Cemetery attracted a following as it wended its way through the city. Along at my fathers side were many dignified elderly people who walked all the way. I have always appreciated Salomon Callahan, her grandson, sharing his memories of her. The Alcaria he knew was a dynamic and forceful lady. He told me a story about how Francisco Ortiz came home and been given less pay than promised. She grabbed her tapalo, black shawl which I now possess, pulled over and went out the door. Soon she returned with his full pay. Carmen Espinosa, a dear friend,wrote "si puede ir subir tan alto como la luna a ver las estrellas una por una, a buscar la mas brilliante, para iluminar la sepulcro de la abuelita."

Adelina's brother Frank also remembered his grandmother fondly in his autobiography Ambassador Ortiz, Lessons from a Life of Service (University of New Mexico Press, 2005), he recalls how his grandmother Alcaria would make sure they he went to mass every holy day and every Sunday.... She made sure that I never crossed my legs in church --she'd pinch me if I did, and that I went to confession and communion. She was vigilant in seeing that I observed all the rites of our church" (p. 7). "One of my earliest and most important experiences took place when I was five or six. I was playing with mud when my grandmother doña Alcaria arrived. She took me home, cleaned me up, and dressed me in a white shirt and dark pants. I wondered what we were going to do. She said, 'Don Andrés Constante has died.' I only vaguely knew what this meant. She said, 'We're going to his velorio.' The home where they had don Andrés's wake wasn't too far away. Grandmother brought me there and we entered the large living room. People were sitting in chairs placed around the walls. In the middle of the room, don Andrés was laid out in a coffin with a kneeler in front. I recognized him, but I couldn't quite figure out what this was all about. A couple of women in the room were wailing, beating their chests and crying, "Oh, the terrible loss!" and other exclamations of grief. They were professional wailers, so to speak--women who the family paid for making a good show of grieving. They caught my attention. My grandmother brought me up to the coffin and we knelt before it. She said, 'Now we're going to pray for don Andrés.' For a six-year-old, this wasn't scary. It was just strange. We knelt before don Andrés for a while and then went back and sat at the edge of the room. Many other people came in and did the same same thing. Amazingly, in the midst of all this, someone from don Andrés's family called out from the next room, "The food is ready, and the sodas are on the table!" All at once, the wailing stopped. The women who were carrying on stopped just like that and led the procession to the feast. I vividly remember my grandmother saying to me, 'This is very important. I took you away from playing to see don Andrés. Death is going to happen to you. It happens to all of us. It's going to happen to me. And right now you have to know that you will die, and that everything you do is in preparation for that. Don't forget this'" (p. 15).

Alcaria died on March 14, 1946. There is a notice of her death front page of The New Mexican for March 14, 1946, just below an article saying that her son Frank V. Ortiz, a favorite for the mayoral nomination in the early meeting of the convention had withdrawn his candidacy at the final session the previous night (unfortunately, the microfilm cuts part of the story out.)

Frank V. Ortiz' Mother Dies. Mrs. Alcaria B. Ortiz, 84, mother of Frank V. Ortiz, secretary of the Democratic commission died early this morning at her home, 411 E. Alameda St. after a brief illness.

Mrs. Ortiz is survived by two sons. Frank and Sofio, of La Jors, Colo.; and daughters, Mrs. Tonita O. Callahan and Mrs. Lourdes O. Howland, of Santa Fe; and over a score of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was a member of La Union, Highlanders, Sacred Heart Sodality, St. Francis Altar Society and the St. Francis Third Order. Burial arrangements will be announced later.

Both she and her husband are buried in Rosario Cemetery.