Tejano
Association for Historical Preservation
Lorenzo de
Zavala Chapter
Attendees
at the last meeting asked for a copy of Mrs. Estella Zermeno’s lecture. The following is a copy of her presentation.
BECERRA AND
MISSION REFUGIO
My Becerra ancestors, some of the earlier settlers of this
area spent much time at the missions, especially at the Mission Refugio. Perhaps, this was where they earned their
living, performed their civic and sacramental duties and rituals. Most importantly, the missions must have
been the place where they found solace and hope. There they cried, laughed and celebrated; while taming the
wilderness of their land, establishing communities and naming towns and
rivers. They built ranches, stocking
them with cattle, horses and other livestock.
Here, also, they spilled their blood.
My fourth great-grandfather, Pedro Becerra, was born in Louisiana in
1730, since his Spanish parents had migrated from Portugal. Spanish servants lived at the missions and
were responsible for blacksmithing, sheep-herding, cooking and leather
works. Sacramental records of San
Fernando Cathedral in Bexar County show Pedro was sponsor or witness a number
of times for various sacraments. He is listed in the 1780 census of La Bahia as
a campista (herdman). From the diary kept by Father Cosme Lozano Narvais, we
learned that on July 12, 1781, Comanche Indians fell on Mission Rosario and
killed servant Pedro Becerra.
Miguel Becerra, oldest son of Pedro, was born in La Bahia in
1757. He is listed in the census of
1780 as a soldier in the Calvary troop, for armaments, he had one escopeta
(musket), an adarga (shield), a lance and el cuero (a leather protective jacket). In 1794, Corporal Miguel Becerra was
stationed at Mission Refugio. Miguel
would also be involved in a trailride taking sheep and cattle to Bernardo
Galvez’s troops during the American Revolution.
In a copy of a letter, dated January 28, 1794, which was
obtained from the Bexar archives, Corporal Miguel Becerra informs the Presidio
La Bahia Commander, Juan Cortez, that priest Belasco is ill, and of the many
problems he is encountering with the Indians of the mission. In addition, notice is being circulated that
Fresada Pinta, chief of the Karankawas is expected. As a result of the severity of this attack, the mission was moved
to its present site in 1795.
Miguel Becerra was the grandfather of Texas hero, Colonel
Juan N. Seguin. His daughter, Josefa
Augustina married Don Erasmo Seguin.
Baptism records of San Fernando Cathedral show that on November 3. 1806,
Juan Nepomuceno, son of Erasmo Seguin and Josefa Augustina Becerra was
baptized. His maternal grandparents,
Miguel Becerra and Barbara Sanchez Navarro, were present.
Don Manuel Becerra, another son of Pedro, and my third
great-grandfather was born in La Bahia in 1762. Unlike his brother, Miguel,
Manuel did not choose to be a military man; he became a farmer and
politician. He married Juana Cadena,
daughter of the soldier, Diego Cadena.
They had two daughters, Maria Josefa and Gertrudis. He became very
involved in the civic affairs of the colonies. When the first Ayuntamiento of
La Bahia was established on August 24, 1820, he was elected secretary. He
served in the Ayuntamiento (city council) in several offices until 1835.
Don Manuel Becerra and his family lived
in La Bahia. However, he selected a
parcel of land in Refugio and would commute back and forth, cultivating the
land, where he later established his rancho "Alamito" on Copano
Bay. He and his wife became active in
Mission Refugio and made many friends among the residents of the area. His daughters would be left behind in the
care of grandparents or uncles in La Bahia. As early as 1814, sacramental
records show that his young daughter, Maria Josefa, was a sponsor (godmother)
at a baptism of a Karankawa Indian girl at Mission Refugio.
On September 30, 1819, records show Don Becerra and his
wife, Juana, baptized an infant girl, about a month old, who had been born in
the forest and was the legitimate daughter of Pedro and Juana, residents of the
mission. She was given the name Maria
Gertrudis. Did they name her after
their daughter?
On August 8, 1998, I was present during a "public day
at the site" where an archaeological excavation was being done at our Lady
of Refuge church in Refugio. I was
pleasantly surprised when someone handed me a list of burials that had taken
place there. I recognized the name of
an infant that my ancestors, Don Manuel and Juana, had baptized. When I returned home, I checked my documents
and found the baptismal record that I had obtained from the Catholic Archives
in Austin, Texas. It confirmed my find,
and gave me a great sense of connection to my ancestors. Following is a
translation of this baptism record:
On the 18th day of the month of July of
1820, I, the undersigned, Minister of this Mission of Our Lady of Refugio,
Solemnly baptized and anointed with holy oil, a nine-day-old infant, And whom I
named Jose Francisco, Legitimate son of Prudencio and of Maria Rosa both of the
Cujan Nation. His Godparents were
Manuel Becerra and Juana Cadena, Whom I advised of their obligation of
spiritual bond. In Witness of which I
sign. Fr. Jose Diaz de Leon
Notation
from burial list given to me:
111 Jose Francisco July 19,
1820 Karankawa/Cujan Male 10 days Parents Prudencio and Rosa Maria
This baptism of Jose Francisco made Don Becerra, a compadre
of Indian Chief Prudencio. Compadre is
a term used between godparents and parents, which means co-parents. The infant must have been i11, since he died
shortly after and was buried the next day.
I shall mention here that on September 3, 1821, by order of
the Governor of the Province Councilman Don Manuel Becerra accompanied
Commissioner Stephen F. Austin on a seven-day trip to the margins of the
Colorado River to check out a suitable site to establish a new town.
On May 13, 1827, Sindico,
civil judge, Don Manuel Becerra, signed on behalf of the settlement of La
Bahia, a peace treaty with Karankawa and Coco Indians. Several other citizens were present.
On September 2, 1827, Don
Becerra, good friend of Don Martin de Leon, founder of Victoria, was made
second in command of the colonies and assumed all responsibilities while de
Leon was absent.
Don Becerra was instrumental in the
development of Refugio, awarding thousands of acres and town lots to the
Refugio colonists. A number of his
works are recorded in the “Libro De Becerra” located in the district court
records of Refugio County. A volume
probably named after him.
On February 8, 1830, Don Becerra took part in the inspections and
inventories of Refugio Mission. He was
a witness, along with Juan Nepomuceno Escalera, when Father Jose Antonio Diaz
de Leon, President of the missions and Father Miguel Muro signed the Inventory
and Article of Secularization of the Mission of Our Lady of Refugio.
A meeting to discuss the secularization of the missions Refugio and
Espiritu Santo and relocation of the Indians was held on February 26,
1830. Present at this meeting were the
following members of the Ayuntamiento of La Bahia-Goliad: Alcalde, mayor, Don Jose Miguel Aldrete;
Regidores, councilmen, Jose Maria Falcon, Manuel Becerra, and Sindico
Procurado, Civil Judge, J. Nepomuceno Escalera.
Don Manuel Becerra died about 1849 and was buried at the family cemetery
at his Rancho Alamito, which was located twelve miles east of Refugio.
His two daughters, Maria Josefa and Gertrudis married Jose
Maria de-laGarza and Francisco dela Garza, respectively. Maria Josefa and Jose
Maria had no children. Gertrudis my
second great grandmother and Francisco
had four children, of which one of them was
Genoveva, my great grandmother.
Genoveva married Miguel Lozano, long time resident of Refugio, born at
Rancho Papalote in 1838.
Paula Euphenua Lozano, my grandmother, was the only child of
Genoveva and Miguel Lozano. She was
born in Refugio March 20, 1871 at Rancho Alamito and baptized at our Lady of
Refuge Churchd baptized May 9, 1871.
Her godparents were Salvador Lozano and Facunda Cabassos, with Rev. A.
Badelon officiating.
Genoveva died shortly after the birth of my grandmother,
Paula. Her sister, Trinidad dela Garza
and Juan Elias Lozano, brother of Miguel, and a Confederate soldier, took in my
grandmother and raised her. They had no
other children.
Paula Lozano married Apolonio Martinez in 1890 and by now
were living in a small ranch in Goliad.
My father, Placido, was born in La Bahia in 1897 in a cabin, which had
been located at Rancho Alamito and which was pulled to La Bahia by oxen.
In 1920, Placido married Paula Cabrera Cortinas, a Canary
Island descendant, and a long time resident of La Bahia. They had eleven children of whom I, Estella,
was number seven and was born in February 14,1932. The family moved to Houston when I was quite young. There, I met and married my husband, William
Zermeno. I became a mother and we have four wonderful children: three sons, a
daughter and also six beautiful grandchildren.
My husband and I retired from the U.S. Postal Service and moved back to
Goliad, my roots. We live in La Bahia, and when I go for a walk, I feel as if I
am stepping on the footprints of my ancestors. I will be forever grateful to my
grandmother, Paula dela Garza Lozano, who left so many great documents, told me
stories, and instilled in me a passion for my genealogy and our history, and to
my husband, William, for all his encouragement and patience in my research.
Mrs. Zermeno can be contacted at wzermeno@txcr.net for more information.
YEARLY DUES FOR THE TEJANO ASSOC. ARE $ 25.00 FOR INDIVIDUAL OR FAMILY,
PLEASE SEND A CHECK BY U. S. MAIL TO: T.A.H.P. P.O. BOX 231021 HOUSTON, TEXAS 77223-1021
THANK YOU.
Goliad State Park of Texas Parks
and Wildlife recently celebrated the 70th anniversary of the
Civilian Conservation Corps with music, food and exhibits of the era at the
Mission Espiritu Santo. The CCC was
started under Franklin D. Roosevelt to assist struggling families during the
depression. The Espiritu Santo Mission
was one of the missions restored during 1935-1942 by the CCC. Leah Huth, Park Manager and Mary Livingston,
Manager of Historical Sites helped to create the CCC evening complete with a
dinner mess hall style. The Amigos of
the Mission helped cook the dinner, and also sponsored the event. Beth Ellis, Assistant Manager of Historical
Sites and educator of the park showcased artifacts, uniforms, tents, photos,
(which included Raul C. Martinez, who was a member of the CCC camp #3822 from
the Goliad area). The CCC (also
referred to as the “Tree Army”) repaired roads, bridges, missions, built
buildings, parks and hospitals. The
workers were paid $30.00 per month, of which $25.00 would be sent to their
families and the young men would be allowed to keep $5.00. Benny C. Martinez and his old time Bedenos
provided music from the ’30’s and 40’s and the audience even joined in to sing
“ The Eyes of Texas are Upon You.” Mr.
Bill McDonald from Austin provided tales of his youth as a CCC worker and even
serenaded the audience with various songs one of them being “El Rancho
Grande.” Mr. Gary Brown, author of “The
New Orleans Greys” and “Hesitant Martyr in the Texas Revolution James Walker
Fannin” was also present for the memorable event. All enjoyed the evening and Goliad State Park and the Amigos are
to be commended for preserving and showcasing the history of the CCC.
The Harris County Court House Annex located at 1001 Staff
Sgt. Macario Garcia will be named Raul C. Martinez due to the appreciated
efforts and recommendation of Hon. Harris County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia in
a dedication ceremony to be held on Sept. 17, 2003 at 10:00 a.m. TAHP members are invited and for more
information contact Loretta Williams at 713-673-1418.
The 2nd Annual Col. Juan N. Seguin Memorial Picnic honoring
all the “Heroes of the Battle of San Jacinto” will be held at the Battleship
side under the pavilion on the left side of the park, Sat. Oct. 25, 2003 at
10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. For more
information contact Angel Seguin Garcia of Seguin Descendants Historical
Preservation at 713-641-1043 or atexhero@aol.com
Linda Alonzo Saenz, President
Loretta Martinez Williams, 1st Vice President
Richard Perez, 2nd Vice President
Margarito C. Vasquez, Board Member
Benny C.
Martinez, Advisory Board Member
Dr. Emilio
Sarabia, Advisory Board Member
For input regarding the newsletter contact Loretta Martinez Williams at latejana3000@aaahawk.com