Family histories searched on newspapers.com

Newspapers.com reveals some Linam family history

Note: Before the Family History Expo in November, The Star asked readers to submit family names to see what could be found on newspapers.com. We spent 30 minutes on some of them to see what we could find.

James Linam has quite a bit of his family history but was seeking evidence of the death of his ancestor Thomas Linam, born in 1774. Family stories tell that he died in a ship fire, possibly in 1838-39, while traveling to visit his son, James W. Linam, in Victoria, Texas.

Newspapers.com lists four newspapers that publish or published in Victoria, but unfortunately, none of them published in the 1830s. We found nothing on this in any other U.S. paper either. We would have liked to help the Tucson James Linam with this, but it was not to be in the 30 minutes allotted to us.

We did find a few stories on Linam’s parents, none of which will be news to him, but will be interesting, nonetheless.

Our subject’s parents were Walter Thorp Linam and Frances Ruth Briscoe (usually called Ruth). Ruth’s father, Benjamin Edward Briscoe was a doctor in Willcox who also served in the Arizona Legislature. Her mother was Lula (Cottner) Briscoe. Dr. Briscoe died in 1955 in Phoenix and his obituary notes that his father’s name was Dr. James W. Briscoe.

Ruth and Walter married in Willcox in 1929, and lived there until 1937, when they moved to Hobbs, N.M. In Hobbs, Walter owned Linam Electric Co. and was a city commissioner who served twice as mayor of Hobbs. His retirement from the office of city commissioner in 1968 earned him praise in an editorial in the Hobbs Daily News-Sun, indicating he was well respected.

Sutherland and Sotomayor families were Tucson pioneers

Note: Before the Family History Expo in November, The Star asked readers to submit family names to see what could be found on newspapers.com. We spent 30 minutes on some of them to see what we could find.

Debra Sutherland Motzkin had a good start on her family history. She knew of Florencio Sotomayor, an ancestor on her mother’s side who homesteaded in this area. She also knew about her paternal great-grandfather William Henry Sutherland, who was born in Maine but made his way to Southern Arizona by way of Minnesota.

William Henry Sutherland was a cattle rancher, prospector and ran a stage line for a time. Early in his Arizona days, he was often called “Idaho Bill.” Sutherland died April 23, 1925, after having been ill for several years. He left behind a son, William Ray Sutherland, and his wife Matilda, according to obituaries printed in the Arizona Daily Star.

Matilda, who died Feb. 9, 1932, was the daughter of Tucson pioneer James S. Douglas.

William Ray Sutherland, Our subject’s grandfather, was also a rancher and died in 1960. He was survived by four children, including William R., probably the father of Debra Sutherland Motzkin. This is likely because of an obituary for his wife, Alice, naming Motzkin as a daughter, indicates she died in 2015.

Alice Sotomayor Sutherland was the daughter of Amelia and Florencio Sotomayor, another pioneering couple in Tucson. Alice was interviewed for an extensive article in the Arizona Daily Star in 2004 about the family homestead near Oracle Jaynes Station making way for housing. This homestead had begun with Alice’s grandfather Florencio and his brother, Manuel.

Florencio, Alice’s grandfather, died after being thrown by his horse, the family home burned down and eventually Sutherland’s father Florencio Jr., moved his family into Barrio Hollywood. His mother Antonia had sold the farm.

Obituaries of Florencio Sotomayor and of the Sutherlands offer other names to search for next.

Suba and Gwinn families make appearance on newspapers.com

Note: Before the Family History Expo in November, The Star asked readers to submit family names to see what could be found on newspapers.com. We spent 30 minutes on some of them to see what we could find.

Carolyn Gwinn Suba and Mike Ray Suba sought information on their families.

Carolyn Gwinn Suba had several names from both sides of her family and knew their occupations. This is what we found about her family with 30 minutes if searching on newspapers.com

In 1958, Eve Miller married Albert Ludy Gwinn. We think Albert Ludy Gwinn is Carolyn’s brother. Albert Ludy Gwinn’s parents — and therefore Carolyn’s if we are correct — are Rev. and Mrs. Henry Grady Gwinn, a name Carolyn had given us. Rev. Gwinn was a missionary who retired at age 80 in 1970, according to an article in the Arizona Daily Star in 1975. His wife was Maryann Ludy Gwinn. Rev. Gwinn died in 1978 and his wife in 1993.

Maryann’s parents were Mr. and Mrs. Albert K. Ludy, who also had a son, Albert Jr.

Albert Sr. was a well-known geodedic authority and chief observer at the U.S. Coast and Geodedic Survey. When he died in 1950, several obituaries noted that he was in charge of several observatories, one of them in Tucson.

Mike Ray Suba’s family was a little harder to pin down, mostly because we think the name Mike was used in every generation, so we don’t have as much information.

Mike Ray Suba is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Mike Suba. His father ran a hog ranch. Mike Ray also has a son named Mike. A Mike Suba married Thelma Carter in 1953, but we aren’t sure if that Mike is one of this family.

This Mike Suba could be the same one who was a member of the Dixie Dudes, and musical group. If so, this was probably a hobby. Mike is a common name, so this may all be a case of mistaken identity.

Mike and Marsha Suba announced the birth of a daughter in 1987.

Catalano family has called Tucson home for some time according to newspapers.com

Note: Before the Family History Expo in November, The Star asked readers to submit family names to see what could be found on newspapers.com. We spent 30 minutes on some of them to see what we could find.

Julie Gradillas asked for information on behalf of her father, Albert Catalano, who wanted to know more about his family. Albert’s mother’s surname was previously Hernandez and his father’s surname was Catalano.

A wealth of information came from an article in the Arizona Daily Star in 2004 by Bonnie Henry. She interviewed Albert Catalano and wrote a story about his father, Giuseppe. Albert’s age at the time of Henry’s article and his current age match up when allowing for the passage of time, and names in wedding announcements indicate this is the same Albert Catalano. Of course, he already knows the information in this article.

Albert’s daughter says that Albert’s father died when Albert was young. According to Henry’s article, Albert was 8 years old when his father died of complications from diabetes.

We found wedding announcements for Albert, who married Margaret Delgado Alegria in 1957; his brother Ernesto, who married Antonia Fimbres in 1962, and brother Frank, who married Betty Ann Crumbley in 1963. Julie Catalano was the flower girl in Ernesto’s wedding. That may be our submitter, now Julie Gradillas.

Since, according to the announcement, two of Albert’s groomsmen were brothers Frank and Ernie, we believe we still have the correct family connections. Two of them name the grooms’ mother as Mrs. Giuseppe Rocco Catalano. Albert’s announcement refers to his mother as Cristina Catalano, but Henry’s article says Giuseppe’s wife was Christina.

Giuseppe’s father may have been Saetano Catalano. Two articles in the Daily Sentinel of Grand Junction, Colo., one in 1895 and one in 1910, mention that Saetano Catalano filed naturalization papers and became a U.S. citizen. Perhaps one of them was Saetano Jr., although we don’t know if there is a junior, otherwise we have no explanation for the duplication 15 years apart.

Newspapers.com helps reveal Holler family history

Note: Before the Family History Expo in November, The Star asked readers to submit family names to see what could be found on newspapers.com. We spent 30 minutes on some of them to see what we could find.

Frank Eric Holler was born in Nogales, Ariz., and offered the names of parents (surnames only), grandparents and his great grandfather, Charles E. Holler.

Charles Holler was considered a Nogales pioneer, but he was born in Solingen, Prussia (modern-day Germany), in 1841, and spent time in California before settling in Nogales. The account of his death in the Border Vidette newspaper of Nogales, Ariz., in 1903, indicated he was a well-respected citizen.

His children were Charles Jr., Edward and daughter Mrs. Alfredo Sandoval. Edward was Frank Eric Holler’s grandfather. In 1905, he married Mercedes Velasco.

Edward and Mercedes had a son named Frank, likely Frank Eric Holler’s father.

We feel confident of this because Frank married Eva Partida in 1949, and while the announcement doesn’t name his parents, our submitter said his mother’s maiden name was Partida. Her parents were Jesus and Carmen and her brother was Jesus Jr.

Our confidence was rewarded when we found Frank Holler’s obituary, which ran in the Arizona Daily Star in 2009. It says he was born to Edward and Mercedes Holler in 1916, and his first wife, who died before him, was Eva.

The same month Frank Holler (the father) died, his former sister-in-law Luz passed away as well. Her obituary names other maternal relatives who could be researched along with relatives named in the elder Frank’s obituary.

Tully family history includes the Star's beginnings according to newspapers.com

Joseph Michael “Mike” Tully carries a name well known to those interested in Southern Arizona history. Tully knows most of that history and had plenty of names for us to use.

The family history we found in 30 minutes of searching on newspapers.com will probably not be news to Mike, but it is interesting reading.

Mike Tully’s father, Joe Tully, was a printer at the Arizona Daily Star and Tucson Citizen for years.

When he returned to the newspaper after serving during World War II, he worked with his father, uncle and a cousin. Newspapers were in the family’s blood.

Mike Tully’s great grandfather, Charles H. Tully, also known as Carlos Tully, was one of the founders of the Arizona Daily Star — it was first known as the Bulletin— along with L. C. Hughes. Charles Tully was also an educator and a charter member of the Arizona Pioneers’ Historical Society.

Charles Tully’s wife, Adela, died in 1917. Charles apparently married again, because his 1923 obituary — he died at 75 — said his 13 children included two infant daughters.

Charles Tully was the adopted son of another pioneer, Pinkney R. Tully. Pinkney Tully was a merchant who, with partner Esteven Ochoa, started Tully, Ochoa & Co., handling freighting and other pursuits. The coming of the railroad put them out of business, according to his obituary, but he landed on his feet. He served two terms as mayor of Tucson among his many accomplishments. Tully Elementary School was named for him.

Mike Tully’s mother was Margaret Tully, and her mother was Frances Volke, who passed away in 1972. Margaret Tully had brothers Ernest and William Volke. Our next step would be to explore this branch of the family tree.

Talley and Hood families researched on newspapers.com

Tina Talley was born and raised in Tucson, but her family came from Kansas.

She supplied the surnames of her most recent ancestors, and while first names are desired, we are reasonably sure we have found articles about her family members.

A birth announcement for Tina appeared in the Council Grove (Kansas) Republican, which gave us her name as Tina Jo and her father’s name as Franklin (Frank) Talley.

Tina’s mother, Ovaline (Hood) Talley passed away in 2009 in Concordia, Kansas, at the age of 90. Her obituary appeared in the Arizona Daily Star since she had married and lived in Tucson. Franklin Talley died in 1984 in Kansas at the age of 66. From his obituary, we learn that Tina served in the U.S. Navy.

Franklin Talley’s mother, Albertina Josephine (Victor) Talley, passed away in 1958, and we think it likely that Tina was named for her. Her grandmother’s parents were Samuel and Anna Victor.

Franklin Talley’s parents were married in Kansas in 1904, according to a small notice in the Junction City Union newspaper in Kanses.

Our next step might be to search for news about Samuel and Anna Victor, Tina’s great grandparents.

Walotsky family history found on newspapers.com

Note: Before the Family History Expo in November, the Star asked readers to submit family names to see what could be found on newspapers.com. There were many submissions, so we spent 30 minutes on some of them to see what we could find and will present several in the coming months.

Geraldine Walotsky Cass supplied her mother’s maiden name, Margaret “Rita” Lord and her paternal grandparents’ names, Harry Cephus Lord and Katherine O’Hara. She also gave her father’s name, Simon Walotsky, and his parents’ names, Martha Zavalauskas and Simon Azinaucolaus. Simon Walotsky had changed his name.

This is what we found on newspapers.com in 30 minutes:

Most of the family appears to have lived in New York. Cass’ wedding announcement indicates that she was from The Bronx at the time she married.

Searching her maternal grandparents proved difficult because names with apostrophes (O’Hara) don’t always work well in search engines, and searching the surname “Lord” brings up a host of articles about church services, sermons and religious organizations. We found her mother’s obituary by searching her married name.

Walotsky is a little easier to search, and we learned that Cass’ father, Simon Walotsky, passed away in 1968. His siblings are named, and we see that his brother Peter did not change his last name; however, it was misspelled.

Newspapers.com suggests trying common misspellings of search terms, most likely names, if the proper spelling doesn’t yield results.

It’s difficult to guess the common misspellings of Zavalauskas. One was Zabalauskas, but with the appropriate spelling we were able to find the obituary of Cass’ paternal grandmother, who died in 1962. Her obituary names her brother, Dominick Dickovech, as a survivor. Assuming that may be Martha Zavalauskas’ maiden name, we attempted to find more but were not successful, even with alternate spellings. We found nothing on Simon Walotsky’s father.

We don’t know when the family came to the United States, but if Martha or the elder Simon were immigrants, that would explain the lack of results. Newspapers.com is expanding to other countries, but that is a slow process.

Newspapers.com uncovers Craven family history

Note: Before the Family History Expo in November, the Star asked readers to submit family names to see what could be found on newspapers.com. There were many submissions, so we spent 30 minutes on some of them to see what we could find and will present several in the coming months.

We recently presented research on the family of Margaret Ernestine Craven in the column on March 11. Now we do the same for her husband, William Wallace Craven Jr.

Craven had the names of his parents, William Wallace Craven Sr. and Mary Gwendolyn Keating (she went by Gwendolyn), and knew where they had lived and that they married in the 1930s.

This is what we discovered in 30 minutes of searching:

Craven’s parents were married Jan. 8, 1934, in Chicago, according to announcements in Minneapolis newspapers. Gwendolyn Keating’s parents were Mr. and Mrs. William Howard Souder. There is a possibility W. Howard Souder was Gwendolyn’s stepfather since his name is different. That would be something to explore later. William Craven Sr.’s parents are Mr. and Mrs. Britt Craven.

Mr. and Mrs. Britt Craven’s daughter, Ruth, was married to Matthew Fellner in 1935. Mary Vivian Keating, Gwendolyn’s sister, was married in 1936 to Ralph James McGuire.

William Craven Jr.’s grandfather Britt Craven, passed away in October 1962. His obituary in the Minneapolis Star named his wife, Jeannette, and children as survivors. William Craven Sr., our subject’s father, passed away on April 19, 1969.

William Jr.’s grandmother, Jeannette Craven, wife of Britt Craven, passed away in 1977, in Minneapolis.

We don’t have Jeannette Craven’s maiden name, nor do we have the name of Gwendolyn (Keating) Craven’s mother. Those are what we would search for next.

Dohme family history revealed through newspapers.com

Note: Before the Family History Expo in November, the Arizona Daily Star asked readers to submit family names to see what could be found on newspapers.com. There were many submissions, so we spent 30 minutes on some of them to see what we could find and will present several in the coming months.

Margaret Ernestine Craven, whose maiden name was Ramsey, had the names of her parents and knew when and where they were born.

This is what we found in 30 minutes of searching on newspapers.com from articles and obituaries.

Craven’s maternal great-grandfather, William F. Dohme, died in 1913, and the details of his will were printed in the Baltimore Sun. The details aren’t as important in this case as the names of his heirs.

His wife, Craven’s great-grandmother, was Nora Dohme, and his son was Justus Dohme. His grandchildren, probably Justus’ children since no other child was named, were Ralph Justus Dohme and Helen Louise Dohme, Craven’s mother.

Craven’s grandfather, Justus Dohme, died May 28, 1954, listing his wife as Grace H. (Etzler) Dohme. His parents’ names match those in the earlier will of William Dohme.

Craven’s mother, Helen L. Ramsey, is named as a survivor, as are her siblings, Mrs. Nora L. Schmutzer and Ralph J. Dohme. This gives us more names to search if time allowed.

Craven’s maternal uncle, Ralph Justus Dohme Sr., passed away in 1983, and her brother, Jack Ramsey passed away in 2007.

On her father’s side, we found that Craven’s father, Lawrence Wayne Ramsey, graduated from Penn State University on June 10, 1930, with a degree in electrical engineering. The name given was Lawrence W. Ramsey, but this is likely the same man, since Craven knew he was an electrical engineer.

Our next step would be to search for the names of relatives in the obituaries of Justus Dohme and Ralph Justus Dohme Sr.

Quihuis family history explored on newspapers.com

Note: Before the Family History Expo in November, The Star asked readers to submit family names to see what could be found on newspapers.com. We spent 30 minutes on some of them to see what we could find.

Anita Ramirez is no stranger to large families. Her father Mike Quihuis, born in Tucson, was one of eight children. Her mother Bertha (Lowe) Quihuis was one of 10 children and was born in Tubac. Mike and Bertha had seven children of their own.

With the information supplied by Ramirez, we searched newspapers.com for 30 minutes and learned the following:

Mike Quihuis and Bertha Lowe were married Sept. 24, 1933. A small announcement ran in the Arizona Daily Star where Bertha’s father was listed as William Lowe, but no other family names were mentioned.

Anita Ramirez may have been named for her maternal grandmother, Anita Burruel Lowe. Her maternal grandfather, William, was a Tubac pioneer and was the town’s Postmaster. A historic photo of Old Fort Crittenden and its defenders in 1870 may have included William H. Lowe (later of Tubac) according to his son, William, of Tucson, who supplied the photo to the Tucson Citizen in 1952. If William H. Lowe is Bertha’s father, she must have been a late-in-life child for him, she was born in 1915. William the son, could possibly have been her father.

Mike’s parents were Antonio and Ernestina Quihuis and were born in Hermosillo, Sonora. They came to Tucson in 1912, and Mike was born the same year in Tucson.

Mike Quihuis was a professional boxer under the name “Battling Mike Nelson,” so named because, according to a later Arizona Daily Star article, the announcer could not pronounce Quihuis.

Pioneering Galvez family researched on newspapers.com

Note: Before the Family History Expo in November, The Star asked readers to submit family names to see what could be found on newspapers.com. There were many submissions, so we spent 30 minutes on some of them to see what we could find and will present several in the coming months.

Alex Galvez is part of an Arizona pioneer family. He says his great-grandfather, Philomeno Galvez Sr., was one of the first 400 miners to settle what would become Tombstone.

The following was discovered by reading articles from Tombstone and other Southern Arizona newspapers.

Philomeno was a prominent and respected citizen of Tombstone. His obituary said he died in 1924 at age 69, but it neglects to name is surviving relatives. He bought the Opposition Water Works in 1895 and promised to continue to deliver water at the same price, unlike monopolists. His name was often spelled Filomeno in newspaper accounts. He also had several mine claims and other business interests.

His wife (Alex Galvez gives her name as Sarah) was lucky to escape death when the family’s home on Bruce Street was struck by lightning in 1911. The electricity from the lightning traveled down the stovepipe and caused her to lose consciousness. She had been near the stove when it happened. Fortunately, according to an article about the incident, she was able to attend to her household duties the following day.

Their son, Filomeno, Alex’s grandfather, was born in Tombstone in 1890.

In 1904, Jose Galvez, named by Alex as a relative, was stabbed in a fight over a bottle of wine, according to a Bisbee Daily Review article. He survived the stabbing.

Another relative, Francisco Galvez, was declared insane in 1915 and sent to the asylum in Phoenix. A deputy sheriff was to take him to Phoenix when he transferred other prisoners to Florence. Alex Galvez says Francisco was lost in Florence, but we were unable to find an article verifying this. However, we found an article from the Bisbee Daily Review in 1920 saying a Francisco Galvez was found dead in a rooming house. We don’t know if this was the same man.

Alex Galvez did not say how Jose and Francisco were related to Filomeno Jr. or Philomeno Sr., and we found no newspaper accounts giving that information.

Sister Mary Philomena Galvez died at age 44 in 1970, in Tucson. In her obituary, her parents are listed as Mr. and Mrs. Filomeno Galvez, so it is possible she is Alex’s aunt. His grandfather, Filomeno, would have been about 36 when she was born. If she is the daughter of Alex’s grandfather, her siblings’ names, which were in the obituary, would be useful in seeking further information.

With more time, we would continue searching and perhaps use other records to see how they were related to Alex.

History of Graydon family comes to light through newspapers.com

Note: Before the Family History Expo in November, The Star asked readers to submit family names to see what could be found on newspapers.com. There were many submissions, so we spent 30 minutes on some of them to see what we could find and will present several in the coming months.

Michael Truman Graydon was born in Tucson in 1939 to Truman Chester Graydon and Rosalie Maud Barney Graydon. His parents met and married in Nogales, Arizona.

With this information, we spent 30 minutes searching newspapers.com to see what we could find about Michael Graydon’s family. This is what we discovered using articles, engagement and wedding announcements and obituaries.

Graydon’s parents, Truman and Rosalie, were married July 3, 1937. From their engagement and wedding announcements, we learn that Truman’s parents were Mr. and Mrs. Grover Graydon of Tucson.

From these same announcements, we learn that Rosalie’s mother’s name was listed as Mrs. F.R. Barney. Because a father isn’t listed in the announcement, we conclude he was deceased at that time or estranged from his family, which is less likely.

Rosalie’s brothers were Ralph and Walter Barney, and her sister was Emma Mae (Mrs. Charles T. Frazier).

We did not find the date for Truman’s birth, but Michael Graydon thinks his father may have been born in 1909.

Truman had a younger sister, Loretta, who was born in April 1924. We know this because a short article about her seventh birthday party ran in 1931. She was 13 years old when her brother Truman was married. Of course, it is possible that there was another Loretta Graydon in Tucson at the time and this Loretta is not related to Truman Graydon.

An obituary ran in the Arizona Daily Star in 1961 for a Grover C. Graydon, age 75 at the time of his death.

He would have been the same generation as Truman’s father, but we can’t be sure it is him, because no family members are listed in the obituary.

A historic 1914 photo of members of the Flower of Cactus Lodge ran in the Arizona Daily Star in 1947. One of those pictured is Mrs. Grover Graydon. It is impossible to tell if the woman in this fuzzy photo is close to the right age to be Truman’s mother. That is something we would explore next.

Newspapers.com reveals history of the Schodde family

Note: Before the Family History Expo in November, the Arizona Daily Star asked readers to submit family names to see what could be found on newspapers.com. There were many submissions, so we spent 30 minutes on some of them to see what we could find and will present several in the coming months.

Karen Ann Schodde Woods was able to give us her parents and grandparents full names, which was enough to start a search.

After a 30-minute search of the names in newspapers.com, this is what we gathered from both wedding and funeral announcements, which we believe are Woods’ family and not a coincidence:

The wedding of Woods’ parents, Glen William Schodde and Katherine Francesca Clements in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, appears to have been a social event. A notice was published in the Daily Times of Davenport, Iowa, saying two local “girls” would participate in the festivities. The wedding was June 19, 1933.

Glen Schodde had a brother named Harold who was a dentist. Katherine Clements Schodde’s sister, Rebecca, married Vernon Victor sometime after she served as her sister’s maid of honor.

Karen Schodde Woods and her husband, Charles Woods, were commissioned as Methodist missionaries in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 1967.

Woods’ mother, Katherine Clements Schodde, passed away May 16, 1973, in El Paso, Texas. Her obituary names survivors as her husband, Glen, and sons Stephen and David, though not her daughter Karen, which may have been a mistake by the newspaper or the submitter.

An obituary for Mae Deets Schodde, who passed away in Tucson in 1999, indicates that Woods’ father, Glen Schodde, married her after his wife, Katherine’s, death. We feel fairly confident this is correct because of her stepchildren’s names. A next step would be to search for wedding announcements and obituaries for Glen and Katherine Schodde’s parents.

Newspapers.com contains history of Figueroa and Cavaletto families

Note: Before the Family History Expo in November, The Star asked readers to submit family names to see what could be found on newspapers.com. There were many submissions, so we spent 30 minutes on some of them to see what we could find and will present several in the coming months.

Estella Levy’s family has been in Arizona since 1909. She said her mother’s full name is Maria Catalina Figueroa, but she went by Catalina Figueroa, later Cavaletto. Her parents were Francisco F. Figueroa and Jesusita Del La Villegas. Levy’s father’s name is Angelo C. Cavaletto and his parents were Giuseppe A. Cavaletto and Maria Trejo.

This is what we learned from birth announcements and funeral notices in a half hour of searching on newspapers.com:

Levy’s parents had a daughter Oct. 19, 1944, at St. Mary’s Hospital. Catalina Cavaletto’s obituary names four children, three of them daughters. We know this wasn’t Levy’s sister Patricia, because her obituary gives a different birth date, so it was either Estella or Angelina.

Levy’s grandfather, Francisco, passed away in 1968. We believe we have the correct man since the obituary lists a daughter named Catalina Cavaletto. However, his wife’s name is given as Gregoria, which is not Levy’s grandmother’s name. This leads to the conclusion that Gregoria is Francisco’s second wife, unless this Francisco is not Levy’s grandfather.

Levy’s father, Angelo Cavaletto, passed away in 1969, leaving his wife Catalina, daughters, a son and several siblings. These names would provide more material for a search.

Levy’s mother, Catalina, passed away in 2001, days after her 92nd birthday. At this time, she was the matriarch of a large family. Levy’s sister, Patricia, died in 2016, and sadly, her son, Lewis, died in 1998, at age 37.

The next steps might be to search for Jesusita Figueroa, Catalina’s mother. Since Catalina was born in Mexico, that might require searching newspapers outside of the United States. Angelo Cavaletto’s siblings names may also provide more of his family information.

Newspapers.com reveals stories of pioneer Tucson family

Note: Before the Star’s Family History Expo in November, The Star asked readers to submit family names to see what could be found on newspapers.com. There were many submissions, so we spent 30 minutes on each to see what we could find and will present several in the coming months.

Linda Christine Lopez Mower knew the names of her paternal ancestors back to her great-, great-grandfather, Juan Sambrano Lopez. All of these men lived in Tucson.

Her mother’s parents were from Chihuahua, so there is less information available on them since there are few newspapers outside the United States and Canada available at newspapers.com.

Because the family stayed in Tucson, searching for them was much easier than for those who scatter. The Lopez family was well-known as a pioneer family in Tucson, with several mentions of Linda’s great-grandfather Pedro Pablo Lopez in the pages of the Arizona Daily Star.

The following information comes from wedding announcements, anniversary stories and obituaries:

Juan Sambrano Lopez, Pedro Lopez’s father, was born in Tucson in 1834, long before the Arizona Daily Star and Tucson Citizen began publication.

In 1942, Linda’s aunt, granddaughter of Don Pedro Lopez, Artye Lopez, married into another pioneer family of Tucson, the Urias family.

The marriage license for Linda’s parents, Carlomagno E. Lopez and Emma Jean Regeser was recorded in 1952.

Linda’s maternal grandmother, Sarah Regeser, passed away in 1961. Sarah’s husband was listed as Julius, which is different than the first name Yjinio offered by Linda, but he may have anglicized it. This is, of course, if the deceased is indeed Linda’s grandmother. The obituary lists a surviving daughter, Mrs. Carl Lopez, which makes us confident she is.

Linda’s paternal grandparents, Carlomagno S. Lopez and his wife, Lucy, were married in 1919. This information is based on a notice of their golden anniversary in 1969. Carlomagno died in 1970 and Lucy in 1989.

Linda’s mother and father passed away in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

Newspapers.com uncovers Putnam family history in several states

Note: Before the Family History Expo in November, The Star asked readers to submit family names to see what could be found on newspapers.com. There were many submissions, so we spent 30 minutes on some of them to see what we could find and will present several in the coming months.

John Putnam lists as his distant cousin Ann Putnam of Salem witch trial fame. The name is certainly known and easy to find on newspapers.com, but while this is a great family story, it would take far longer than 30 minutes to prove the connection, so we’ll concentrate on more immediate family.

John offered his father’s name, Thomas Shryock Putnam, and his mother’s, Denzil Inez (Brookman) Putnam, and where they were born and raised. He also knew when they married and where they lived following their marriage. This was enough to learn more, especially considering his mother’s first name was not common.

This is what we gleaned from birth announcements, wedding announcements, obituaries and other articles.

Thomas and Denzil Putnam had a baby boy in 1950 in Hawaii. This was likely John’s brother, Robert. We know this because an article in 1952 says that Robert Putnam — his parents were named — was 24 months old when he placed second among boys in the Mr. Baby Hawaii contest at the state fair.

John and Robert were the Putnams’ only children. Denzil Putnam was a buyer of women’s fashions and department manager of Liberty House, a department store. Thomas Putnam was in the U.S. Navy, then worked for Schuman Carriage Company and later owned his own business, the Muffler Clinic. Thomas and Denzil moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1980.

Denzil died in 1996 and Thomas in 2004.

Denzil’s father was John Wallace Brookman. Her mother’s name in the marriage announcement for Denzil and Thomas is given as Mrs. John Wallace Brookman, so it is of no help in researching that line, but the next step would be to search for obituaries and a marriage announcement for John Wallace Brookman. Either of them would give his wife’s name.

Thomas’ parents are Mr. and Mrs. Charles Montcalm Putnam. It appears Thomas’ father may have passed away before Thomas’ marriage. A next step would be to search for his obituary in Miami, Florida, newspapers. As Thomas was born in the Washington, D.C., area in 1910, there may be a marriage announcement for them in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., newspapers.

Newspapers.com tells of Ehrsam family in Nebraska and Tucson

Note: Before the Star’s Family History Expo in November, The Star asked readers to submit family names to see what could be found on newspapers.com. There were many submissions, so we spent 30 minutes on each to see what we could find and will present several in the coming months.

Gayle (Ehrsam) Zizzo had enough information on her family to begin a search.

Gayle’s father’s surname is Ehrsam and her mother’s is Strandberg. Gayle did not tell us her parents’ first names, but we are reasonably sure now that they are Jesse and Eva.

Her mother’s family came from Sweden and settled in Nebraska. Her maternal grandfather, Albert Valentine Strandberg, was born in Nebraska in 1892, and though his father was born in Sweden, it was reasonable to assume we might find something about Gayle’s great grandfather in Nebraska. His name was Nels Strandberg.

We found a notice of his death on May 3, 1915, in the Nebraska State Journal, which also stated that his wife died May 1, 1915. The age of Nels when he died indicates we probably have the right person.

We found the notice of marriage license for Albert V. Strandberg, age 32, and Bessie F. Lawrence, 24, published the day they were married, March 4, 1924, in the Lincoln Journal Star. The marriage announcement appeared several days later in the Nebraska State Journal, and said they would live in Bennet, Neb. A birth record in the Lincoln Journal Star shows that they had a daughter Aug. 5, 1925.

An engagement announcement of that daughter, Eva, Gayle’s mother, to her father, Jesse H. Ehrsam, ran July 4, 1952, in the Lincoln Star.

It appears Eva was an only child, as Bessie Strandberg’s obituary, which ran Sept. 30, 1988, in the Lincoln Journal Star, names only her as a child, but she had five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. She died in Tucson, but we found no obituary in the Arizona Daily Star. The obituary states she was the widow of Albert V. Strandberg, but we did not find his obituary.

Unfortunately, the obituary did not name any family members other than her late husband and her daughter. Usually obituaries are a rich source of names.

We found these facts in half an hour. We would suggest searching newspapers in Missouri next for mention of Gayle’s paternal grandfather Jess H. Ehrsam, of Golden City, Mo. His name and city of residence was found in the engagement announcement of his son, Jesse, to Eva.

Leon family history in Tucson discovered on newspapers.com

Note: Before the Star’s Family History Expo in November, the Arizona Daily Star asked readers to submit family names to see what could be found on newspapers.com. There were many submissions, so we spent 30 minutes on many of them to see what we could find on newspapers.com and will present several in the coming months.

Rosemary Leon Ortega had a good amount of information to begin a search for more family history on newspapers.com.

She was born Rosa Maria Leon Leon while her parents, legal residents of the United States, were visiting Mexico. Her name was changed to Rosemary Leon when she became a U.S. citizen as a child.

She knew her father’s name, Alejandro Figueroa Leon, and his parents’ names.

Information naming an Alejandro Leon as a survivor in two obituaries put him in the correct generation, but they give a different name for the man who would have been his father, so they are probably just a coincidence, since Alejandro Leon is not an uncommon name. Ortega would be better able to make that determination.

She knew a bit more about her mother’s side of the family. Her mother was Maria Teresa Leon.

Ortega did not give dates, but from the information she offered, we were able to piece together some family history from the newspapers.com archives of the Arizona Daily Star and Tucson Citizen.

Ortega’s mother, Maria Teresa Leon, died in 2014. From her obituary, we learned that she was born in 1933, and had a twin brother, Justo Leon, who died before she did. Justo was likely named for his paternal grandfather, Justo Leon.

Maria Teresa Leon’s obituary names her husband of 55 years, Alejandro Leon, a living brother, Francisco Leon, and children Rosemary and Edward. She died at the age of 81 and was probably married in 1959 (depending on the month). As the older child, Rosemary Leon Ortega is likely in her 50s now.

Another obituary, that of Maria Jesus Hall, who passed away in 1979, suggests that Maria Teresa Leon was her sister and that, in addition to brothers Francisco and Justo, there were also two more sisters, Carlota and Concepcion, and two more brothers, Ramon and Jesus Maria. Some of these names match those of Maria Teresa Leon’s parents, whose names Ortega provided, and this gives more information for additional searches.

These names also help confirm that this obituary was indeed for Ortega’s maternal aunt. Again, however, Ortega would be more able to determine if these are relatives.