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Manuel Franco

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Manuel Chavarría Franco LKP4-25G
born 10 June 1909 in Marathon, TX
died 9 Feb 1996 in Ft. Stockton, TX
buried in St. Joseph's Cemetery
in Fort Stockton, Texas

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Zenaida Baeza Valenzuela LKP4-LSF
 born 5 June 1909 in Terlingua, TX
died 3 Nov 2005 in Ft. Stockton, TX
buried in St. Joseph's Cemetery
in Fort Stockton, Texas



 Manuel Franco married Zenaida Valenzuela
September 22, 1940
in Santa Inéz Church in Terlingua, Texas
by Rev. E. Montenegro

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This is their wedding invitation.
 click on images to enlarge them.

They had four sons:

1. Jesus Manuel
    was still-born in Terlingua July 2, 1941
    buried in the Terlingua Cemetery
2. Refugio Manuel - "Cuquito"
    born 4 July 1943 in Terlingua
    died Aug. 29, 1945 
    buried in El Paso, Texas

3. Antonio
    born  Dec 1945
    living in Atlanta, GA
4. José Manuel
    born Oct 1948
    living in Austin, TX

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Recuerdos "Rememberances"
Manuel was born June 10, 1909 in Marathon, Texas.  All his life he was very proud to say he was born in Terlingua, Texas.  When Manuel died his oldest brother, Benigno Franco, though very ill himself, made the sacrifice to come to Manuel's funeral.  Manuel's family was very grateful because they had memories of the two being so close. 

Ben and Manuel were the oldest two of the family.  Ben was born in 1908 in Terlingua and Manuel was born in 1909.  Because of the early deaths of the next siblings they were much closer in age to each other than to any other sibling.  It was only natural that they became very close. 

At  Manuel's funeral, Ben surprised everyone by saying that Manuel was not born in Terlingua, but in Marathon.  Antonio, son of Manuel, remembered that many years before Manuel had complained that Ben kept saying erroneously that Manuel was born in Marathon.  The creation of this page on Familias de Terlingua led to Louisa Madrid, based on interviews with relatives who were certain, confirming that Manuel was indeed born in Marathon.  Additionally, Bob Wirt found census information that places the family in Marathon Texas at the time Manuel was born.  Apparently, not long after Ben was born, the family lived in Marathon, but moved back to Terlingua a few years later.  So Manuel moved to Terlingua as a one or two year-old.  Since his earliest memories were of being in Terlingua, he always believed he was born in Terlingua.
..............................

Zenaida's father, Felix Valenzuela was the constable in Terlingua working with Justice of the peace Bob Cartledge.  Bob Cartledge was known by the Spanish speaking population as "El Bo'."  Around 1927 Zenaida got a job as a clerk in the company store in Terlingua where she worked primarily selling ladies items.

Miss Babb, who had been Zenaida's teacher; became a very good friend of Zenaida's.  Miss Babb encouraged Zenaida to do a variety of craft activities that helped Zenaida develop herself. The family remembers that Zenaida got to know many Terlingüeños because she sold yeast bread that she made early in the morning and sold house to house. She also had a camera and took pictures of neighbors who didn't have a camera.  But perhaps she got to know all the people of Terlingua, "Terlingüeños," best when, encouraged by Miss Babb, she accepted a job taking the school census.

Zenaida went to school there in Terlingua from the first through the sixth grade in a school house known as "The Little Red Schoolhouse" that was replaced in 1930 by one constructed by Howard Perry.  She was the oldest and her father expected her to be responsible for guests.  She used to say that sometimes she was just about to go to school when a guest would arrive at their home.  Her father would not let her go to school but insisted that she stay and prepare a meal for the guests.  Her love of learning was so strong that she urged her sisters to go to Sul Ross.  Three of her sisters attend college.  One died while a college student, but Petra and Celestina did graduate and were school teachers.  Celestina was the Terlingua teacher during the 1958-1959 school year at yet another school building built later near Study Butte.



Family Album
click on photos to enlarge them

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Manuel, Cuquito, Zenaida
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Refugio Manuel (Cuquito)
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Zenaida Spring 2004

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link to Life Before the Ruins to read more

Research information not processed yet:
From MyHeritage a list of ancestors whose records show very long life (note: it may be due to research errors):
Died at 113? years Marcelo de Jesus Domingas Great-great-grandfather  1820 - 1933

Died at 118? years Mariana Andrea Cordero Molinar (de Azcué y Armendáriz del Hierro de Cereceda) Direct ancestor (7 generations)'s half sister
1714 - 1833

Died at 104 years Juan Jose Acosta Grandmother's great-uncle 1828 - 1932

Died at 106 years Romana Monclova Great-aunt's sister-in-law 1865 - 1971

Died at 94 years Natividad Marquez Ybarra Uncle 1915 - 2010

Died at 103 years Paulita Carrasco Father's cousin 1905 - 2008

Died at 94 years Gregorio Chavez Carrasco Baeza Direct ancestor (5 generations) 1795 - 1889

Died at 102 years Maria de Betancurt (de Vera Perdomo) Direct ancestor (12 generations)  1560 - 1662

Died at 92 years Pedro Rodriguez Valenzuela  Great-uncle  1888 - 1981

Died at 102 years Pomposa Dominguez (Baeza) Great-grandmother 1851 - 1953. [age does not agree with some records]
Marriage duration in years
28 marriages with known duration
Married for 0-9 years 1
Married for 10-19 years 4
Married for 20-29 years 5
Married for 30-39 years 3
Married for 40-49 years 9
Married for 50-59 years 3
Married for 60+ years 3

Longest marriage
28 marriages with known duration
Married for 174 years
Jose Dolores Contreras
Great-great-uncle's father-in-law

Married
Feliciana Ramos (Contreras)
Great-great-uncle's mother-in-law

Married: July 30 1849
Top 3 


Married for 174 years
Jose Dolores Contreras
Great-great-uncle's father-in-law

Married
Feliciana Ramos (Contreras)
Great-great-uncle's mother-in-law

Married: July 30 1849
Married for 78 years
Marcelo de Jesus Domingas
Great-great-grandfather

Married
Dorotea Carnero Acosta (Dominguez)
Great-great-grandmother

Married: Feb 6 1854
Married for 65 years José "Joe" Madrid Cousin's husband Married Maria Louisa Franco (Madrid) Cousin Married: June 14 1953


Shortest marriage
27 marriages with known duration that ended
Married for 3 years
Pedro de Vera Perdomo
Direct ancestor (12 generations)

Married
Maria de Betancurt (de Vera Perdomo)
Direct ancestor (12 generations)

Married: 1577
Top 3
Average age difference
77 marriages with known age difference
5.5
Average
Husband 10+ years older14
Husband 5-9 years older16
Husband 1-4 years older19
Same age21
Wife 1-4 years older4
Wife 5-9 years older2
Wife 10+ years older1
Husband much older
77 marriages with known age difference
Difference of 31 years
Capitan Diego de Molinar y Sapien
Direct ancestor (7 generations)

Born: 1676
Married
María Theresa Cordero Domínguez (Molinar)
Direct ancestor (7 generations)

Born: 1707

from Geni  https://www.geni.com/people/Pablo-Sweeney/6000000001274124448?through=6000000008869311227
Pablo Sweeney is your 12th cousin twice removed.
You  → Manuel C. Franco (your father) → Valentina Chavarría (his mother) → Rita Leyva Ramirez (her mother) → Luis Lugo Caballero Ramirez (her father) → Dorotéa Ramírez (Lugo) (his mother) → Mariana Lugo (Caballero) (her mother) → Marcelino Caballero de Los Olivos (her father) → Capitán Lucas Caballero de los Olivos (his father) → Margarita Sosa Faría (his mother) → Sebastiana Farias Treviño de Quintanilla (her mother) → María Isabel de Treviño y Quintanilla de Farias (her mother) → Capt. José Diego de Tremiño de Alcozer (her father; my 10th great grandfather)

→ María Ana Temiño de Velasco Bañuelos Alcocer (his sister)
→ Mariana Pacho Temiño de Velasco y Bañuelos (Temio de Velasco), Fundadora de Santa María de los Lagos en 1563 (her daughter)
→ Sancho de Padilla Dávila y Temiño de Velasco (her son)
→ Mariana de Padilla-Dávila y de Medina (his daughter)
→ Diego Reynoso y Padilla Davila (de Reynoso y Padilla-Dávila) (her son)
→ Mariana Mauricia Reynoso y Renteria (his daughter)
→ Alexandro Sánchez de Porras Reynoso (her son)
→ Florentino Sanches Caro (his son)
→ Dominga Sanches Osuña (his daughter)
→ Jesuscita Salcedo de Salcedo (her daughter)
→ Guadalupe Salcedo (her daughter)
→ Luz Macias (her daughter)
→ Bill Perez (her son; my 12th cousin)
→ Patricia Christina Sweeney (his daughter)
→ Pablo Sweeney (her son; my 12th cousin twice removed)

Added Pablo Sweeney to ASF connections on Sept 19, 2024


Last update 9/19/2024 with Pablo Sweeney connection.

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