Showing posts with label parents. Show all posts
Showing posts with label parents. Show all posts

Thursday, April 16, 2026

Xavier Becerra Running for Governor of California, Family Tree by Mary Cummins

xavier becerra, family tree, parents, grandparents, siblings, mexico, mary cummins, genealogist, dna, heritage, ethnicity, ancestry, governor, california



UPDATE: LA Times just released an article which backs up what I've been saying for the last two days. This smear campaign from Steve Hilton is just a bunch of false innuendo and lies. 
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-10-06/becerras-son-of-immigrants-story-emerges-as-latest-flash-point-in-governors-race

Another lie from Team Hilton. They're now saying Becerra's mother came to the US when she was 11 and Becerra said she came when she was 18. My family came from Mexico. People crossed the border many times to visit, shop and work in the US without living in the US. His mother crossed with her mother at age 11. They still lived in Mexico at the time with her grandmother. They cite a genealogist named "Juan." I'm a genealogist named Maria Rivera Cummins and my family is from Mexico. This GOP smear job just makes them look horrible.

Steve Hilton et al are lying about Becerra saying his father came here with $12. Becerra's father was born in Sacramento when his grandfather was working in California as a bracero. His grandfather was not a US citizen and neither were his siblings so the family went back to Mexico where Becerra's father was raised. This was during the Great Depression when Mexican Americans and Americans of Mexican descent were "repatriated" aka illegally deported to Mexico. The US blamed Mexicans, Mexican Americans for the lack of jobs during the Depression which was false. In fact deporting Mexicans made the Depression even worse. Becerra's father came back to the US with $12 in his pocket. Becerra's mother was born in Mexico. This is just a smear campaign by GOP Hilton.

ORIGINAL April 16, 2026: Xavier Becerra's is running for Governor of California. Xavier Becerra was born January 26, 1958 in California. He is an attorney and politician who served as the 25th United States secretary of health and human services until January 2025. As a member of the Democratic Party, Becerra previously served as the attorney general of California from 2017 until 2021.

Xavier Becerra's family is of course from Mexico. His paternal side goes back at least eight generations in Mexico. He is of Spanish and Native Indigenous descent. His maternal side is from Mexico and farther back also from Germany. So far Becerra is 7/8 Mexican and 1/8 German. I haven't been able to go back to Spain yet from the Mexican ancestors. Grandmother Schmidt had three children before she married her husband. I assumed they were the children of a previous husband who died but I haven't yet found that information. I will now just assume the marriage I found was a second marriage for the same spouse. Sometimes people were married more than once to the same person for legal reasons. The marriage I found listed them both as single, not widowed, divorced.

I also did Xavier Becerra's tree on Geneanet. I added him to my tree. No blood relationship. Relationship through marriage. https://gw.geneanet.org/marycummins?lang=en&p=xavier&n=becerra I added him to Geneastar few years ago in 2022 as a famous Mexican American politican https://en.geneastar.org/genealogy/becerraxavi/xavier-becerra I started a huge project many years ago adding Mexican, Spanish, Jewish, African American and women to Geneastar. Geneastar was mainly just the family trees of famous white guys and I felt others needed representation. I speak and read Spanish which is needed to read through very old documents written in old Spanish cursive.

Here is Xavier Becerra's father's obituary.

"Manuel Guerrero Becerra, 91, passed away peacefully at home in Sacramento, CA on January 1, 2020, surrounded by his loving wife Maria Teresa and family. "Hardworking, devoted, humble and true" describes the man his family knew affectionately as Pop. Manuel was born in Sacramento on July 14, 1928, the eldest of eight children to Heliodoro and Otilia Becerra. Raised in the shadow of the Great Depression, long before he became a teenager, Manuel began working to help support his family. His parents moved the family to Tijuana, Mexico while he was a child, where he began to shine shoes or sell fruits picked from his father's farm after school. When he returned to California as a young teenager, living with relatives, he learned schools made little effort to teach an industrious "migrant", but employers were intent on hiring him. For several years, Manuel worked as a farm worker along the spine of Highway 99 and as a railroad worker for Southern Pacific Railroad. In 1953, he married the love of his life, Maria Teresa, whom he met in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and brought to California. They settled in Sacramento where he worked as a cannery worker for Campbell Soup before beginning a decades long career as a road construction worker under the Laborer's union, Local 185 (64 year pensioned member), with Teichert Construction Co. Soon they started their family and bought their tiny first home. A decade later, with four growing children, Manuel dedicated his after-work hours building the family's second home with frequent help from friend and neighbor construction workers. For his 91 years, Manuel was a builder...the home where his children grew up...the fruits and vegetables we eat...the roads and highways we travel...the homes he and Maria Teresa bought, rented and renovated. While never within their reach, he and Maria Teresa worked to see their children enter college and serve in the military. He deeply loved this country though it took its time accepting him. His memory will be proudly and faithfully carried by Maria Teresa, his bride of 67 years; four children: Margie (Manuel) Juarez, Maria Elena (Ray) Becerra Rivera, Xavier (Carolina), and Teresa (Roy Fessenden) Tulp; ten grandchildren: Christy, Steven, Eric, Michael, Adrienne, Adam, Anelisa, Clarisa, Olivia, and Natalia; and three great-grandchildren: Olivia, Lily and Gabriel. He is survived by siblings Alfredo (Mercedes), Heliodoro (Velia), and Gloria, and a loving extended family. Manuel was preceded in death by his parents Heliodoro and Otilia, his siblings Angel, Dolores (Max) Hernandez, Consuelo (Miguel) Gomez, and Jose (Elena). From an early age, Manuel learned to rise with the sun. As the sun set on the first day of 2020, the angels took our beloved Manuel to his lasting home in heaven where he is no doubt, tools in hand, building. He is forever loved, and we will always build in his honor. Private services will be held for Manuel in Sacramento. "

Obituary of paternal grandfather.

BECERRA, HELIODORO C. In Sacramento, November 18, 1991. Dearly beloved husband of Otilia Becerra. Beloved father of Manuel, Alfredo, Angel, Joe, Gloria and Heliodoro Becerra Jr., Consuelo B. Gomez and the late Dolores B. Hernandez. Loving brother of Jose Becerra and Dionicia Aguilar. Survived by 19 grandchildren, 20 great grandchildren and 3 great great grandchildren. A native of Mexico, aged 91 years. A member of Laborers Local #185. Friends are invited to attend the funeral 9 A.M. Friday from the GEORGE L. KLUMPP CHAPEL OF FLOWERS, Riverside Blvd and 2nd Ave. thence to Our Lady of Guadalupe Church where a Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 9:30 A.M. Interment, St. Mary's Cemetery. Rosary 7 P.M. Thursday KLUMPP'S CHAPEL. The Sacramento Bee, Nov. 20, 1991. Transcription by Mary Cummins.

Obituary of paternal grandmother.

BECERRA, OTILIA G. Entered into rest on December 19, 2001. Born December 13, 1905 in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. Devoted mother of Manuel, Alfredo, Angel, Dolores, Jose, Consuelo, Heliodoro and Gloria. Loving grandmother of 20, great grandmother of 37 and great great grandmother of 12. She was much loved by all. She will be buried next to her late husband Heliodoro C. Becerra for 70 years in St. Mary's Cemetery. A rosary will be recited Friday (today) at 7:00 PM in the LAND PARK CHAPEL OF HARRY NAUMAN & SON, 4041 Freeport blvd and a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday (tomorrow) at 10:00 AM in Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, 711 “T” Street, Sacramento. Transcription by Mary Cummins.

Parents, grandparents, dna, ethnicity, ancestry, heritage, children, siblings, mexico, germany



Genealogist at Geneanet and Geneastar
https://en.geneanet.org/profil/marycummins
 Mary Cummins Investigative Reporter
https://marycumminsrealestatemarycummins.blogspot.com
 Mary Cummins Real Estate Appraiser
http://www.marycummins.com
 Mary Cummins
http://www.mary.cc
 Mary Cummins Biography, History in Wikipedia format
http://wikipedia.marycummins.com/
 Mary Cummins on LinkedIn 

Monday, July 28, 2025

Wallis Annenberg Family Tree, Ancestry, Ethnicity, Heritage, DNA, Jewish by Mary Cummins


Philanthropist and animal lover Wallis Annenberg passed away this morning. She is survived by her four children, Lauren Bon, Charles Weingarten, Roger Weingarten, Gregory Weingarten, and five grandchildren, Dorian, Maya, Lily. I did the tree of her father many years ago for Geneastar. Her parents were Walter Annenberg and his first wife, Bernice Veronica Dunkelman. She had a brother named Roger who predeceased her. Her ancestors are from Russian, Poland, Romania and Belarus. Link to that tree below. Wallis Huberta Annenberg 1939-2025. #wallisannenberg #familytree #ancestry #DNA #ethnicity #jewish #heritage #marycummins

https://en.geneastar.org/genealogy/annenbergwa/wallis-annenberg

wallis annenberg, wallis huberta annenberg, family tree, dna, genealogy, mary cummins, ancestry, ethinicity, jewish, heritage, annenberg foundation, los angeles, california




Genealogist at Geneanet and Geneastar
https://en.geneanet.org/profil/marycummins
 Mary Cummins Investigative Reporter
https://marycumminsrealestatemarycummins.blogspot.com
 Mary Cummins Real Estate Appraiser
http://www.marycummins.com
 Mary Cummins
http://www.mary.cc
 Mary Cummins Biography, History in Wikipedia format
http://wikipedia.marycummins.com/
 Mary Cummins on LinkedIn 

Sunday, June 16, 2024

Rosa McCauley Parks Ancestry, Family Tree, Ethnicity, DNA, Heritage by Mary Cummins, Genealogist

rosa parks, rosa mccauley parks, rosa mccauley, mary cummins, genealogist, ancestry, dna, ethnicity, heritage, african american, scottish, native american,indian, family tree

rosa parks, rosa mccauley parks, rosa mccauley, mary cummins, genealogist, ancestry, dna, ethnicity, heritage, african american, scottish, native american,indian, family tree

I researched Rosa McCauley Parks' family tree originally in 2010. I later uploaded it to Geneastar around the same time. Geneastar is a genealogy database of over 18,000 famous and historical people. Recently I was asked to do a presentation for The Rosa Parks Museum and Library with Rose McCauley Hampton who is the first cousin once removed of Rosa Parks. Hampton is generously donating historical items to The Rosa Parks Museum. I've since added to data base. Click any image to see larger.

Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005) was an "American activist in the civil rights movement, best known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott. The United States Congress has honored her as "the first lady of civil rights" and "the mother of the freedom movement"."

Rosa Parks was born Rosa Louise McCauley in Tuskegee, Alabama, on February 4, 1913, to Leona (née Edwards), a teacher, and James McCauley, a carpenter. In addition to African ancestry, one of Parks's great-grandfathers was Scots-Irish, and one of her great-grandmothers was part–Native American. Rosa Parks is African American, Native American, Scottish, Irish and English. 

Paternal

Rosa Parks' father James McCauley from Library of Congress


Rosa Parks' grandfather Anderson McCauley from Library of Congress

Parks father was James McCauley 1886-1962 born in Alabama. "James McCauley was born in Abbeville, Alabama, the eldest son of Anderson and Louisa McCauley. He became a skilled carpenter and stonemason like his father. James met schoolteacher Leona Edwards while visiting his sister Addie in Pine Level, Alabama. They married on April 12, 1912, at Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church in Pine Level."

Paternal grandfather was Anderson McCauley 1850-1917. "Anderson McCauley was born in Georgia, the son of Ghiogee, a Creek Indian, and Charles McCauley, a soldier of Irish and Cherokee descent. Around 1884 he moved to Abbeville, Alabama, and ultimately acquired more than 500 acres. Anderson and his wife Louisa became parents of seventeen children. He worked with his sons building houses across Alabama’s Black Belt region."

Paternal grandmother was Louisa "Lou" Collins 1850-1941. "Louisa Collins was born in Georgia, the daughter of a mixed-race slave. She married Anderson McCauley, another mixed-race Georgian. Ten of their seventeen children survived to adulthood. All ten were literate. The eldest was Addie (b. 1884) and the youngest was George Gaines McCauley (b. 1904). Rosa lived with her grandparents as a toddler."

Maternal

Rosa Parks' mother Leona Edwards from Library of Congress



Parks mother was Leona Edwards 1888-1979 born in Alabama. "Leona Edwards was born in Pine Level, Alabama, the youngest of Sylvester and Rose Edwards’s three daughters. She attended Payne University in Selma but did not earn a degree. Leona became a dedicated rural school teacher, and her meager salary was the main source of the family’s income. She instilled in Rosa the importance of faith, self-respect, and education—values reinforced by her grandparents and the teachers at Miss White’s School, a school that Rosa would attend at age eleven."

Rosa Parks family bible maternal



Maternal grandparents were Sylvestor Edwards 1858-1923 and Rosena Percival 1859-1929. "This Bible register partially charts Rosa’s maternal lineage. Accordingly, her great grandfather James Percival, an indentured servant of Scots-Irish descent, married Mary Jane Nobles, an enslaved African. Their daughter Rose married Sylvester Edwards, the son of white planter John Edwards and his enslaved housekeeper and seamstress. They had three daughters: Fannie, Bessie, and Leona Edwards, Rosa’s mother."

Rosena Percival maternal grandmother

Sylvester Edwards maternal grandfather



Rosa Parks' brother Sylvester James McCauley from Library of Congress



Rosa's brother was Sylvester James McCauley. "Sylvester James McCauley, Rosa’s only sibling, was born on August 20, 1915, in Pine Level, Alabama. When their mother became seriously ill, Sylvester left school to help support the family. During World War II he served in the Army in the European and the Pacific theaters. While on leave he met his wife, Daisy, at a restaurant in South Carolina. After the war they moved to Detroit and reared thirteen children. Sylvester worked for the Chrysler Motor Company and did carpentry jobs on the side."


Genealogy of Rosa McCauley Parks

Rosa Parks has a diverse genealogical ancestry. On her father's side her ancestors came from Scotland, Ireland, Native America and Africa. On her mother's side her ancestors came from Africa and most likely other nations. Sadly the records for those of African ancestry don't exist with any certainty past the fourth or fifth ancestral generations born in America because of slavery. People stolen from Africa and brought to the Americas were given different names. The slave trader gave them one name generally a first name only. The slave buyer/owner then gave them another name sometimes adding the last name of the slave owner. When the slaves were finally freed they sometimes gave themselves a new first and last name. Soon after emancipation many ex-slaves used the last names of Presidents such as Washington, Jefferson even if that wasn't their previous name. This makes it difficult to do genealogical research based on written documents. Native American records don't exist with certainty for the same reasons and more in this case. In this case the ancestors were African and Native American slaves/servants and indentured Scottish/Irish servants. DNA records would be valuable to ascertain a more reliable ancestral lineage for those parts of the family.

There are at least reliable records from the paternal McCauley line. The McCauley lineage hails from Scotland and Ireland. Park's McCauley family first came to the US in the mid 1600's in North Carolina. They ultimately became involved in agriculture and land sales. They had slaves and paid servants. As was sadly common with slave owners some had children with their slaves and servants. This is why most African Americans today are of mixed heritage. 

If you look at the underlying genealogical records you will notice a few things. Names are generally misspelled. This is because the census and record takers wrote them phonetically based on how they sounded to their ear. There is also a wide variance in the census records as to race/color. For instance one person is listed as "black" in one census, "mulatto" in another" and "white" in yet another. There are also differences in places of birth, dates of birth. The census taker generally asked whoever was at home for the information. It could have been a young adult who did not know all of the information. As long as basic name, age, place of birth, family members match, it is the same person. This is why one needs multiple documents to try to confirm identity.

Famous distant relatives

I added Rosa Parks to famous people genealogy website Geneastar as part of my initiative to add African Americans, Mexicans, Latinos, Jewish people, women and others who are vastly underrepresented in the famous family tree database. I went a step further and linked Rosa Park's tree to other famous people in history. Every time I add an important person in history I try to find the route so we can all see our relationship to the person. There are many others in Geneanet working to connect famous people. Special thanks to Timothy Dowling who is one of the best and has helped me tremendously.

King Charles is a 14th cousin of Rosa Louise McCauley via King James V of Scotland.

Link to relationship


President George Washington is a 12th cousin of an ancestor of the 6th generation  (12th cousin 6 times removed) of Rosa Louise McCauley.


President Thomas Jefferson is a 10th cousin of an ancestor of the 8th generation of Rosa Louise McCauley. 


President Abraham Lincoln is a 15th cousin of an ancestor of the 5th generation of Rosa Louise McCauley.


President Barack Obama is a son of a 15th cousin of Rosa Louise McCauley


and not so famous Mary Cummins is a granddaughter of a 18th cousin of Rosa Louise McCauley. 

We are all related. It's just a technical matter of figuring out the route to someone's family tree to determine the degree of relatedness. As Kahlil Gibran stated, "Every man is the descendant of every king and every slave that ever lived."  

References

I made these trees and resources public to further public education about Rosa Parks. They include newspaper articles, photos, census records, birth certificates, death certificates and more. You can use them to figure out your relationship to Rosa Parks.



All data is based on best research practices. Data cannot be guaranteed due to the nature of genealogical records, lack of DNA data and human nature. I'm using Wikipedia and Library of Congress images because they aren't copyrighted.

_____________________

Genealogist at Geneanet and Geneastar
https://en.geneanet.org/profil/marycummins
 Mary Cummins Investigative Reporter
https://marycumminsrealestatemarycummins.blogspot.com
 Mary Cummins Real Estate Appraiser
http://www.marycummins.com
 Mary Cummins
http://www.mary.cc
 Mary Cummins Biography, History in Wikipedia format
http://wikipedia.marycummins.com/
 Mary Cummins on LinkedIn 

Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Governor Greg Abbott's wife Cecilia Phalen Abbott family tree, Mexican Ancestors by Mary Cummins

Governor Greg Abbott,Gregory Wayne Abbott, wife, spouse, Cecilia Phalen, Cecilia Therese Phalen, family,ancestry,heritage, dna, ethnicity, mexican, mexico, immigrant, mary cummins, genealogist, family tree, pedigree, mother, father, siblings, children, hispanic, first lady, segura, rodriguez, calnan
Governor Greg Abbott,Gregory Wayne Abbott, wife, spouse, Cecilia Phalen, Cecilia Therese Phalen, family,ancestry,heritage, dna, ethnicity, mexican, mexico, immigrant, mary cummins, genealogist, family tree, pedigree, mother, father, siblings, children, hispanic, first lady, segura, rodriguez, calnan

Cecilia T Phalen Abbott is the wife of Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Gregory Wayne Abbott. I did his family tree for Geneastar years ago. Governor Greg Abbott's ancestors are immigrants just like Cecilia Phalen's ancestors. Always amazing when descendants of immigrants hate other immigrants. They want to deny them the rights which they themselves had and used to come to this country to flee oppression and have a better life. It's more upsetting in this case as Cecilia's mother speaks in Spanish in a political ad telling Latinos that Abbott is a "family man" and a "man of faith" who cares about "our values" when that is not the case.

* This article does not include full birth dates of living people. Only the year is included in order to differentiate among people with similar names. All photos are copyright free and used for education. 

Cecilia was born in 1959 in Texas. Her parents were teachers William Joseph Phalen born 1933 in Michigan and Maria de la Luz "Mary Lucy" Segura born 1934 in Texas and died November 7, 2020. Cecilia's paternal side is from England, Ireland and Maternal is from Mexico. Mary Lucy Segura Phalen's obituary is below.

"Mary Lucy Phalen (nee Maria de la Luz Segura) went to meet our Heavenly Father on November 7, 2020 after a brief illness. She passed peacefully surrounded by family who prayed and sang at her bedside.

She was the youngest daughter of Agustin and Leonor Segura who emigrated from Mexico to Texas at the turn of the 20th century. She was raised with strong Catholic values that emphasized faith, family and a generosity of spirit. She attended St. Henry's elementary and high school and graduated Salutatorian. She earned her Bachelor's degree from Our Lady of the Lake College.

She became a teacher, which was truly a vocation for her. She taught at various Catholic schools including St. Martin's Hall, St. Paul's and St. Anthony's. She also taught in the SAISD for 30 years at schools, including Horace Mann and Longfellow. She loved teaching and always referred to her students as "my children".

After she retired, she tutored neighborhood children who could not attend school due to illness or who needed extra help. This was her joy! She also volunteered her teaching services at Our Lady of the Atonement when they were in transition and were in desperate need of good teachers.

Her most fateful teaching assignment was when she was asked to fill in at St. Henry's in 1956 after the sudden and tragic death of one of their nuns. There, Mary Lucy met Bill Phalen, a fellow teacher who shared her same strong Catholic values. They married on December 28, 1957 and had four children: Joseph, Cecilia, Norbert and Letitia. She was very proud of her children and because of her ongoing emphasis on education, her children went on to earn college degrees, including post-graduate degrees.

She adored her son-in-law and daughters-in-law as if they were her own children and would do anything for them. She became somewhat of a celebrity when she starred in the "Madrina" commercials during the gubernatorial campaign for her son-in-law, Greg Abbott. This commercial ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epeGzWXUYgE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqONQ7ErAsY English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouPDw4pWOBA ) proved to be effective with gaining the Hispanic vote. She was so proud that her daughter, Cecilia, became the first Hispanic First Lady of Texas. Sadly, during this victorious time, she lost her son, Norbert, to cancer.

She loved music. She had a beautiful singing voice and played both the piano and organ. She shared her gift of song at various weddings and funerals. Anyone planning these important family events always knew they could count on both Lucy and Bill to organize the music.

Her house was always your house! The Phalen home became a hub for many celebrations, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, rehearsal dinners and wedding receptions, to name a few. Extended family and friends knew they were always welcome!

She was an excellent cook and she had some iconic items like her famous fruit salad that could not be replicated. Music was always a big part of the Phalen experience so everyone was encouraged to sing Christmas Carols in harmony.

If anyone needed a place to stay for the holidays or if they were in between places in life, her door was open and they were treated as family. If anyone needed help and approached her, they would not be left out in the cold. This included stray animals. Mary Lucy exemplified her name, Maria de la Luz, meaning Mary of the light!

She is survived by her husband of nearly 63 years, William (Bill) Phalen, her son and daughter-in-law, Joseph and Yvette Phalen, daughter, First Lady Cecilia and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, daughter-in-law, Rosie Torres Phalen (the late Norbert Phalen) and daughter, Letitia Phalen MD. She is also survived by her grandchildren James and Natalie Phalen (Joseph and Yvette), Joshua Rocha, Clarissa, Erica, Olivia and Samuel Phalen (the late Norbert Phalen and Rosie Torres Phalen) and Audrey Abbott (Cecilia and Greg Abbott). Surviving great-grandchildren including Roman and Monique Rocha, as well as Charizma and Sebastian Boone.

She was preceded in death by her beloved son, Norbert Phalen, as well as her parents, Agustin and Leonor Segura, siblings, Agustin and Jose Segura and Nina Barner."

Maternal Family

Cecilia's great grandfather was Jose Augustino Segura born in Mexico 1900 and died 1955 in Texas. He was a janitor.  Her great grandmother was Leonor Rodriguez born in Mexico 1902 and died 1997 in Texas. All older ancestors on maternal side born in Mexico.

Paternal Family

Cecilia's paternal family is from England, Ireland, France and Scotland. 

Genealogist at Geneanet and Geneastar
https://en.geneanet.org/profil/marycummins
 Mary Cummins Investigative Reporter
https://marycumminsrealestatemarycummins.blogspot.com
 Mary Cummins Real Estate Appraiser
http://www.marycummins.com
 Mary Cummins
http://www.mary.cc
 Mary Cummins Biography, History in Wikipedia format
http://wikipedia.marycummins.com/
 Mary Cummins on LinkedIn 

Saturday, November 26, 2022

Nick Fuentes, Nicholas Joseph Fuentes Family Tree, Mexican Italian by Mary Cummins Genealogist

nick fuentes, nicholas fuentes, nicholas joseph fuentes, family, family tree, dna, ancestry, ethnicity, heritage, genealogy, mother, father, sister, twin, italy, mexico,1998, illinois, white supremacist, mary cummins, genealogist, los angeles, california, mexican, italian,irish, parents, grandparents, william fuentes, lauren chicco, white supremacist, racist, catholic
nick fuentes, nicholas fuentes, nicholas joseph fuentes, family, family tree, dna, ancestry, ethnicity, heritage, genealogy, mother, father, sister, twin, italy, mexico,1998, illinois, white supremacist, mary cummins, genealogist, los angeles, california, mexican, italian,irish, parents, grandparents, william fuentes, lauren chicco, white supremacist, racist, catholic





Nick Fuentes, Nicholas Joseph Fuentes, was born 1998 in Illinois. No exact birth dates of living people will be shared here. This is a genealogy article. Birth years are needed to distinguish from other people with the same name. Nick's birth year is public information which is also available on Wikipedia. The fractions above are based on the family tree alone.

Nick Fuentes, Nicholas Fuentes, is an alleged White Supremacist who leads the Groyper movement. This is pretty odd considering the fact that he's Catholic, Mexican, Italian, Irish and descendant of somewhat recent immigrants, everything which White Supremacists generally hate. His paternal side is Mexican, Irish and maternal side is Italian. He's named after his Mexican grandfather. His paternal side born in Mexico and Ireland. His maternal great grandparents were all born in Italy. I'm still working on the paternal side. I just started an hour or so ago.

As I look at the rest of his family it's pretty happily mixed. They are married to Latinos, Greeks and Italians. They are proud of their family heritage. Shocking that Nick Fuentes is a white supremacist when he would not be considered "white Caucasian" per his white supremacist peers. Non white, white supremacists are always very confused.

Nick went to Lyons Township High School in La Grange, Illinois, USA 2012-2016 where he grew up. In 2014 he and his twin sister's high school speech team won first place. His father William Fuentes is an engineer. There's already been enough written about the father and his businesses. His father removed his name from his business websites and tried to remove himself from the internet because of Nick Fuentes' horrible behavior. His mother is Lauren Chicco Fuentes. He has a fraternal twin sister is a national speech champion from Bradley University. They are fraternal which means they don't look alike. That is why he's lighter than her. He looks more like his paternal grandmother who is Irish.

Nick's maternal grandparents were Martin Chicco and Marlene Cairo. Below is Martin's obituary.

"CHICCO Martin Chicco, loving husband of Marlene, nee Cairo; dear father of Lauren and Joseph; dearest son of Rosetta and the late Paul and stepson of Frank. Funeral Saturday, 8:30 a. m., from the Galewood Funeral Chapel, 1B57 N. Harlem Av., to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, Melrose Park. Mass 9:30 a. m. Interment Queen of Heaven Cemetery. Visitation Thursday after 6 p. m. Please omit flowers. 889-1700."

Below is Marlene's obituary.

"Marlene Chicco, September 26, 1932 - May 19, 2021. Marlene Chicco, nee Cairo, at rest May 19, 2021. She died as she lived, demonstrating astonishing strength, tremendous courage and unwavering faith.   She is preceded in death by her husband Martin, her beloved son Joseph, her parents Mary and Joseph,  and her brothers Pasquale, Anthony, Dominick and James. She is succeeded by her adoring daughter Lauren (Fuentes), her cherished grandchildren Melissa and Nicholas, and her son in law and dear friend, Bill Fuentes. Marlene’s life was a successful but difficult journey; accomplished in business, in creating a home for all who needed one, and her priority of service and dedication to her God and her family. Her life was an example of unconditional love, forgiveness and grace. Funeral Wednesday, June 9, 2021 with Visitation from 9:30 a.m. until time of funeral mass at 10:00 a.m. at St. Louise de Marillac Church, 1155 Harrison, La Grange Park. Those planning to attend church need to sign up through the following link. Interment private at Queen of Heaven Cemetery for family only." 

I will post the paternal info when I can confirm it. So far it's .The paternal grandparents are Joseph J Fuentes Sr who is dead and Joan "Joni" Bridget King Fuentes Gall who is alive. She is of Irish descent. She remarried Thomas Gall who is dead. I've gone one more generation back in the entire tree and filled in some names. I'll update the tree above later. 

Paternal grandfather Joseph J Fuentes obituary. He worked for the fire department.

"Joseph J. Fuentes. suddenly, loving husband of Joan ., nee King; dear father of Joseph J. Jr., William and Christopher; fond brother of five sisters and three brothers. Funeral Thursday, Aug. 17, at 8:45 a. m., from Ahern Funeral Heme, 1110 Madison St., Oak Park, to St. Angela Church. Mass of the Resurrection at 9:30 a. m. Interment Queen of Heaven. Visitation after 5 p. m. Tuesday. EU 3-5700 or KE 3-2394."

Below is a photo of Joseph's brother Simon Fuentes Jr who died recently. Joseph probably looked like this because they were born about the same time. His father Simon Fuentes Sr was born in Mexico and did labor for the freight trains.


Paternal great grandfather is Patrick Francis King. Obituary. "King. Patrick F. King, suddenly, loving husband of Mary Sexton, nee Galvin; dear father of Marilyn Neilsen, Patricia Fischer, Margaret Sunich, Rita Serafin, Martin Sexton, Joan Fuentes, William, Kevin, James, and Patrick J. Jr.; grandfather of 27; dear brother of Catharine Tonne, and Eugene and James King. Funeral Monday, May 19, at 10:15 a. m. from Ahern Funeral Home, 1110 Madison street, Oak Park, to St. Joseph church, Addison, Illinois. Requiem mass 11 a. m. Interment Mount Carmel. Please omit flowers."

Paternal great grandmother is Mary Galvin King. Obituary. "KING Mary M King, nee Galvin, 89, of Lombard. beloved wife of the late Martin L Sexton and Patrick F King Sr., loving mother of Marilyn (Conrad) Neilsen. Margaret (Jim) Sunich, Rita (John) Serafini. Martin L. Sexton, Joan (the late Joe Fuentes and Thomas Gall) Gall, William P. (Christine) King, Kevin P., James P , Patrick F. Jr (Susan) King and the late Patricia (George) Fisher, dear grandmother of 31, great grandmother of 48, fond sister o the late Jim (Mary) Galvin, dear aunt of many nieces and nephews. Funeral Saturday, 9: 15 a m from Steuerle Funeral Home, 350 S Ardmore Ave , Villa Park to St Joseph Chuch, Mass 10 am Internment Mount Carmel cemetery visitation Friday, 2 to 9 pm For info 630 812-4161"

So far Nick seems to be the odd man out in the family. The rest seem normal and are not white supremacists as far as I can tell. Please, don't attack the family just because they're related. White supremacy and white supremacists are the evil not Nick's relatives. Attacking his relatives just makes you a dick.

Donald Trump had dinner with Kanye West and Nick Fuentes in Mar-a-lago, Florida. 

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 Mary Cummins Biography, History in Wikipedia format
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Saturday, August 6, 2022

James Franco Latino Actor Ancestry Genealogy Ethnicity DNA by Mary Cummins genealogist

James Franco, James Edward Franco, actor, family tree, ancestry, genealogy, heritage, ethnicity, dna, parents, mother, father, brother, grandparents, portuguese, latino, portugal, jewish, russian, swedish, douglas franco, betsey verne, daniel franco, marjorie peterson, daniel verne, verovitz, marjorie levine, fidel castro, cuban


UPDATE: 08/13/2022 Bill Maher talks about ridiculous John Leguizamo. He noted that "John played a Venetian, a little person and a fictional Italian plumber." He also played a drag queen. Good quotes, "Can trans actors only play trans actors because that's not gonna be a good deal for them." "A black George Washington in Hamilton" (black playing white) which we all know was very successful. "All gay actors would have to out themselves (and only play gay roles.)" "This is not progress. This is the opposite. This is regression." He said "Steven Spielberg redid Westside Story and bent over backwards to respect ethnicities and pleased nobody." "Westside story was originally made by three gay Jews." The author was also Jewish who wrote about Puerto Ricans. Should the Jewish author have stayed in his lane and only written about Jews? My fear is directors, producers, investors will see these outraged "woke" Latinos telling people to boycott films because not everyone involved passed the DNA, ancestry and look test and not want to make any Latino, Black, Asian, Gay ... films. People argued about colorism and microethnicities in Westside Story. "Where are the darker Latinos, Afro Latinos, she got the role because she's lighter..." These outraged Latinos are shooting themselves in the foot. I wouldn't blame producers for intentionally not wanting to make any Latino films. He summed it up by saying "get rid of the prejudice but keep the roles." https://www.tmz.com/2022/08/13/bill-maher-real-time-appropriation-hollywood-actors/

Leguisamo has a Colombian tomi tattoo on his arm from the chibcha. Was he a member of that tribe? No. His indigenous relative was from the 1600's and worked with the Spaniards to control Colombia against the other indigenous people. Colombia was part of Spain with Bogota as the capital where Leguisamo's family had lived for years. Colombia didn't become independent until well after 1821. Leguisamo is descended from one of the early Spanish conquistadors, colonizers of Colombia. He's probably less indigenous than I am. His ancestors conquered and killed indigenous people. He is white. His parents are white. He is the light white Latino taking roles from darker indigenous Latinos that he complains about all the time. Most in Mexico and South America are descended from the Spaniards who conquered those areas. All of us Latinos live with this fact. We're mainly Spanish and not Aztec or Mayan. Leguisamo looks like a white European Spaniard because he is mainly Spanish. So am I. Based on the data in Franco and Leguisamo's trees, I would bet that Franco has more indigenous and other than Leguisamo.

08/11/2022 John Leguizamo is really off now. He posted this on Instagram. He now thinks roles for Spanish, Cuban characters should be given to Latin Americans of mixed race who are not descended from people in Europe. Guess whose ancestors are from Europe? John Leguizamo! So he shouldn't get any roles either. He's since added that white roles should be given to Latinos. So only Latinos can be actors now? I'll be posting his tree next. No need to post his tree. He's mainly Spanish. Finding Your Roots did a show on him. Talk about a hypocrite! He's no Latino! He's as "Latino" as James Franco!

FTR most people in Mexico are mainly European Spanish.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexicans#Population_genetics_&_phenotype The same goes for South America. All you "Latinos" are mainly European Spanish. Mexicans, Colombians, Spaniards all have the same ancestors. We're also all related by language, culture, food, religion... 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_America#Ethnic_demographics This is not a Latino issue but an issue about some people not having the success they want in the entertainment industry demanding movie roles. As I've told my Latino friends and family for years especially since #oscarssowhite, you want a Latino movie with Latinos, go make it. Don't wait around ranting about others not giving you what you want. 

James Leguizamo's ancestry. He lied about being Puerto Rican and Italian. Maybe he lied about being Italian to get the part of the fictional character in Super Mario Bros ;-) Even his father said he lied about being Puerto Rican. This man needs to sit down and shut up.

"Research by the genealogy show Finding Your Roots indicated that Leguizamo does not have Puerto Rican, Italian, and Lebanese ancestry, as he has sometimes stated.His family is Colombian, and a DNA test found that his genetic ancestry includes European (mostly Spanish), along with Indigenous and distant African roots.[1] His paternal grandfather was a wealthy Colombian landowner, and his great-great-grandfather, Higinio Cualla, was Mayor of Bogotá for sixteen years in the late 1800s, and was considered an important modernizer of the city.[1] Leguizamo had always declared that he was Puerto Rican on his father's side, which was one of the reasons he was selected as the Puerto Rican Day Parade Global Ambassador of the Arts,[11] and marched in the parade on June 12, 2011.[12] Going further back in time, it was determined that Leguizamo's maternal lineage includes the 16th-century Spanish conquistador Sebastián de Belalcázar, as well as Jerónimo Betuma, a 17th-century indigenous Colombian of noble birth."

Here's the video from the show where he's told he's Spanish. He knew he was Spanish. Even his father stated they weren't Puerto Rican but Colombian and Spanish. Gates even said Leguizamo was fabilizing about his ancestry and Leguizamo agreed. His true Spanish ancestors melted down the Aztec golden religious items and destroyed their history. His ancestry is anti Latino, anti Indigenous. This is from about January 2022 and aired February 15, 2022. https://www.pbs.org/weta/finding-your-roots/watch/extras/john-leguizamos-lineage-is-traced-back-17-generations

Luguizamo continued. 

"Portuguese are not Latin nor are Spaniards they are white peoples from Europe! Latin people are from Latin America and the 90% r of us of mixed race! And That is why we are discriminated against!" Leguizamo is the white European he's whining about.

He went on to say, “I don’t got a prob with Franco but he ain’t Latino!” he wrote on social media.
On Saturday, Leguizamo posted a video to Instagram clarifying his comments.Stressing again that he had “no problems with James Franco”, he said: “I grew up in an era where Latin people couldn’t play Latin people on film. Where Charlton Heston played a Mexican, where Eli Wallach played Mexican, where Pacino played Cuban and Puerto Rican. Where Ben Affleck, even, in Argo, played a Latin guy and Marisa Tomei played Latin women.

“We couldn’t play our own roles. There was brown face, people painting themselves to look Latin in West Side Story, Eli Wallach in The Magnificent Seven. That’s the era I grew up in. The era where they tell you to change your names, stay out of the sun, that only white-passing Latinos would get jobs.”Explaining how he’d heard the excuse that there was “no Latin actor who can carry” big films, Leguizamo continued: “Yeah, because you’re never given the opportunity to play anything that had worthy value… Appropriating our stories? No more of that. I’m done with that.
“I’ve been told so many times, ‘you can’t have two Latin people in a movie’. That’s what goes on in this industry.”

Captioning the video, Leguizamo wrote: “Latin exclusion in Hollywood is real! Don’t get it twisted! Long long history of it! And appropriation of our stories even longer!y can’t Latinxers play Latin roles? Why can’t we play lead roles? Why can’t they flip white roles to Latin guys and gals?” 

Here is the video. It's just a rant. Maybe he should make Latino movies and hire Latinos instead of just ranting. You can't just demand that other people make shows about you, for you and hire you for the roles. John has even played white people and Italians. He's a white passing Latino. Using his logic why didn't he give those roles to white people and Italians? https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg-BFjyJnVx/

Clearly John Luguizamo is just ranting about his own treatment of Latinos in the past. It has nothing to do with this movie or role. This movie is like 99% Latino and he's attacking it. This would be a good reason for people not to do movies about or with Latinos. Damned if you do. Damned if you don't. Luguizamo is hurting his own cause. I now think he wanted the role or something.

John Leguizamo the mainly Spanish actor's family tree. I did this in an hour so it's not complete.

John Leguizamo family tree, John Alberto Leguizamo family tree,mother, father,brother, sister, spain, puerto rico,italian, mary cummins, genealogist, actor, basque, 



ORIGINAL: Recently there was a dust up by Latino actor John Leguizamo who said James Franco should not play Cuban Fidel Castro because Franco is not Latino. Leguizamo said only Latinos should play Latinos. One of the producers responded,

"The producer on the upcoming film Alina of Cuba, John Martinez O’Felan, has responded to the recent controversy regarding the casting of James Franco as Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro. In a statement provided to The Hollywood Reporter, O’Felan labeled the comments “culturally uneducated.”

“A guy like John Leguizamo has historically been looked up to by Hispanics as one of America’s earliest actors of Latin descent since the 90s and I’ve always admired him as a fellow underdog," O’Felan admitted. "But his comments are culturally uneducated and a blind attack with zero substance related to this project.”

O’Felan continued: “The reality of the ignorance piece falls within his statement suggesting his personal view on being ‘Latino,’ because a land mass or living area does not determine a person’s blood history or genetics."

O'Felan went on to say that the movie is about Latinos, produced by Latinos, directed by Latinos, has Latino actors, Latino subject matter, Latinos working behind the camera... My comment: Will Leguizamo only be satisfied if every single person involved is 100% Latino with a Latino name, family tree, DNA test, speaks Spanish as a first language...? We should be happy it's mainly Latino considering all the productions with absolutely no Latinos at all or non-Latinos in Latino character roles. FTR I'm Latino. Family name is Rivera. I probably wouldn't be Latino enough in the eyes of Laguizamo to work on the film even as a volunteer extra, crafts services or gofer.

I see a lot of Latinos commenting saying that "Latino" means someone from Latin America as if that's only North and South America. It's not. Here's a definition of Latin Americans which includes Portuguese. "Latin Americans do not take their nationality as an ethnicity, but identify themselves with a combination of their nationality, ethnicity and their ancestral origins. Aside from the Indigenous Amerindian population, all Latin Americans have some Old World ancestors who arrived since 1492. Latin America has the largest diasporas of Spaniards, Portuguese, Africans, Italians, Lebanese and Japanese in the world."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_Americans If these Latinos are from Mexico, most Mexicans today and their descendants are mainly descended from Spaniards and are not indigenous. Castro's father and ancestors were born in Galicia, Spain right next to Portugal. Galicia and Portugal were once the same country.

James Franco's paternal side "Franco" is Portuguese. The name "Franco" is Spanish and means "free," "free man" or "freedom." The name is found in Spain specifically Galicia, Portugal and Italy. Portuguese can be considered Latino because they speak a Latin language. Spanish and Portuguese are both Latin languages. They used to be the same language  many years ago but the languages diverged. Spain and Portugal have been closely tied for a long time because they were once the same country. They are now right next to each other. Portugal and Spain both had colonies in South America. Portuguese later immigrated to North America and had early settlements. Portuguese were previously considered Hispanics in the US census even though they didn't speak Spanish. I don't have a problem recognizing Franco as a Latino. Plus, we're talking about an acting character. I think he'd make a great Fidel. 

I did Fidel's tree. Link and image is at bottom of this post. Fidel Castro's family is from Galicia, Spain which borders Portugal. Portugal used to be part of what is now Galicia, Spain. Galicia had it's own language similar to Spanish but more similar to Portuguese called Galicia-Portuguese. They diverged when Portugal became independent from Galicia. Franco is probably related to Castro. Maybe that's why they look similar. Who the hell is anyone to say Franco can't play Castro because of a few people's definition or understanding of the word "Latino?"

Franco's family is from Madeira Island, Portugal. The original inhabitants in the 1400's were Portuguese who were descended mainly from Spaniards at that time. Spain ruled the island for many years. It's name "madeira" means "wood" or heavily forested as in "madera" which is Spanish for wood. If Franco were to post his DNA, you would see Spain and Portugal just like me. I can't find any Portuguese in my tree but my Mexican side of the family originally came from Galicia, Spain. Castro's daughter should also post her DNA report which I'm sure would be very similar to Francos. 

Recently someone stated an unknown Latino should play Castro instead of Franco. If people want the movie to be seen, they need a bigger well known actor as a draw. You can't get financing, other actors, viewers, producers, directors...without a bigger name involved. Would they rather have a movie with 100% DNA certified Latino cast that no one watches or a 99% Latino cast that many people watch which gets awards and shares the Latino story? And this is why Hollywood is hesitant to hire some Latinos. Who would hire any if they will receive this type of treatment. This is beyond wokeness. It's shoot yourself in the foot craziness. It makes me think that Leguizamo made this stink because he's jealous and wanted the part. 

James Franco, James Edward Franco is an actor born in 1978 in California. James Franco is 1/4 Portuguese and 1/4 Swedish on his paternal side and 1/2 Russian Jewish from his maternal side. His parents are Douglas Franco 1948-2011 and Betsey Lou Verne 1947. His paternal grandparents were Daniel Franco 1925-1993 of Portuguese descent and Marjorie Jane Peterson 1926-2018 of Swedish descent. His paternal great grandparents were Daniel Franco born in Portugal 1886-1961, Eugenia Baptista born in Portugal 1891-1979, Claus Peterson 1898-1988 and Martha Louis Rehn 1898-1965 from Sweden. 

James Franco's maternal grandparents were Daniel Verne 1921-1996 and Marjorie Levine 1922-2016. His maternal great grandparents were Carrol Verovitz 1891-1956 of Russian descent, Bessie Surad 1894-1978 of Russian descent, Judge Manuel Levine born in Russia 1880-1939, and Jessie Bialosky 1886-1972 of Russian descent. 

Biographies, obituaries

Father Douglas Franco's pseudo obituary,

"Doug Franco, father of actor James Franco, died of a heart attack at the age of 63, according to The Daily Post, an independent, locally-owned Palo Alto and Mid-Peninsula paper. James’ mother Betsy Verne Franco, a children’s author, tweeted late last night:

“It is true that my sweet, generous husband passed away. He gave so much to his three sons and me, and to many other people, too.”

The 63-year old Franco worked in Silicon Valley, holding positions at IBM, HP and Xerox. He also founded Secure Box, a company that is developing a shipping container security device.

He was also charitable, starting Orchard International, a nonprofit that has sent $15 millions worth on medical supplies, food and clothing to those in need in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, India, Iraq and the Phillipines. It has also provided aid to Native American and migrant communities in California."

Paternal grandfather Daniel Franco Jr,

"FRANCO Daniel Franco. Jr.. age 68, of Glencoe, beloved husband of Marjorie, nee Peterson; loving father of Douglas (Betsy), Joyce (Glenn) Magnus and Peter John Franco; dear grandfather of Teddy, Tommy and David Franco, Elizabeth and Daniel Magnus; fond brother of Beatrice Hargraves; former principal of Lincoln Elementary School, Oak Park, IL. Interment at Memorial Park Cemetery. In lieu ot flowers contributions to the American Cancer Society appreciated."

Paternal grandmother Marjorie Peterson Franco,

"Marjorie Franco nee Peterson, age 92, of Lincolnwood and formerly of Glencoe, IL. Beloved wife of the late Daniel Franco, Jr. Loving mother of Joyce (Glenn) Magnus, Peter Franco, and the late Douglas (Betsy) Franco. Proud grand- mother of Elizabeth and Daniel (Maggie) Magnus; Ted, Thomas, and David Franco. Dear sister of the late Lucille (the late Vic) Adams and the late Rehn (the late Martha) Peterson. Fond aunt of five nieces and nephews. Interment private Memorial Park Cemetery, Skokie, IL. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to American Cancer Society."

Paternal great grandfather Daniel Franco Sr. He was a decorating painter per the census.

"Franco. Daniel Franco, of 102 Glencoe road, Glencoe, beloved husband of Eugenia: fond father of Mrs. Beatrice Hargraves and Daniel Franco Jr.; five grandchildren. Resting at Robert V. Wilson chapel. Linden avenue at Tower road. Winnetka, after 3 p.m.. Tuesday. Services Wednesday. Oct 25, at 2 p. m. Interment Memorial Park cemetery. HI 6-3436."

Mother Betsy Verne's biography,

"Betsy Verne majored in painting at Stanford, where she met her future husband, a math major who also excelled in painting. (After graduation, Doug Franco, '70, got a master's degree in business from Harvard. He runs a nonprofit agency that helps women and children in Third World countries and a company called Secure Box, which is developing a security device for shipping containers.) In the early years, Betsy Franco juggled jobs that included "answering customer complaints for Ma Bell" and teaching elementary school. "But with three very adorable, rambunctious young sons in the house, I couldn't even set up my paints," she recalls. "I knew that I needed to find something creative to do, or I would wither." So she deliberately tried another form of expression. "I reasoned that writing would be simpler with young children because all I would need was a pencil."

Maternal grandmother Mitzie Levine Verne.

"MITZIE R. VERNE (nee Levine), beloved wife of the late Dr. Daniel Verne. Loving mother of Betsy (Douglas, deceased) Franco, Heidi (Hari Kaur) (Sat Sangat Singh) Khalsa and Michael Verne. Devoted grandmother of Brian and Kevin Verne, James, Tom and Dave Franco and Bandi Chorh Sing Khalsa. Dear sister of the late Bob and Alfred Levine. Services will be held Tuesday, May 3 at 2:30 p.m. at the ANSHE CHESED FAIRMOUNT TEMPLE, 23737 Fairmount Blvd., Beachwood, OH. Interment Mayfield Cemetery. Friends who wish may contribute to the Case Western Reserve University - Asian Studies Program or the Cleveland Museum of Art."

Maternal great grandfather Judge Manuel Levin from the Ohio encyclopedia.

"LEVINE, MANUEL V. (25 May 1881-6 May 1939), lawyer and judge, was born in Vilna, Russia, to David J. and Michelle (Corban) Levine. He immigrated to Cleveland in 1897 and was a star alumnus of the English-language and naturalization classes at HIRAM HOUSE. Levine graduated from Western Reserve University Law School with the LL.B. degree and was admitted to the Ohio bar in June 1902. Appointed assistant police prosecutor and assistant solicitor to NEWTON D. BAKER in May 1903, Levine targeted employment offices that bled foreigners seeking their first jobs of a large portion of their wages. Very much aware of the necessity for immigrants to learn English, he taught evening naturalization and English classes at Hiram House. Levine was elected police judge in 1908, municipal judge in 1911, and common pleas court judge in 1914, with reelection in 1920. In 1923, he became a judge on the Ohio Court of Appeals, twice selected as chief justice. As a judge, Levine displayed understanding, great sympathy, and empathy for those in distress. His philosophy was to place human rights above property rights, and he sought to guard the individual against any unlawful intrusions. Levine seldom hesitated to strike out against social conditions he saw as breeding grounds for CRIME. He instituted the Domestic Relations Bureau in common pleas court, established the state's first probation department, and pioneered court-sponsored domestic conciliation efforts. Levine married Jessie Bialosky in Mar. 1910 and had 3 children, Robt. M., Alfred D., and Mitzi. Levine was buried in the Mayfield Jewish Cemetery."


Fidel Castro tree which I made for Geneastar. 





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Friday, June 10, 2022

Charo, Maria Rosario Pilar Martinez Molina Baeza Cugat Rasten, ancestry, genealogy, ethnicity, by Mary Cummins genealogist

Charo, Maria Rosario Pilar Martinez Molina Baeza Cugat Rasten, birth date, birthday, real, mary cummins, los angeles, california, ancestry, ethnicity, genealogy, spain, parents, grandparents, sister, Xavier Cugat,Luis Martinez Oliva, Carmen Molina Baeza, Carmen Martinez Molina Lesher, Shel Rasten, Knell Rasten,
Charo, Maria Rosario Pilar Martinez Molina Baeza Cugat Rasten, birth date, birthday, real, mary cummins, los angeles, california, ancestry, ethnicity, genealogy, spain, parents, grandparents, sister, Xavier Cugat,Luis Martinez Oliva, Carmen Molina Baeza, Carmen Martinez Molina Lesher, Shel Rasten, Knell Rasten,  @OfficialCharo
 
Charo also known as María Rosario Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza is a Spanish-American actress, singer, comedian, and flamenco guitarist. Charo first came to the US in 1964 at the alleged age of 18 as a singer with Xavier Cugat. "In 1966, she married 65-year-old bandleader Xavier Cugat and became a citizen of the US. In the late 1960s and 1970s, she became an ubiquitous presence on American television, frequently appearing as a guest star on series such as Laugh-In, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. She is known for her uninhibited and exuberant manner, vague age, heavy Spanish accent and the catchphrase "cuchi-cuchi." " 

Charo was most likely born March 1946 (or March 1941) at home at 32 Calle Tiro Alto, Molina de Segura, Murcia, Spain. She later changed her birth date to Jan 1951 in public immigration documents, see below. Her parents were Luis Martinez Oliva 1911-2001 and Carmen Molina Baeza 1911-2000 both born in Spain and died in Beverly Hills, California where Charo has a home. Her sibling is Carmen Martinez Molina Baeza Lesher. *No confidential or private information is shared in this blog. Everything is public and in the public interest as Charo is a public person. Exact birthdays of living people are not included even though they are publicly available.

Charo's paternal grandparents were Jose Martinez and Pilar Oliva and maternal were Angel Molina Laosa (De la Osa, De la Rosa?) and Rosario Baeza Franco. Charo's baptism "middle" names "Rosario" and "Pilar" came from her grandmothers. 
Charo, Maria Rosario Pilar Martinez Molina Baeza Cugat Rasten, birth date, birthday, real, mary cummins, los angeles, california, ancestry, ethnicity, genealogy, spain, parents, grandparents, sister, Xavier Cugat,Luis Martinez Oliva, Carmen Molina Baeza, Carmen Martinez Molina Lesher, Shel Rasten, Knell Rasten,
Charo, Maria Rosario Pilar Martinez Molina Baeza Cugat Rasten, birth date, birthday, real, mary cummins, los angeles, california, ancestry, ethnicity, genealogy, spain, parents, grandparents, sister, Xavier Cugat,Luis Martinez Oliva, Carmen Molina Baeza, Carmen Martinez Molina Lesher, Shel Rasten, Knell Rasten,



Charo's docs stated she was baptized at the church of the district. That could/would have been Inglesia Santa Eulalia, Molina de Segura, Murcia, Spain, photo below.




This comes from interviews with Charo in newspapers.com.Charo stated she attended the "Sagrado Corazon" aka sacred heart "convent." I believe that could be Parroquia del Sagrado Corazon, Calle Juan de Austria, Caridad, 1, 30500 Molina de Segura, Murcia, Spain. She had private lessons in flamenco guitar allegedly at the convent/church/school. Another story is she took the lessons in Madrid around 1964. Charo stated her father was a poor writer, lawyer and her mother came from a wealthy family. Charo stated her father fled Spain to Casablanca, Morocco during the reign of Franco because he wrote books critical of the regime. He was allegedly on a list to be killed. Charo's grandmother paid for her and her sister's schooling at the convent. This could have just been a Catholic school. All churches have convents attached for the nuns to live. I went to a Catholic church school that had a convent for nuns and rectory for priests to live. I'm also Latino family from Mexico and before that Spain. I speak Spanish. I in fact went to Good Shepherd Church in Beverly Hills which Charo attended. 

Charo first married Spanish bandleader and musician Xavier Cugat 1900-1990 August 14, 1966 in Las Vegas, Nevada. She later married Kjell Florentin Raesten / Rasten 1940-2019 a native of Sweden August 11, 1978 in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada three or four months after divorcing Cugat. They had a son Shel Joseph Rasten 1981 in Los Angeles, California who grew up in Hawaii. 

September 12, 1977 Charo submitted papers to be naturalized. At that time she had her parents state that her real birth date was January 1951 and not March 13, 1941. They signed, notarized and filed public affidavits stating the same in Beverly Hills, California where they lived with Charo, see below. The judge approved of the change of birth date in the court. The real birth date is most likely 1946 based on publicly stated age when she first arrived in the US in 1964 (age 17 then 18). Charo later stated she was too young to work in Vegas at the late show so she lied about her age. Many feel the date is 1941 and she lied about being 17 in 1964. 

The two witnesses on her naturalization documents were Jack Eglash a Sahara Hotel orchestra leader and musician 1930-2006. https://lasvegassun.com/news/2006/feb/15/his-music-will-be-missed/ Charo is mentioned in his obituary. The other witness was Michael / Miguel Gemeno a restaurant manager, July 20, 1915-January 2004 born Spain died in Las Vegas, Nevada https://lasvegassun.com/news/2004/jan/07/obituaries-for-jan-7-2004/ . They also signed Charo's sister's documents. 

Per 1964 newspaper articles Cugat whom she called "Cugie" discovered her in Spain while performing "Day of the Iguana." He was trying to replace Abbe Allen his wife, soon to be ex wife, who left his show for her own show. Charo first had to learn Abbe's songs and sexy dance numbers. The sexy character was Cugat's idea for his show. He said she'd also done five movies kind of like a Spanish Bridget Bardot sexpot character. I know she did at least one movie in 1963 in Spain. Cugat said he changed her name to "Charo LaBru" which I see in newspapers. 

I also base her age on the birth date on older directories i.e. March 1946, age of her parents (Mother born 1911 makes her 30, 35 or 40 when Charo was born), age of sister (probably born 1937 or 1948) and the fact that she performed in Madrid in plays in 1961 and 1964 and was in a movie in 1963. In the 1963 movie she is clearly an adult and not 12 years old. The difference between 1946/1941 and 1951 is five to ten years. No one cares. Back in the day women were pressured to always be 29 years old. She looks fantastic and is in great physical shape. Charo's sister Carmen changed her birth from October 4, 1937 to September 1948 at the same time, same place with similar affidavits. Carmen is named after the mother so she is the first born. Oddly enough Carmen has changed her birth date to 1955 in some directories more recently most likely because her husband was born in 1954. 

Charo naturalization affidavit from mother Carmen Molina Baeza

Charo naturalization affidavit from father Luis Martinez Oliva

Charo naturalization affidavit from Charo
She still performs. Catch her at her next show. 

Follow her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/officialcharo/  @OfficialCharo
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxAI7Hb6FSfRoI1TnLZPk6A

References

Various newspaper articles via http://www.newspapers.com 

Public records via http://www.ancestry.com, US public records, naturalization records, public documents, real estate deeds, directories. 

All images are copyright free from Wikipedia and also used via the Fair Use of Copyright Act. 


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 Mary Cummins
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