The Epifanio Peña Family
A Documented Research Report by Bob Wirt
Version 2, December 27th, 2010
Version 2, December 27th, 2010
Epifanio Pena was one of eleven children born to Jesus Pena and Guadalupe Castaneda in southeastern Coahuila. He was baptized April 20, 1871 in San Nicholas Tolentino, in the city of Ramon Arizpe, Coahuila. He married Petra Garcia in 1898, probably in a civil ceremony. She was born October 19, 1883 in Mexico, the daughter of Gregorio Garcia and Josefa Romero (a). The first child of Epifanio and Petra, son Juan, was born in Mexico in 1899, probably shortly before they immigrated to the United States. |
Epifanio and Petra had their Catholic Church wedding in Fort Davis March 6, 1900. They were married by Father Brocardus and their witnesses were Miguel Hernandez and Monica Rodriguez. Soon afterward they settled in the Boquillas-San Vicente area in southeastern Brewster County. In 1900 Epifanio was a laborer according to the census, and in 1910 he was a goat herder. No additional information is available on Epifanio, but Petra and the family moved to Sanderson, Texas in 1918 and many of them lived there until their deaths. Petra died in Sanderson April 26, 1962 and is buried in Santa Rita Cemetery in Sanderson. Epifanio and Petra had 12 children:
1. Son Juan Peña was born in Mexico in 1899. He was living with his parents in the Boquillas-San Vicente area in 1900 and 1910, but no additional information is available on him.
2. Son Higinio Peña was born in Texas January 11, 1900. He was baptized May 20, 1903 in San Vicente by Father Brocardus. His godparents were Marcelino Salas and Natividad Picaso. He probably moved with the family in 1918 to Sanderson, where he worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad water service from 1919 to 1959. He retired early because of poor health. Higinio died of respiratory failure in Brewster County Memorial Hospital on November 13, 1969. He is buried in Santa Rita Cemetery in Sanderson. He married Vicenta Bravo in Sanderson September 23, 1932. She was born July 19, 1909 and died January 2, 1972. She also is buried in Santa Rita Cemetery. They had four children:
A. Son Higinio Peña, Jr. was living in Alpine in November 1969.
B. Daughter Mrs. Sylvestre Silvas (a) was living in Sanderson in November 1969.
C. Daughter Mrs. Ramona Olivares (a) was living in Sanderson in November 1969.
D. Daughter Mrs. David Hernandez, Jr. (a) was living in Casa Grande, Arizona in November 1969.
3. Daughter Paula Peña was born January 25, 1902 in Texas. She was baptized May 30, 1903 in San Vicente by Father Brocardus. Her godparents were Domingo Ontiveras and Leandra Picaso. She probably moved to Sanderson with the family in 1918 and was a resident there until her death in 1955. She died in Fort Stockton Memorial Hospital of Uremia February 26, 1955 and is buried in the Sanderson (not Santa Rita) Cemetery. Her married name was Perez.
4. Son Faustino Peña was born February 15, 1903 in Texas. He was baptized May 28, 1905 in San Vicente by Father Brocardus. His godparents were Miguel Flores and Gomecinda Hinojos. He probably moved to Sanderson with the family in 1918 and died there April 26, 1958. He is buried in Santa Rita Cemetery.
5. Son Reymundo Peña was born March 15, 1904 in San Vicente and was baptized there May 28, 1905 by Father Brocardus. His godparents were Cleofas Natividad and Macaria Sanchez. He eventually settled in Valentine, Texas where he was employed as a yard worker for the Southern Pacific Railroad. He died in Valentine of acute coronary occlusion on September 16, 1964 and is buried in the Valentine Cemetery. He married Flora Sanchez and they had one child:
A. Son Salvador Peña was born in Jeff Davis County August 15, 1935.
6. Son Felipe Peña was born May 1, 1905 in Texas and was baptized May 28, 1905 in San Vicente by Father Brocardus. His godparents were Miguel Flores and Gomecinda Hinojos. He was living with his parents in the Boquillas-San Vicente area in 1910 but not additional information is available on him.
7. Son Clemente Peña was born November 23, 1907 in Brewster County and was baptized April 26, 1908 in San Vicente by Father Brocardus. His godparents were Epifanio Salas and Juliana Leyva. From 1961 to 1972 he was a resident of Andrews, Texas where he worked as a ranch hand. He died of congestive heart failure in Andrews Hospital on May 6, 1972 and is buried in the Andrews Cemetery. His wife’s name was Trine.
8. Daughter Nolberta Peña was born January 4, 1908 in Texas. She was baptized October 2, 1910 in San Vicente by Father Brocardus. Her godparents were Bernardino Gamboa and Gomecinda Hinojos. No additional information is available on her.
9. Carlos Peña was born November 4, 1909 in Boquillas (b), Texas. He was baptized October 2, 1910 in San Vicente by Father Brocardus. His godparents were Eustolio Rivera and Adelaida Gamboa. He moved to Sanderson with the family in 1918 and worked on various ranches in the area until 1938. He then went to work as a laborer on the Southern Pacific Railroad until 1960, when he retired because of poor health. He spent the last 15 months of his life in William Beaumont General Hospital in El Paso, where he died of Multiple Myeloma June 10, 1963. He is buried in Santa Rita Cemetery. Carlos married Genoveva Rodriguez May 28, 1929 in Sanderson and they had seven children. In June 1963 all were living in Sanderson except Acencion, who was living in El Paso.
A. Son Acencion Peña.
B. Daughter Marcelina Peña.
C. Son Humberto Peña.
D. Son Guillermo Peña.
E. Daughter Margarita Peña.
F. Daughter Mary Peña.
G. Daughter Guadalupe Peña.
10. Son Leonardo G. Peña was born June 28, 1914 in Boquillas. He moved with the family to Sanderson where he worked on area ranches for many years.He was a World War Two Veteran. Leonardo was al resident of Sanderson April 2, 2000 when he died in Fort Stockton. He married Lucia Garcia in April 1935. She died in Sanderson January 20, 2003. Both are buried in Santa Rita Cemetery. Leonardo and Lucia had one child:
A. Son Juan Jose “Johnny” Peña was living in San Angelo in January 2003.
11. Son Jose Garcia Peña was born March 18, 1918 in Texas. He was a resident of Sanderson where he worked as a ranch laborer. He died August 18, 1963 in an automobile accident on US Route 90 about 8 miles west of Sanderson. He is buried in Santa Rita Cemetery.
12. Daughter Eulalia Peña was living in Sanderson in November 1969. Her married name was Rios.
Notes:
(a) Her mother’s name is shown as Manuela in Petra’s marriage record and Josefa in her death record.
(b) Names as shown in their father’s obituary.
Sources:
· 1900 and 1910 census records
· Baptism records from St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Fort Davis, copies held by the Archives of the Big Bend, Sul Ross State University, Alpine, Texas
· Andrews, Brewster, Jeff Davis, Pecos and Terrell County death records
· Terrell County web site list of graves in Santa Rita and Sanderson Cemeteries.
· Carlos Pena obituary, Sanderson Times, 14 June, 1963, Archives of the Big Bend, Sul Ross State University, Alpine, Texas
· Higinio Pena obituary, Sanderson Times, 20 November, 1969, Archives of the Big Bend, Sul Ross State University, Alpine, Texas
· Leonardo Garcia Pena obituary, Terrell County News Leader, 16 April 2000, Archives of the Big Bend, Sul Ross State University, Alpine, Texas
· Lucia G. Pena obituary, Terrell County News Leader, 13 January, 2003, Archives of the Big Bend, Sul Ross State University, Alpine, Texas
· Marriage and baptism records from San Nicholás Tolentino, Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, accessed via the FamilySearch web site.
· Baptism Records from Sagrario Metropolitano, Saltillo, Coahuila, accessed via the FamilySearch web site.
Copyright 2011 by Bob Wirt; all rights reserved.
This work may not be copied or used in whole or part for publication without the written consent of the author.
Individuals may use this information freely to develop and maintain family histories for their personal use.
This work may not be copied or used in whole or part for publication without the written consent of the author.
Individuals may use this information freely to develop and maintain family histories for their personal use.