Hola Andrew, - are you still there? My father Carlos Manuel Cota passed away Nov. 20, 2009 at 92 1/2 years. His father was Jose Juaquin Cota born in Alamos, Sonora. He served during the civil war & Carlos was born in Saltillo, Coahuila. He was the youngest of 3 children that were born to Jose and Grandmother Tomasa. (Eldest son Jose Caleb - born in Hermosillo - passed in Whittier, CA., middle daughter Alba (Garcia)born in El Paso, Texas and passed in San Francisco.) Later Grandfather the family fled to the U.S. and where Grandma stayed with the family and got remarried to Tamez. Grandfather returned to Sonora, Mexico and went on to be Diputado en Sonora (1941), State Superintendent of Schools and Comandante representing the Mexican Government to the Yaqui Nation - they were a force to be reckoned with late into the 1900's. His mother and father immigrated from Italy - I have a copy of my fathers Birth Certificate and it lists his parents as Jose J. Cota (29 yrs.)and Tomasa Gurrola 27 yrs) in 1917, Paternal Grandparents as Emiliano Cota and Francisa Galo - both Italian. Maternal Grandparents Mateo Gurrola (Mexican indigenous) and Herculana Mendoza (Spanish) - she lived to be - it is estimated 103 years old and I remember meeting her when we lived for a short time in Oakland with my Grandmother Tomasita during WW II - my father worked in the shipyards durning the war years. I was born just before WWII in Los Angeles at home - that was when doctors still made house calls! After the war we returned to Los Angeles so my parents could take care of my Mother's father - she was Martha Sanchez Alvarez (She was related to the Terrazas, Flotte and Spenser from Chihuahua, Mexico and born in the city of Manuel Benavides in 1912 - her father Ignacio Sanchez Alvarez & Mother Jesus Flotte. We lived in his home in Lincoln Hts. until he passed, then moved to the Echo Park / Silverlake Area. I got to visit Alamos, Sonora with both my father and grandfather while they were both alive. Our family got to visit several summers with my Grandfather and his wife, Dona Fidela 9 she was a wonderful lady, never had children of her own, but raised her brother, Tio Alfonso's two children when his wife passed away. Niece -Tia Micha now lives in Los Mochis, Sin. & Chandler, AZ) they lived in Cocorit, Sonora, near Ciudad Obregon and the Rio Yaqui. They also grew cotton - algodon.
Where were you born and do any of these references relate to you too? You can see my wife, son and me at
www.californiashirt.com We have six grown children, nine grandchildren and we live in Whittier, CA and also have a beach house in Rosarito Beach, Baja CA Norte, Mexico - and yes, it is safe to visit there! We are having our All Family Reunion on Saturday, July 28 in Buena Park, CA - Interested? I am also on Facebook - contact me. (:>}) - C.J. "Chuck" Cota