Hola,

I am searching for family members, I have limited information. If the following rings a bell, please write.
Fathers Side: Father, Modesto Guillermo Castellanos
Grandfather, Modesto Castellanos Rodriques from Limonar, Cuba, Fathers Brothers, Nandi Castellanos and Antonio Castellanos. Paternal Grandmother, Nieves Castellanos Rumbaut from France, sisters Nisa and Nina.
Mothers Side: Father, Juan Miguel Milian
Grandmother, Juana America Milian Cartaya de Monte de Oca (From Las Palmas/Tenerife)
Grandfather Castellanos was a farmer, raised cattle in Cuba Matanzas area and owned farms. My father the same owned two farms, one The Rosa in Pasados de Awada, or Aguada? and the other La San Francisco in Amarillas.
If you know or know about these people please contact me at my email address, thank you.

Leticia, we may be related.
My grandfather was Domingo Castellanos Rodríguez, of Limonar, Matanzas. He was born in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, about 1874, and migrated to Cuba as a young man. He had a brother named Esteban, and their parents were Esteban Castellanos Marrero and Brígida Rodríguez. There were probably other brothers and sisters, but I have no information on them. It may be a coincidence, but one of my uncles was named Guillermo Castellanos.
On page 110 of the book "Guamacaro, biografía de un municipio cubano" there is a list of "los agricultores, colonos y ganaderos más conocidos" of the Canímar area (near Limonar). The list includes Domingo Castellanos, and Waldo Rodríguez Cartaya, among others. A Carlos Cartaya is mentioned on the next page.
Amarillas is a town in the southeast part of Matanzas Province; it is close to Aguada de Pasajeros, which is in Cienfuegos. A hundred years ago, communication between this area and Limonar must have been very difficult, so it is possible that brothers who lived "that far" just lost track of each other.
I will be happy to exchange further information with you. Maybe working together we can find a connection between your Castellanos and mine.

Hola,

Good to hear from you! I will get with my mother today and show her the information you sent. Unfortunately I left Cuba very young, but my Grandfather Modesto also had a house in Cienfuegos where my Grandmother Nieves lived yearround.
Yes I could use your help since my mother's memory is not what it used to be, and there is noone else left here to ask questions.
If you don't mind or feel uncomfortable send me your email address. I will speak with my mother and post what I find here for now.
Thank you.

Leticia, I will send you more family information by private email. I will also send you copies of old photos that may help us determine if your Castellanos and mine look like members of the same family. Your mother may remember if your family was related to Nicolás Castellanos who was Mayor (Alcalde) of Havana from 1948 to 1952. He was my uncle.

I'm sending you this message because I have being following your messages mentioning the Castellanos surname. I am not a member of your family, but that last name certenley brings good memories to me. I was wondering if you where related to Nicolas Castellanos who was for several years the Mayor in Habana. When I saw your last message mentioning your uncle, I was able to control myself anymore. We are not relatives but my father and your uncle where very good friends in the good times and in the bad times. Actually there was another young man (back then) in the group. My father's name was Oscar Gonzalez Valderrama and the third person was Esteban Amaro who later married one of my aunts and founded the biggest transportation chain in Cuba; Expreso Amaro.
I just wanted to share this with you and let you know that he was very dear to many people. I was at Vento as a little girl for Nicolas daugther's birthday party. Nicolas was going to be my godfather, but something happened at the last minute, but he bought my crib, chest and nursery accesories. Nicolas helped my father to open the best gas station in Habana. It was situated right in front of the Habana Zoo. I'll never forget him. He was one of my father's best friends.
I just wanted to share this with you. Thank you!

Nery Alfonso

Thank you Nery for sharing such beautiful memories. If you went to birthday parties at Vento, you and I knew each other when we were little.
In the mid 1950s we lived about five blocks from the Havana Zoo, so we had to go pass your father's gas station to get in and out of the housing development ("reparto"). I'm sure my father and yours were also friends.
Nicolás died in 1985, but his wife is still living, and still beautiful at age 86. My father, Emilio, died in 1992, and my mother died in 2002.
I'll send you some photos by private email.

M. Collins,

When I click on your name it gives me an email address, with your permission I would like to send you some photos. I do not own a scanner so I cannot send the one of my father, however his grandson my son John is the mirror image of my father. As well my father looked exactly like my grandfather, they were known for being blond and green / blue eyed.
My uncles were of darker hair and eye color.
I spoke with my grandmother tonight, she is 98 but remembers the past like yesterday. According to her my grandfather Modesto Guillermo Castellanos Rodriquez had parents who came from the Canary Islands, he was born in Cuba and had brothers and sisters in Limonar. But he would never speak of them, my father never spoke of his uncles or aunts either. For some reason there seemed to have been either a rift in this family, or as you said due to distance contact was lost. Either case my grandmother could not get information out of my grandfather, he would just say he was a simply farmer from Limonar. Although he was a successful farmer and well known.
My mother was taken to Havana shortly after her marriage to my father, to visit an uncle of my fathers. However my mother who's memory is not good, does not remember his name and met him only once. I don't believe it would be this Nicolas Castellanos, a man that was a Mayor would be remembered, I would think by my mother.
So I have no more information, I only have my mother and grandmother left and I have no siblings. We could be connected but I would not be able to provide any proof. Unless we all have a remarkable resemblance, I look very much like the Castellanos side in features. It is remarkable to have a Domingo Castellanos Rodriquez and a Modesto Castellanos Rodriquez from the very same town, and not have any connections between the two.
I wish I had more, it would be such a pleasure to find that your family and mine were one and the same.
I will send you the photo of my son John, perhaps you will find something there. And if not well Castellanos is a wonderful name that I have always been proud off and wish we could all find what we are searching for.

Hi, I am also from a Castellanos family. My mom is Carmelina Castellanos, born in Santiago in 1944. My grandfather is Ramon Castellanos, he was born in 1918 in Camaguey. His father was Demetrio Castellanos, we believe also from Camaguey & his mom was Nieves Ruiz, from Las Villas. His parents were never married, his father was never part of his life. It's diffucult to get information, my grandfather had a hard life and doesn't want to talk about it.

My grandmother tells me Demetrio's mother's name was Maria Castellanos, also never married, so Demetrio carries his mother's maiden name. Demetrio also had a sister name Crucita Castellanos.

I have no paper confirmation of any of this. If any of the names sound familiar let me know.

Lissa

Sorry the only name that stands out is Nieve, my granmothers name was Nieve Rumbaut, that was her maiden name before marrying a Castellanos

My grandmother nwas Nieve Rumbaut married to a land owner Castellanos, sons my father Modesto, uncles Antonio and Nandi. All her sisters names started with the letter N.
She was reportedly originally from France, do not know if true although from what I remember she sure had a lot of their characteristics.
Anyway if you feel we may be connected please write at: leti61@tampabay.rr.com or letiriley@yahoo.com.

Regards,

Leticia Castellanos-Riley

Thanks for the reply, well a name like Nieve Rumbaut is an unusual uncommon name. So there is a strong probability that you and I are related.
If you would like to discuss further feel free to write me, everyone is gone now and I would like to find any other relatives.

Regards,

Leti C. Riley