I’ve written before about how my great grandfather, Theodoro, changed his surname from Pacheco to Smith. We were all told for generations that he thought there were too many Pacheco’s in Oakland, CA so he changed his surname to Smith. Ha Ha silly immigrant! The truth was far more complicated. My great grandfather contracted leprosy…
Tag: Algarvio
Tombstone Tuesday: Antonio, the Mystery Man
When I first visited St. Mary’s Cemetery in Oakland, California, I walked in two sections. It wasn’t until the second trip that I explored an older section of the cemetery and came across this tombstone: This is the grave site for my Great Great Uncle, Antonio Pacheco, and my Great Great Aunt, Alexandrinha (Jose) Pacheco….