You think you know everything about your family tree. Then, a DNA match comes along and a new story unravels. It was through a DNA match that I discovered my 4th great grandfather, Jose Pacheco, had two families. After 30 years of research, I still have discoveries to make. My DNA Match Reveals A Second…
Tag: Fenais da Vera Cruz
Eureka! I Have Found It!
Feast your eyes upon a beautiful sight… This is my great great grandparents, Jacinto Pacheco and Anna Jacinta de Mello’s marriage record. It is the culmination of 3-5 years of searching, a good 10 or more years of not being able to search because of my arthritis, and the end of a whole lot of…
Reassessing the Surname Algravia
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…
Ana Jacinta de Melo was a Fearless Female
[Fearless Females-Prompts for Women’s History Month–March 1st–A favorite female ancestor] I am not sure why but I’ve am drawn to my Great Great Grandmother, Ana Jacinta (de Melo) Pacheco. It may be what I don’t know as much as what I know. Ana was the daughter of Jose Francisco de Melo and Rosa Pimental. She…
Surname Saturday: de Braga of Maia, Ribeira Grande
Last week I finished my the Pacheco side of my family tree. This week I will start with the de Braga side. The de Braga’s were from Maia, Ribeira Grande, Sao Miguel Island, Azores. This is my Great Grandmother, Maria d’Espirito Santo (de Braga) Pacheco Smith’s side of the family. She was the wife of…