Since starting
my genealogy research, I have been curious about the community of Atrisco,
especially since the first Chaves families settled there more than 300 years
ago – just before the Villa de Alburquerque was founded. My interest only grew
after my Great-Uncle Lalo Chavez told me that his own grandmother, Telesfora
Duran, was from Atrisco. Most interesting to me was the name of my
great-great-great grandmother; her name was obviously passed on to my Grandpa
Louie, whose full name is Louis Telesfor Chavez.
Telesfora was
the daughter of Onofre Duran and Placida Sanchez. My Uncle Lalo knew of Onofre
Duran, as he was the namesake of Onofre Chavez – one of Telesfora’s many sons,
and a favorite uncle of my Uncle Lalo and Grandpa Louie.
For all of those
reasons, Onofre Duran and his home in Atrisco were always in the back of my
mind. Thanks to a cousin who also descends from Onofre Duran, I got back on the
genealogical trail of the Duran family.
The biggest
find, thanks to my cousin, Tina Rizkallah, was Onofre’s last will and
testament. A friend at the State Archives helped me track down the document,
and another friend generously translated the old Spanish of 19th
Century New Mexico into English.
Aside from the intense preamble, which is
worth the read on its own, the will affirms that Onofre owned property and a
house in Ranchos de Atrisco – a three-bedroom home with a backyard. He mentions
real estate “on the paternal line,” which he was leaving to his children. My
guess is that is land that he inherited from his father. But thus far, I have
not been able to establish that his father, Franciso Duran, lived in Atrisco;
nor that Onofre was born there. In fact, I haven’t figured out where Onofre his
wife, Placida Sanchez, or his siblings – Maria Valentina, Dolores and Maria
Luisa – were born. I’ll keep searching.
The other
interesting new information in the will is the fact that Onofre was first
married to Lugarda Samora. Together, they had a daughter, Monica, in 1850. She
was baptized at San Felipe de Neri church. The 1850 Census listed the young
family (Onofre was 26 years old, meaning he was born about 1824; Lugarda was
25; and Monica was a few months old.) Lugarda must have died soon after,
because Onofre remarried Placida Sanches in 1856. Their first child, Jose
Maximo, was born in 1857. My great-great-great Grandmother Telesfora was born
in 1867 in Ranchos de Atrisco.
It appears that
Onofre Duran died in December 1880, at the age of 56, and his estate was
settled in 1881.
Here is a
translation of Onofre Duran’s last will and testament, dated May 5, 1880:
Onofre Duran
In the name of God Almighty and Mary Forever Virgin be it
manifested that I, Onofre Duran, being gravely ill but of sound mind thanks to
our Revered God, revoking and annulling, as in fact, I revoke and annul all and
any wills and codicils made by me before this one, I declare and it to be my
disposition that this is my last will of all my property in the following
manner. First, commending my soul to God, its Creator, to whom I
humbly beg for His infinite grace and mercy that, by deliverance from my Lord
Jesus Christ, my Creator and Savior; by the powerful intercession of the Queen
of Angels, Mary the Holiest, True Mother and Lady, Worthy Mother of my Lord Jesus
Christ; and by the intercession of all the angels He may place my soul with all
the saints in His Glory, amen, and being clear that I was married to Lugarda
Samora who died in the year of eighteen hundred and that at the time of her
death I was left with an only child, a daughter of lawful wedlock.
And I
declare to have remarried to Placida Sanchez. And I also declare
that in this time in which God has granted us life we have had the following
children: Maximo, Clofio, George, Telesfora, Bonifacio, Jose Ynacio, Luis, all
of which were born from my wife in lawful wedlock. And to which,
after my death I leave as heirs of my real estate on the paternal line, which I
state as follows:
It is
clearly known that I own the house of my dwelling which has three bedrooms and
a backyard and it is also clear that I own the land stated in the documents
issued to me by Law in this location in los Ranchos de Atrisco; and I also
state to own a three-oxen wagon; I also state to own two calved cows; and I
also state to own the lands recognized and acquired by the documents issued in
my favor, which were acquired by means of my work, lawfully in this location by
my wife and purchased by both of us; and I also state and direct that after my
death that my body be buried in the chapel of los Ranchos de Atrisco at a cost
affordable to my wife and children; and I also state and direct that once my
funeral and legal debts are paid for that the rest be divided, one half for my
wife Placida Sanchez and the other half be divided among all of my
aforementioned children in equal shares; and I also declare and direct that my
executors and administrators be my wife, Placida Sanchez and Marcos Lovato, who
survive me, and who I hope execute this, my last will, and for its due
execution I signed this Will in los Ranchos de Atrisco on this day May 5, 1880,
aided by my witnesses, Melquiades Carbajal and Manuel Sanchez.
Onofre
Duran, Testator
Melquiades
Carbajal
Manuel
Sanchez y Tapia, witnesses
Approved
today, July 1st, 1880
J.R. Armijo
Probate
Judge
Registered
today December 1, 1880
Scribe