From Spain to Texas: A Cepeda Y Ahumada Family Journey

By Reginald Zepeda

This book about the Cepeda Family was written not to document history or historical events, but to place a timeline history and genealogy around the name Cepeda. Author Reginald Zepedas purpose for this book is to unlock the secrets of his familys past and to share with others, whether related directly or indirectly, the history and genealogy of the Zepedas in Texas.
In seeking the truth of his heritage, he delves into the distant past, beginning with ancient Spain and the origins of the Basque people, and then moving forward to the Spanish conquest of the New World. As reward for spreading God, and bringing back Gold and Glory to the Crown, the conquistadores were given a share of these annexed lands. Among them were the Cepedas, who would find their fortunes in the Americas, in Mexico and, ultimately, in Texas.
Reginald chronicles the journey of his ancestors From Spain to Texas, and how their line spread and how their lives intersected with the course of history. Conquests, miracles, hardships and fortunes, all were experienced by their distinguished line through the ages, as the fruits of their undertakings were passed down from generation to generation. Now, after painstaking research, Reginald presents a compendium that proudly displays his familys exploits, lineage, and identity, for the inheritors of a legacy spanning centuries the next generation of Cepedas.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 28, 2012
• ISBN: 9781479770083

Book preview

Copyright © 2012 by Reginald Zepeda.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2012923901

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4797-7007-6

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4797-7006-9

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4797-7008-3

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Spain And The Basques

Conquest

Cepeda Y Ahumada

St. Teresa Sanchez Cepeda y Ahumada

Don Jose Victoriano De Zepeda

Acknowledgments

B efore I even thought about writing a book, my research only involved the different spellings of our last name and how it came to be. I did not think that this would be an arduous task. One thing led to another and the information started to accumulate. The research turned into days, months, and years. I now realized that this would not be a simple answer. The only way to explain the different spelling of our last name was to put all of the information in a book. I had no intention, nor was I prepared, to write a book about our family. With eight years of research I had no choice but to write it all down. I spoke to many people and organizations who gave me a ray of hope that this could be possible. In the beginning, I visited and spoke to a group in San Antonio known as Los Bexarenos Genealogy Society of San Antonio, who I’m so grateful to, that opened my eyes to the documentation they had archived on many families. They introduced me to Mr. Fariahs who owned Borderland Books and suggested many books to read. Mr. Fariahs is very knowledgeable in family history and genealogy. Because of his help, and reading many of his books, I was able to understand and became more knowledgeable as to the real road (El Camino Real) I had to follow.

The L. D. S., Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints, made it possible to search online and order microfilm for viewing. It is the viewing of the microfilm that allows the researcher to read the whole entry of a birth or marriage. This information is not available unless you read the entries. In my case I was able to access microfilm dating back as far as the 1400s and 1500s. Their main office was always a phone call away and offered great service and help.

My special thanks goes to the Texas land office of archives in Austin Texas who introduced me to an early settler, Jose Antonio Navarro, upon which, if I did the research, I would find my families early Texas settler Jose Victoriano Zepeda. They provided copies of family Spanish land grants and copies of land grants that were signed by Victoriano Zepeda under the Green DeWitt colony. This was very helpful in finding out about our ancestor and opened many more doors to the history of our family.

Without a doubt, the University of Texas Archives in Austin Texas holds the largest collection of Spanish documents in the state. The people who work there are so helpful and knowledgeable, it was the best experience I’ve ever had. Almost every day for a year I went to the University to do research and the people who work there never let me down. The University has done a great job in creating an ease to access documents. Many documents are available on microfilm, many are translated, and some documents can be handheld for viewing or photographing. Some of the documents are in Spanish and are difficult to read because of their age or water damage. John Wheat, an archivists and translator for the University, helped me tremendously in translating many of the documents I needed.

Before the city of San Antonio kept records, one had to look to the Churches for old records. Many records of births and marriages were documented by the San Fernando Church. These records were entrusted to the Archdiocese of San Antonio under Bro. Edward Loche, who helped me enormously acquire copies of family births and marriages. Many documents did not survive the perils of fire and floods but what they do have is priceless.

A great Internet site known as P. A. R. E. S., A Portal to Spanish Archives, which covers the country of Spain and the Indies, is an excellent tool in research of early Spanish history. Although this website is in Spanish and is difficult to search through, you will find documentation of ancestors going back to the 1300s. Without the availability of this site, I could not have researched the early history of our family.

When it comes to gathering data about civil war ancestors, I have to hand it to the National Archives and Records Administration in Fort worth Texas. As large as this National Archives is and difficulty to sort through, it was the smaller office in Fort Worth that came through for me. With one phone call I discussed my project and was immediately sent copies of my ancestors muster rolls within days.

The University of North Texas sponsors a website called the Portal to Texas History. This is an excellent site to find many articles and information on topics not easily found elsewhere. This is another great tool for research when you can’t find it elsewhere. If you need help they are just a phone call away.

For those in my wonderful family who encouraged me and helped me, directly or indirectly, my deepest gratitude. Above all, my wife Linda, who put up with me and my project every day for nearly 8 years, I appreciate your understanding and patience. It is with honor to present to my parents, Robert L. Zepeda and Maria S. Mendez Zepeda, who are 91 and 92 years old, this book on their family history.

Introduction

M any rumors and stories concerning the history of our family have always been spoken while growing up. Little was documented or found other than what was known about our Grandparents and Great Grandparents. My father, Robert L. Zepeda, spoke of a city named after the family, conquistadores who conquered faraway lands, Spanish land grants, and was told by a Catholic Nun that he was related to St. Teresa of Avila. Also in existence was a family crest. or heraldry, that no one has seen.

As the years passed on, and the family grew larger, other members of the family became inquisitive, but received the same information. Someone somewhere had to have more information to contribute, but as family members started to pass away, some of the stories went with them. Unfortunately there were no computers or search groups at this time to help find our family roots. We were now on our own to do it the hard way. To complicate matters more, I kept running into people who with the same last name, spelled it with a C or an S and said they were related. My father had mentioned that there was an old family cemetery in Helotes Texas that had relatives buried there, but did not know who they were. His father and grandfather lived in San Antonio. My brother Edward and his wife, Liz, spent many hours going through city birth and death records belonging to the family to try to create a family tree. Cemeteries became a common place of visitation. The process became a slow and arduous task and seemed to become a lifetime project. With the information extracted from the family cemetery in Helotes, we were able to piece together ancestors of the family some who spelled the last name with a C. Those buried here are early settlers of Helotes and some of them were children and their families of an earlier Texas settler Jose Victoriano Zepeda. We now sealed the 6th generation bloodline in Texas beginning around the early 1800’s.

Many more years would pass, and the use of computers and research groups, and archives became available. Information was becoming a little easier to acquire. It wasn’t until I ran into the historian for the Texas Land Commission Archives, that things would turn around. I explained how we could not find any information on Victoriano Zepeda and he said that if I research Jose Antonio Navarro, I would find him. I started to read books about him and do research on line and he was right!