August 1, 2001

Dear Rootsweb Cuba-General List Participants,
Recently started researching my Cuban roots. My mother, Rosa Lucrecia Zarragoitia, remembers some of her direct ancestors. However, much of the story remains incomplete. Am interested not only in tracing the family back, but in discovering any living relatives in the United States and Cuba. Do you think you could help?

mother -> Rosa Lucrecia Zarragoitia b. 1931, Holguin, Cuba
grandfather -> Francisco Manuel Zarragoitia b. 1884, Matanzas, Cuba
great grandfather -> Manuel Trelles Zarragoitia b. ?, ? Matanzas, Cuba
great great grandfather -> Manuel Zarragoitia, b. ?, ?
great great grandmother -> Maria Teresa Trelles, b. ?, Matanzas, Cuba
great grandmother -> Lucrecia O'Donovan b. ?, ? Dublin, Ireland
grandmother -> Tomasa Rita Cachu b. 1893, Gibara, Cuba
great grandfather -> Santiago Cachu, b. ?, Villadolid, Spain
great grandmother -> Caridad Rojas b. ?, Holguin, Cuba
great great grandfather -> ? Cornelius Rojas b. ?, Holguin, Cuba
great great grandmother -> Caridad Escobar b. ?, ? Holguin, Cuba

My maternal grandfather had many brothers and sisters. However, some of these did not survive the Cuban War of Independence. Mom does recall, Leopoldo Zarragoitia and Carmella Zarragoitia. The later married Julian Betancourt and had a daughter, Julietta Betancourt, who I knew from childhood as Julieta Romero y Betancourt.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Suggestions:
1) Looking up the names in "Cuba Isla abierta , poblamientos y apellidos - Siglos XVI al XIX " is from Dr Levy Marrero
2) Looking up names in the social registers from Matanzas, Cuba referred to by some of the posters to this list.
2) Names and addresses of relatives.
3)References to books or archives which might contain further information.

Mil gracias,
Bill Fernandez
billfernandez@hotmail.com
billfernandez@montana.com