There is a Banuelos family who claims to be my cousins and cousins of my Banuelos branch. They don't know HOW they are cousins but they insist that they are. I can't find any records of them anywhere.

Their living descendants don't know either...they barely remembered their grandfather's name. My older brothers also told me that they are our cousins but don't know how.

I was wondering if anyone could help me find out? They live in my California hometown where most of the Banuelos and DE LEON famiilies live. I remember visiting them with my parents in the late 1940s and early 1950s when I was a child. My mother told me that she was my "Tia" Nicolasa Banuelos born on 23 Jul 1915 in Huehucar. Her mother's name was Mercedes Flores born on 24 Sep 1888 married to Lazaro Banuelos. I also thought that because Mercedes was a "Flores" that perhaps she was from my paternal grandmother Petra Flores Sandoval's side. Mercedes' father was Santos Flores and mother was Jesusita (unknown last name).

I verified the dates because I visited their graves ans photographed their tombstones.

I ran a check and located a Mercedes Flores born on the same date 09/24/1888 to a Santos Flores and mother Juana Ramos in Bolivia. Does that kinda throw a monkey-wrench in the Family Tree?

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Mercedes Flores Pedigree
Female

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Event(s):
Birth: 24 SEP 1888 Inmaculada Concepcion, Uyuni, Potosi, Bolivia

Christening: 06 OCT 1888 San Francisco,Coroma, , Potosi, Bolivia

Death:
Burial:

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Parents:
Father: Santos Flores Family
Mother: Juana Ramos

Here's what little their Living Descendants know about their tree (I'm not showing any living descendants)

Descendants of Lazaro Banuelos
1 Lazaro Banuelos 1888 -
.. +Mercedes Flores 1888 - 1973
........ 2 Manuel Banuelos 1909 - 1970
........ 2 Nicolasa Banuelos 1915 - 1982
............ +Jose Hernandez
........ *2nd Husband of Nicolasa Banuelos:
............ +Lucas Holguin Padilla 1911 - 1987
........ 2 Ysabel Banuelos 1911 - 1942
............ +// Aguila
Descendants of Santos Flores
1 Santos Flores 1865 -
.. +Jesucita //
........ 2 Mercedes Flores 1888 - 1973
............ +Lazaro Banuelos 1888 -
................... 3 Manuel Banuelos 1909 - 1970
................... 3 Nicolasa Banuelos 1915 - 1982
....................... +Jose Hernandez
................... *2nd Husband of Nicolasa Banuelos:
....................... +Lucas Holguin Padilla 1911 - 1987
................... 3 Ysabel Banuelos 1911 - 1942
....................... +// Aguila

Can anyone help me with this mystery? My Banuelos cousins told me that they knew of them and had heard that they were cousins also but didn't know how or even if it was true that they were related.