Alicia,

I worked for about a year at the beginning,
with very few breakthroughs, but just enough tidbits to keep my appetite going.
My early research taught me many things the hard way – lots of experience
from mistakes. 
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> As I moved into my second year of
research, I realized that this was definitely not going to be a piece of cake.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> While there were a few dates & such
that I came across, I found much less than I had anticipated.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> 
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> 

But I resolved two things:
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  First, to learn about everything I could
while I was on this ride…even if it wasn’t directly involved with
my ancestors; and second, to consider each ‘dead end’ a wonderful
confirmation of where my ancestor WASN’T. I just scratched that town or
date off the list & kept on with the next one.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> It made for a different perspective…and
cemented my commitment to this lifelong journey.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  No longer was I in a desperate hurry to find
the elusive baptismal or the mysterious ranch.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  Instead I saved every piece of info I
found…and saved a lot of tidbits of history in memory….in hopes
that someday these would be of use. 

Equally importantly, since this was something
I felt I’d be doing for the rest of my life…I began to focus my
attention on being thorough and methodical.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  Not only are these key skills, but it
changes your focus from “I’m looking for this event on this day”
to “I’m looking through this film or book, to see if I find
anything remotely related to this event.”
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  I found so much when I broadened my
perspective in this manner. 
Especially in a concentrated area like
size=2 color=navy face=Arial>Los Altos color=navy face=Arial>, it behooves one to take a film for a year of interest and just
start reading each entry.  You’d
be surprised how much you can piece together, and how many relatives pop up as
witnesses or padrinos or hacienda owners in entries
for surnames you never would have looked at if you were just searching for your
ancestors’ names.

Over time this definitely proved
true.  After about 7 or 8 years, I
can’t say my tree is extensive, but I do have a lot of information –
some of it just waiting for me to find its place in the puzzle.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Late in my 2^nd year, I ran
into someone (a fellow researcher – Jose Luis Vazquez) who was
class=GramE>key in giving form to my research and in helping me see the
big picture.  His work turned me on
to many new resources and opened my eyes to so many new possibilities. I owe a
lot of my progress to him, and to other researchers that came before such as
Jaime Holcombe, Mariano Gonzalez-Leal, etc.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> In fact, several of my years have been
dedicated to doing research that has very little direct use to my family trees,
but will be helpful to others – whenever I can get around to completing
it.

This group is a wonderful resource. It provides
access to so many other resources and so much experience in a specific area.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  There’s so much potential for
success when people are working cooperatively.

style='mso-spacerun:yes'> 

Never be discouraged! There’s just
no time to be discouraged – there’s too much to do – too many
stones yet unturned!

Just thought I’d share my
perspective.

style='mso-spacerun:yes'> 

Take care,

Connie

style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>-----Original Message-----

From: ranchos@...m
[mailto:ranchos@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
Alicia Carrillo

Sent:
Month="10" Day="10" Year="2005">
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>Monday, October 10, 2005
size=2 face=Tahoma>
Hour="11" Minute="5">11:05 AM
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>

To: ranchos@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [ranchos] New Towns
in My Research: Mazapil and face=Tahoma>Jerez
size=2 face=Tahoma> (Monte
Escobedo), Zacatecas

style='font-size:12.0pt'> 

style='font-size:10.0pt'>This weekend I looked through the Sagrada Mitra de
Guadalajara (which
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>

by the way is an incredible resource that everyone
should look at if

you have traced your lineages going back as far as
the 1700s) and made

a couple of breakthroughs.  These have taken
my research to some new

towns, namely Mazapil, Zacatecas and
size=2 face="Courier New">Jerez
size=2 face="Courier New"> (most likely the area
around
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>

Monte Escobedo) and I would like to find out who
is doing research in

these places and any hints that would be useful.



The breakthroughs are as follows:



Juan Antonio ARANZAZU was born in 1696 in Mazapil,
Zacatecas,

illegitimate son of Captain Antonio DE LA BARREDA
and Isabel DE PIERO. 

He later moved to
size=2 face="Courier New">Guadalajara
size=2 face="Courier New">, where he was raised
and schooled by Sr.
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>

Doctor Don Joseph DE MIRANDA VILLAYZAN of the
Consejo de su Majestad,

Oidor de la Real Audiencia de Nueva
size=2 face="Courier New">Galicia
size=2 face="Courier New">.
size=2 face="Courier New">



(Juan) Joseph PINEDO GAMBOA was most likely born
in Monte Escobedo and

baptized in Jerez circa 1700 (though I can't find
his baptismal record

in VRI... looks like some years are missing), son
of Lorenso PINEDO and

Josepha GAMBOA.  He later moved to Juanacatic,
Totatiche, Jalisco and

he and his sons continued to marry into families
from Monte Escobedo

(ROMERO and ROJAS)

style='font-size:12.0pt'>