There are many times in genealogy where we “discover” an ancestor, but a lot is still left in the shadows. We gain bits and pieces of information about this person, but sometimes the whole picture doesn’t come into full view. It can be missing information such as documents themselves to tie together the person or information missing within said documents if the child was born out of wedlock, for example.
In Puerto Rican genealogy (and likely found in other cultures as well), illegitimacy can be a common occurrence. It is then up to the genealogist to use the various records at hand to piece together a story (hopefully one that is correct) about the person in question.
Today, I want to focus on rebuilding the story of my 2nd great-grandmother, who has gone by the names “Amalia Rivera”, “Amalia Rodríguez”, and “Amalia Rivera Rodríguez”. Using census records, the Puerto Rican Civil Registry, and parish records from Puerto Rico I want to attempt to fully figure out who she was. I have never written a post dedicated solely to Amalia so I figured now would be a good time to use all of the information I have found to hopefully present a coherent case about her life, her children, and her identity.
BACKGROUND info. -
A marriage and a death
Amalia was an ancestor I came across via genealogy, which means that growing up I had never heard of her name or knew anything about her. She is from my Correa side of the family, related to me via my maternal grandfather, but one I did not know much about given my grandfather’s separation from this family since his childhood. Everything that I have learned about Amalia has been through online records and though I have regained a connection with my Correa family, Amalia passed away fairly young and no one alive would have gotten a chance to meet her. Amalia was married to my 2nd great-grandfather Julio Correa Charles and from their wedding I can learn a bit more about her.
Marriage record - Salinas, PR
From their marriage in 1919 we learn that Amalia Rodríguez was the natural (illegitimate) daughter of María Rodríguez, meaning when she was born she was not recognized by her father. Her mother, like Amalia, was from Patillas, and her mother was deceased when she married. Amalia is listed as being 21 years old here and living in Playa, Río Jueyes, Salinas. This places her birth around 1898.
Death Record - Salinas, PR
Amalia is later listed in 1933 as “Amalia Rivera”, and this is because a father is listed in her death record. Her parents appear as Cruz Rivera and Luisa Rodríguez, he a native of Patillas and she listed as being from Maunabo. Amalia appears married to Julio Correa, 35 years old (still born about 1898), a native of Patillas, and listed as having worked in her own house (likely as a housewife).
Her death is listed as toxemia del embarazo which in English is referred to as preeclampsia, which likely means that Amalia was pregnant at the time of her death or had just given birth. Though Amalia is listed as Julio Correa’s wife, he had actually passed in 1929 and she was listed living with another man on the 1930 Census.
One important thing to note is that the death was reported by Enrique Ramos (encargado del entierro) and Pedro Rivera (testigo). Currently, I am not sure who these men are and it seems that Enrique was in charge of the burial so he could have worked for a local funeral home.
u.s. Census Records -
1930 & 1920
We have a chance to glimpse at Amalia’s life in three censuses before she died, these were the 1910, 1920, and 1930 census; each places her in a different household.
1930 Census - Salinas, PR
In 1930, Amalia is listed as the wife of Francisco Jirao (likely Giraud) López, though they are listed as “CC” which means they were not legally married. Amalia is listed as “col” (colored) and 30 years old. Besides Francisco she is living with her daughter Modesta Correa Rivera, the daughter of Julio Correa and not Francisco Jirao/Giraud.
This would have been the last census Amalia appeared on before her death in 1933. Not that here she is listed with both surnames “Rivera Rodríguez”.
1920 Census - Salinas, PR
In 1920, Amalia is listed as “Amalia Masantini” (a surname we will see a few times in other records with no clear origin) and listed as the wife of Julio Correa “Chaves” (surname should be Charles and written incorrectly on the census). Her race here is listed as “M” (mulato/a), she is 20 years old, and listed as “C” (casada) which we know to be true from their 1919 marriage record. Amalia had no profession and did not know how to read or write as well.
Though no children are listed on this census, we know Amalia had one daughter named Modesta and the Civil Registry allows us to learn of two other children: Isidoro (my great-grandfather) and “Aleandro”.
Puerto Rican
Civil RegistrY
Modesta Correa Rivera - Birth
The first birth we’ll look at is for Modesta Correa Rivera, the daughter listed on the 1930 Census along with my 2nd great-grandmother.
Amalia is listed here as “Amalia Rivera”, 28 years old, mulatta, and doméstica (housewife). She is listed as a native of Patillas and a resident of Salinas – so far everything checks out with what we know about her.
For the first time (besides her death record), we have the names of her parents – Cruz Rivera, a native of Patillas and a resident of said town, and Luisa “Masantini”, a native of Patillas and deceased.
I have no idea where this surname “Masantini” comes from and why it appears on some records and not others. I have searched for it in the Civil Registry both by hand and through the Ancestry’s/FamilySearch’s index, but I have yet to find anyone with this surname. It always appears second-hand and never as the person coming forward (such as Amalia or Luisa herself using it themselves).
Aleandro Correa Rivera - Birth
Aleandro’s (later referred to as Alejandro in his WWII Draft Registration Card) birth in 1923 provides us similar information about my 2nd great-grandmother. She is listed as 20 years old, black, native of Patillas and living in Salinas. Her parents are listed as Cruz Rivera, native and resident of Patillas, and Luisa Rodríguez, native of Patillas and deceased. Here you can see that Luisa returns to “Rodríguez” instead of “Masantini”.
One thing to pay attention to is the constant identification of Amalia as mulata, trigueña, negra, etc. – this can be important when we later try to find her baptism/birth record but also to differentiate other Amalia Rodríguez/Rivera out there who are blanca.
Isidoro Correa Rivera - Birth
Finally, we have the birth of Isidoro Correa Rivera – my great-grandfather. Similarly, everything is similar to the other two births. Here Amalia is “Amalia Rivera”, 19 years old, trigueña, doméstica, a native of Patillas and living in Salinas. Her parents are Cruz Rivera, mestizo, a native and resident of Patillas, and Luisa “Masantini”, mestiza, a native of Patillas, deceased.
Again, for the second time on a birth record and the third time overall on a record, we come across “Masantini”. When I first came across this surname I was very excited because it is not common and I thought it might be related to Italian or Corsican origins, but so far, zilch in discovering anything about it!
when things
become murky...
Before her arrival in Salinas, Amalia’s past in Patillas isn’t so clearcut – mainly because she was a child born out of wedlock and because of that the constant switching of surnames between Rivera and Rodríguez (with the occasional sprinkling of Masantini for her mother) make it difficult to clearly identify her.
Her death record states that Amalia had been living in Salinas for 15 years, meaning she would have arrived around 1918. Equally, we know that her father Cruz Rivera spends what seems like all of his life in Patillas via the records of births for Modesta, Alejandro, and Isidoro. We also know that Luisa Rodríguez/Masantini would have died before 1919 when her daughter married in Salinas.
1910 Census - Clues I & II
Amalia Rodríguez/Rivera would either appear living with her mother, her father, or both of them on the 1910 census record. A search in the 1910 census records brings up two interesting results.
I. 1910 Census - Patillas, PR
In this record we have a Cruz Rivera Collazo living with an Amalia Rodríguez, a head of household with his daughter. Amalia’s age is listed as 14 years old (making her birth year around 1896), and her father was 50 years old. She is listed as doing housework while her father was a traveling salesman.
What’s interesting here however is the race: Amalia and Cruz are listed as “B” which would mean blanco/blanca. From previous records we know that Amalia has been listed as everything but white – could this be an error? Could a neighbor have reported Cruz and Amalia to the census taker but not taken their race into much consideration?
The information so far seems to match what we know so far: a father named Cruz Rivera, a daughter named Amalia (here with the surname Rodríguez) – likely carrying her mother Luisa Rodríguez’s surname and the birth year isn’t too far off from other records (previously it had been 1898 and here we see 1896). However, if Luisa Rodríguez was alive – where was she living?
This brings me to my second clue.
II. 1910 Census - Patillas, PR
In this second 1910 census we can see an Amalia Rodríguez listed as hijastra meaning step-daughter under the household of Juan Carrasquillo, living with his wife Luisa Rodríguez – however they are listed as “CC” which means they are not legally married. Here, Luisa is listed as “N” (negra) while Amalia is listed as mulata.
Could Amalia have spent her time divided between her father and her mother? Could Cruz Rivera have been lighter in complexion while Luisa Rodríguez was darker causing Amalia to be a bit in the middle in regards to skin complexion?
This listing of Amalia with Luisa Rodríguez occurred on the 23rd April 1910 while Amalia listed with Cruz Rivera occurred on the 9th May 1910 – on both records it was Ricardo Dávila Rivera who was the census taker.
Trying to track down these other children for Luisa Rodríguez (likely fathered by Juan Carrasquillo) has also proven to be difficult. I can’t find them either in the Civil Registry or the indexed church records for Patillas. The census lists that Juan Carrasquillo and Luisa Rodríguez were together for 13 years, meaning about 1898. This would mean that Amalia would have been born shortly before her mother’s relationship began with Juan Carrasquillo. It also questions what kind of conditions and in what sort of relationship Luisa would have been in as well.
A Final Clue
Tracing Cruz Rivera Collazo in an attempt to find Amalia or more general information brought me to the 1920 Census.
1920 Census - Patillas, PR
Above we see that in 1920, Cruz Rivera Collazo was living in Guardarraya, Patillas with a grandson named “Félix Santiago Rivera”. Amalia would have already been living in Salinas and married to Julio Correa Charles by this census as we saw already.
Could this Félix have been an early son for Amalia? From the found birth record… it seems so!
Félix Rodríguez - Birth
Above we can see the birth of a Félix Rodríguez, registered the 29th April 1912 and born the 31st March. The declarant was Cruz Rivera but the child was born to Amalia Rodríguez. Equally the grandmother is listed as Luisa Rodríguez, a native of Patillas, single, and living in the house of the declarant.
From this information it seems that Amalia had a child, it does not mention her exact age though it does mention she was mayor de edad (of age/adult). Equally, it does not list Cruz Rivera as the grandfather; the fact that Amalia and Luisa Rodríguez were living with Cruz Rivera in Guardarraya, Patillas, is too much of a coincidence to ignore.
An important tidbit to take into consideration here is that Luisa Rodríguez’s death range would be between 1912 (when Félix was born) and 1919 (when Amalia married in Salinas).
Finding Amalia...
The last piece in this puzzle would be finding Amalia’s birth or baptism record. Searching in the Patillas index for baptisms I was able to find an entry for a Amalia Rodríguez, with her mother listed as Luisa Rodríguez.
Baptism Indexes - Patillas, PR
Amalia Rodríguez - Baptism
The baptism above mentions that Amalia Rodríguez was born the 10th of January 1895, the natural (illegitimate) daughter of Luisa Rodríguez, her grandparents were listed as Dionisio Rodríguez and Francisca Laboy. Her godparents were Félix Montes and Cipriana Torres (though for some reason the names seem to be lightly crossed out). No race is listed for either Amalia or for her mother Luisa.
Conclusions
Though I have been able to trace my 2nd great-grandmother via various records in two different towns, part of this still feels like an unsolved mystery. Maybe because I’m expecting to find out that my results are wrong or maybe because I am hoping to find one record to be the glue between all other records by listing everything neatly in it. For example, where did the surname Masantini come from? Am I ignoring an important clue somehow though I find nothing when I search? Similarly, Amalia does not seem to be a common name during that time, yet I feel like there is an unturned stone somewhere waiting to be discovered that will change this branch’s information.
The last mystery is also Cruz Rivera and Luisa Rodríguez.
Cruz Rivera Collazo
Besides finding him in the 1910 and 1920 Census in Guardarraya, Patillas – there is still a lot to be learned about Cruz. The only potential clue I have to his passing is a death record in January 1930 occurring in Guayama, Puerto Rico which mentions the death of a Cruz Rivera who dies in the local jail. Interestingly enough, a lot of the information does match up, such as race (blanca), origin (Patillas), and surnames (Rivera Collazo).
No relationship is mentioned, which also makes sense seeing as how Cruz was likely single (at least in the eyes of the law) for the rest of his life. His parents are listed as Juan Rivera and Dolores Collazo, and though I have found this couple’s marriage in Patillas and a few of their children I have yet to find a son named Cruz Rivera Collazo being baptized in Patillas.
Another mystery left to solve…
Luisa Rodríguez Laboy
Going off of the information found in Amalia’s baptism record I was able to find the death record of a Luisa Rodríguez Laboy, daughter of Dionisio Rodríguez and Francisca Laboy in August 1913 in Patillas, Puerto Rico (which fits into the range we had earlier between 1912-1919).
The death lists her as single, 25 years old (this a mistake as she was older), having died from paralysis. Her race is listed as parda (mixed-race) and the daughter of Dionicio Rodríguez and Juana F. Laboy, both natives of Patillas and deceased. Having this information also led me to find her baptism.
Luisa Rodríguez Laboy was baptized in Patillas, Puerto Rico the 19th November 1873. She is listed as the daughter of Dionicio Rodríguez and Francisca Laboy, her paternal grandparents are Juan Rodríguez and María Quiñones while her maternal grandparents are Pedro Laboy and María Leonor Rodríguez.
If this is the same Luisa, my 3rd great-grandmother, then I have added two other generations here via her parents and grandparents.
Still no mention of Masantini in any of these four branches which leaves me wondering…
Though I’m fairly confident with what I have found, I still leave this branch open for investigation and will likely come back to it. Writing out all of the information I have found provides me an easy way to come back and see why/how I have made certain connections and to discover where I might have gone wrong or where I might need to strengthen certain areas of doubt.
For many genealogists, this type of work is where we can spend hours looking for new pieces of information, trying to discern fact from fiction, and revisiting all available tidbits gathered over time from multiple records.
And of course… it’s where we pray that what we have found is actually correct and doesn’t bring us back to the drawing board!