Introducing myself and giving the surnames and locations I'm researching

Hello!

I wanted to take the time to introduce myself.  My name is Alexis Villagrana and I reside in Jefferson, Oregon USA.  It's so nice to have found your group and was so thrilled to have joined in the research!

I am fairly new at genealogy and have only been researching since mid December 2009.  Even though I am new at this, I've really taken a passion for it because I've always had a determined and investigative nature.  A lot of my family's history had been forgotten and even lost! 

Thanks to genealogy research, a lot of what was lost, is being recovered. My intent is to help preserve history as well as my own heritage!

Okay, now the surnames and locations I have been researching are:

 1.  The Villagran's from Zacatecas,
Mexico.

Descendants of Felix Villagran

                                                                                  Generation No. 1

1.  Felix Villagran was born on 12 July 1850 in Zacatecas, Mexico.  He married Apolinares Reyes probably around 1870 in Zacatecas, Mexico.
   
Children of Felix and Apolinares Villagran are:
2.    i.    Maria Villagran, b. Abt. 1896, in Zacatecas, Mexico.
3.    ii.   Antonio Villagran b. Abt. 1898 in Zacatecas, Mexico.
4.    iii.  Andres Villagran b. Abt. 1905 in Zacatecas, Mexico.

Note: My family surname
Villagran was changed to Villagrana upon them coming to the United States. 

I noticed the Villagran family had also resided in Chihuahua, Mexico, just prior to emigrating to their new residency in the U.S. around the spring or summer of 1916.

2. The Romo's of Encarnacion de Diaz, Jalisco, Mexico

Descendants of Jose Guadelupe Romo

                                                                   Generation No. 1

1.  Jose Guadelupe Romo was born 12 Sept 1887 in Encarnacion de Diaz, Jalisco, Mexico.  He married Gregoria Martin or Martinez? in 1906 in Jalisco, Mexico.
   
Children of Jose Guadelupe
and Gregoria Romo are:

2.   i.    Ramon Romo b. abt. 1910 in Jalisco, Mexico.
3.   ii.   Jose (Joe) Romo b. abt. 1913 in Jalisco, Mexico.
4.   iii.  Juanita (Jenny) Romo b. abt. 1916 in Jalisco, Mexico.
5.   iv.  Jesus (Chewy) Romo b. abt. 1920 in Jalisco, Mexico.
6.   v.   Sara Romo b. abt. 1922 in Gallup, New Mexico.
7.   vi.  Josephine (Josie) Romo b. abt.1924 in Gallup, New Mexico.
8.   vii. Esperanza (Hope) Romo b. abt. 1928 in Gallup, New Mexico.

Note:  Jose Guadelupe had a brother close to his age named Augustine Romo. I don't know too much about him just that he lived on a big ranch in Encarnacion de Diaz, which we have family photos of from the late 1960's, showing parts of the ranch.
Unfortunately, the last time my family was able to go to Mexico was in the mid 1970's.  I was only 4 years old at the time.

My brother had recalled during his 1960's visit to Mexico as boy, that one of our  relatives on the Romo side, was a Bishop or a spiritual man of some sort in the area of Jalisco; I believe in Encarnacion de Diaz? And my brother said that there is a shrine in the village dedicated to him.  I wish I knew the name of this relative!  This info has also been lost over the years because no one documented it and also because of aging, illness and death.

This concludes what I know about my family history. I apologize it is so long but I thought the info might be informative.  I am so curious to find out how it is/was that our ancestors and descendents from Mexico look somewhat caucasian with blue, green, hazel  as well as brown eyes; and our hair color ranging from brunette to blonde, even
red hair.  I heard that somewhere along the line, we obtained the French blood in us.  That it possibly happened when the French came to Mexico many years ago and mixed with the Mexican people!

Like I said, I am new so PLEASE feel free to offer any suggestions to a beginner genealogist!

Sincerely,

Alexis Villagrana

user id:  AlexisVillagrana1970