Benjamin Lopez Apodaca (He was my father)

Benjamin L. Apodaca

     I am the daughter of Benjamin Lopez Apodaca. He was born on June 11, 1928 in Fierro, New Mexico, a small mining town. His parents were Benjamin and Francisca Apodaca.  My Grandfather moved his family to Pino Altos in 1934. At  the age of thirteen my dad worked for Mason Lumber company as a lumber jack located in Pinos Altos, behind the mountain of Signal Peak. At the age of fifteen he went to work as a miner. That didn't last to long because he was under age and was let go. He worked at the Hurly Smelter. Not sure what he did there. At the age of seventeen, he petition his parents for their permission to join the U.S. Navy. He enlisted into the Navy on August 31, 1945 and served in active duty until August 1946, whereupon he commenced his service in the reserves. He came back home in 1947 and worked for the Empire Zinc Company in Hanover, New Mexico.

 

     On October 24, 1950 he was conscripted into the U.S. Army 40th Infantry Division and served a tour of combat duty during the Korean War. My dad was a Sergeant, specializing in demolition. While clearing an enemy mine field, his fellow comrade in arms fell wounded.  He and another soldier risk their lives by carrying out their wounded friend, while in the midst of enemy fire. For his act of heroism, he was awarded the United States Bronze Metal. After he served in the Army he came to live in California and met my Mother Dolores. Together they had seven children and he helped raised seven step-children.  Though Dad was a man of modest means, he always provided a roof over our head, food on the table, and his love. He worked for Bethlehem Steel Company for 30 years until retirement. During his retirement years, he involved himself in genealogy. He amassed countless information on our family ancestral lineages.

 

    If a man can be measured by deeds, surely Dad is among those considered most generous.  He contributed thousands of hours of volunteer time to The Old Timer Steel Mill Retirement Association, where he was an advocate for aid to needy families.  He was never too busy to help his children and friends in time of need.

 

My Parents

 

 

Marriages

Paternal Great-Grandmother 
Married on September 19, 1899 @ St. Vincent de Paul

Silver City, New Mexico

Lucero Family Baptismos

 

Paternal Great-Grandfather

 

This is where you will find the baptism records related to the Lucero Family. Many family members through generations were married and baptized at San Albino Church.

 

 



 

San Albino Catholic Church

La Mesilla, New Mexico

 

 

Death Records

Paternal Great-Grandmother

Birth Records

My Paternal Grandfather

Apodaca Families

I am a Apodaca and a direct descendant from my paternal Great-grandmother, Leonarda Apodaca, born on September 6, 1875 in Santa Barbara, New Mexico. She was first generation born here in the U.S. Leonarda's parents are Maccimo Apodaca and Prajedis Torres. I am 10th generation. The Apodaca's were from Paso del Norte, Chihuahua, Mexico. My paternal grandfather was Benajmin Apodaca gwas born in Salem, New Mexico, his parents, Hesiquio Lucero and Leonarda Apodaca.

After the death of her father Maccimo Apodaca in 1885, she went to La Mesilla to live with her Aunt Narcisa Apodaca Lucero. She entered the Lorreto Academy for nuns in Las Cruces New Mexico. Later, she entered the Good Shepherd Home Convent in La Mesilla, where she taught until 1896. She resettled in Santa Barbara, and  moved to a town called Salem, New Mexico where my Grandfather Benjamin Apodaca was born in 1897. There she met and married Juan Contreras and lived in San Lorenzo, New mexico where most of my great uncles and aunts were born.



Maccimo Apodaca was born on May 10, 1848 in Paso de Norte, Chihuahua, Mexico. He was baptize

at the orignial adobe church, Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe in Paso de Norte, Chihuahua, Mexico. This church is about 400 years old and still stands to this present day. I took a trip to Paso del Norte, present day Juarez to see the church where all my ancestors actually got married and baptized their children. Maccimo and Prajedis got married at Montecello, New Mexico in San Ignacio Catholic Church. Very little is known about Leonarda's mother Prajedis Torres. 

According to church documents Juan Apodaca is my 3rd great-grandfather. He was originally from a town called Senecu, which is on the outskirts of Paso Del Norte. Born about 1824.  He was the son of Felix Apodaca and Gorgonia Pasos. He proposed to 25 year old Luisa Armendaris, daughter of Agustin Armendaris and Tomasa Lara.  Tomasa was of Indian descent and I'm still in the process of determining what tribe she belonged to.  They were married on May 27th 1847. they had 5 children that I'm aware of. They migrated to the New Mexico Territory. In 1870 they were residing in La Mesilla, New Mexico. They later moved further north along the Rio Grande to a tiny setlement called Santa Barbara which was across the river from Salem.

Pedro Lucero de Godoy

I am a direct descendant of Pedro Lucero de Godoy. Primera Familia ( First Familes) of New Mexico who were members of the original Colonzing Expeditions by the Spanish Crown to New Mexico - Juan Onate Period, 1598-1680, and the Re-conquest of 1692.

Pedro Lucero de Godoy who married wife #2, Francisca Gomez Robledo.  I descend from Francisca G. Robledo.  My Gomez-Robledo lineage were captains of the Viceroy who were soldiers of the Juan Onate Expeditions. These are my 8th grandparents and I am the 11th generation of Pedro Lucero de Godoy. My Spanish ancestors have been in New Mexico for over 400 years. I have trace my Lucero lineage back to the 1500's. The Lucero's, Gomez's, Robledo's were royalist people. They arrived in Santa Fe in the early 1600's.  The Lucero families started with the progenitors, Cristobal Baca, and Pedro Lucero de Godoy.