THE BABY in the photograph ~

WHO IS THIS BABY "MARIA"?????

During the past three years as I have sifted through the Silvan history, unearthing documents, stories and photographs, one particular question lurked behind a family photograph that I just couldn't get my head around. This photograph shows the Juan Silvan family in Hawaii about 1913 or early 1914. My grandmother (abuela) is on the left as a young girl about 12 years old, Manuela Silvan Trascasas. Next to her is her mother, Eustoquia Rita Marzo Trascasas Silvan and her husband, Juan Francisco Silvan Hernandez. The little boys are Agustin (the oldest) and the little boy in the front looked frightened out of his wits is Jose Silvan. The question has always been the baby in great grandma Rita Silvan's arms.

Grandma Manuela Silvan Trascasas Ruiz was adamant that this child was named "Maria" but it was not her sister, Maria/Mary. She always said this child was her aunt’s child also named Maria ~ her mother wanted to hold this child because she'd birthed a stillborn baby girl prior to this photo and refused to have a family photograph with empty arms.

Several aunts said grandma must have remembered wrong so I knew I had to investigate all angles of the story with dates, times and places. The answer was finally shaken loose last night and I wanted to share my findings!

As one can see, Rita looks pregnant in this photo.

Grandmas sister, Maria (Mary) Silvan was born in March 7, 1914.

Since Manuela looks about 12 or 13 in this photo it was probably taken late 1913 or early 1914. This baby appears about two years old.

With careful research, I incorrectly concluded the child might be Maria Souza, daughter of Manuel and Christina Souza, friends of the Silvan family. However, I found records to show Maria Souza was born March 1, 1916.

Last night, I danced around all the dates, people and COUSINS and it has been staring me in the face for months and months! This baby must be Maria Gregoria Gonzales, born May 18, 1912. She would have been nearly two years old and great grandma Rita Silvan was pregnant with her own Maria --- my great aunt Mary Silvan Cuellar. Ah ha.... love it when the facts flow together and I can move on!