5/7/08 The email that started it all

Dear Relative,On April 27th, 2008, I attended the 50th wedding anniversary of Harold and Felicita Sanchez in the home of their daughter in New Jersey. Some of us conversed about the many changes in our lives over the last fifty years but the younger generation were more enthusiastic about placing us seniors in the family tree. As a historian I've had a long career following the family histories of others but never our own. This email is therefore intended to begin the dialog about the Familia Sanchez/Sanchez Family in the U.S. for starters.Of the many children born to Emilio and Manuela Sanchez of Aguada, Puerto Rico, four anchored the family tree in NYC and made their homes there. These core families came in the 1920s: Fernando y Venera Sanchez; Perfecta y Abdon Ruiz; Antonio y Elisa Sanchez; and Julia y Willie Gonzalez. They raised and educated their children in close proximity to one another, and from time to time welcomed their siblings, nieces, and nephews to NY. If I remember correctly Harold's father, Millito, had come early on but returned and remained in P.R. when Harold was an infant. These core families bore children and grandchildren who today live throughout the U.S. and abroad and in time, familial connections were lost. Who are we? We are doctors, lawyers, pastoral care givers, health professionals; published authors, university professors, teachers, business people; artists, musicians, poets, illustrators; screenwriters, computer geeks, filmmakers, environmentalists, and scientists. We may be living in the same towns and don't even know one another.Thus, this email is only a beginning. If you want to pursue further communication, creating a facebook or a blog, or website, or even planning a family reunion in the future, then stay tuned. If not, then just delete. Many email addresses are missing but this message will reach at least one of the core families' second generation. You can write to the above addresses to make corrections, introduce yourselves and your families, and indicate what you think of all this. I look forward to hearing from you.Hasta pronto,carinos, Virginia Virginia Sanchez Korrol, Ph.D.Professor EmeritaBrooklyn College, City University of New York

From Virginia 4/29/08

Dear All:I thought I'd follow up on Sonia's great story with some information about "El Tio." He was known as el Tio, or Uncle Tony but to his children and grandchildren he was Popi. He was born in Aguada on June 13, 1910 to Manuela Feliciano and Emilio Sanchez, the youngest boy of some eight siblings. His oldest brothers were Millito, Fernando and Manuelito Sanchez. According to his mother, my grandmother, Popi wanted to flee Puerto Rico since the age of thirteen and attempted to stow away on a ship three times before he finally succeeded at sixteen. He probably lived with Fernando who was already in New York. Both worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad. (I'll try to send a picture of this time in their lives).At the age of nineteen (1929) he joined the Merchant Marines fulfilling his passion to travel the world over, and nine years later he was made a fireman in the Engine Department. Many of us remember the great sailing ship tattoo he sported on his arm. In the meantime he met and fell in love with the beautiful Elisa Santiago in New York. They were married on June 9, 1935 and 14 months later I was born. My mother begged Popi to leave the sea, and luckily, he found work with the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Depression. Soon afterwards, he returned to the railroad where he remained until retirement in the early 1960s. My sister, Aura, was born a few months before the nation entered the Second World War in 1941, and my brother, Ramon, (Junior) joined the family as a baby boomer soon after the war was over. Popi's job with the railroad became essential industry which was the reason he did not serve in the military. In later life he was a diabetic, a disease which runs rampant among the Sanchez family.Popi was a voracious reader and there were very few topics that he did not know about. He continued to travel and kept himself informed on national and international affairs. His nephews attest to the fact that he was a learned man even though he only finished up to the 4th or 5th grade in P.R.In 1967 Popi and Elisa divorced and for close to four years he lived on the second floor of the his house, 315 52nd St. in Brooklyn. During that time he visited me in Long Island and Aura in Boston but maintained even closer ties to his family (Evelyn, Tomas and Harlold; Perfecta and Abdon; Fernando) in Brooklyn. In 1971 he moved in with me and Aura, alternating houses throughout the year but once the Aginaldos began to play on the radio, and the cold weather seeped in, Popi took off for Aguada to spend the winter at the home of his niece, Rayda (Manuel's daughter). By the way, the first and last home he visited on those trips until he died in 1981 was my mother's. She had remarried and lived with her husband, Eduardo, near Mayaguez. He once told me that a piece of paper (the divorce) could never sever the relationship he had with my mother, a woman with whom he raised three children.It was the last ten years of his life that I really began to know who my father was. He was the thread that wove our family tree together; my friend and companion; the one who knew and cared for each of his five grandchildren; kept our homes stocked with needed supplies; and whose encouragement and support allowed my sister to become a lawyer; my brother to become a chef; and me to complete my education. The grandchildren often argued over ownership of Popi, taunting one another about just where Popi lived and where he just visited. His grandchildren were: Aura's Dylan, Seth and Anelisa; my daughters, Pamela and Lauren; and Junior's stepchildren, Stevie, and Theresa. Thanks for giving me the chance to write about Popi. I hope others get the urge to write and that we will be able to begin the process of filling in the family tree.Carinos,Virginia Virginia Sanchez Korrol, Ph.D.Professor EmeritaBrooklyn College, City University of New York

From Sonia 5/9/08

Hello to you all. For those who are interested, I am Sonia Sanchez-Ruffini.I am the third child born to Harold Sanchez, Sr. and Felicita Varela deSanchez. Of course you know my father Harold is the son of Emilio SanchezFeliciano and Carmela Sanchez of Aguada P.R. who came to New York in theearly 1930's. My father Harold was born in New York (Bronx), in 1932 andmove back to Aguada Puerto Rico six months later claiming that his parentsmissed the intimacy of living in a small town. Harold is also known as Raulwhich is what many people call him; infact no one in Puerto Rico calls himHarold, they all know him as Raul. There is a funny story behind his birthname. He claims that when he was born, the hospital staff in New York wasonly English speaking and misunderstood his mother when she said the namefor her son was to be Raul. Harold said the nurse took it upon herself towrite in the name on the birth certificate. No one ever checked thecertificate, and when they went back to Puerto Rico they discovered thatRaul was not written on the document. They would have to go back to New Yorkto dispute it and felt it was not worth the trouble, thus Raul was legallyHarold! Although you may say dad is 1st generation, really he is not. Hetotally considers himself a native Puerto Rican. Dad kept his connectionswith New York through his uncle Tonito who often came to Puerto Rico tovisit his brother Emilio (dad's father). Tio (I called him Tio because thatis what dad called him.) Tio finally convinced dad to move to New York. Soin 1952 dad packed his few belongings and headed to the big apple. The firstthree years he lived with Fernando Sanchez, and then Tio bought a multipledwelling in Brooklyn and asked my father to move in. It was there that mydad met Felicita Varela who was living across the street with her olderbrother Felix Varela. Felicita was living with her brother for a while, butwhen her brother got wind that Raul was courting her, he was opposed. Hetold Felicita that she had to go back to Puerto Rico because he wanted noresponsibility for this courtship. Tio insisted that dad make a move beforeshe was sent back, so he did. A few days before her departure, Raulproposed to Felicita giving her an engagement ring just outside herapartment. Felicita said yes. Felicita went back to Guaynabo, Puerto Ricoand announced her engagement to her parents Ines and Andres Varela, and toher eight brothers and four sisters! They honeymooned in Guajataca PuertoRico and were back in Brooklyn within days. They continued to live with Tioand a year later their first born Milton was born followed by Nivia. Shortlyafter Nivia's birth they moved into their own place near Tio. Together theyhad five children: Milton, Nivia, Sonia, Juny (Harold Jr.), and Ines.Tragically Milton Sanchez died in 1983 while working with the Brooklyn UnionGas Company. He was hit by a car. Today the Sanchez family is in closeproximity of each other. Mom and dad live with Ines and her husband Ken whowho have two sons, Kenny and Jamie Cavanagh. They have a lovelymother/daughter home in South Plainfield New Jersey. Nivia came to live withme in Tenafly, New Jersey and is now living alone just down the street in anapartment, and Juny is still in Sunset Park Brooklyn. He has two daughters,Jessica and Nadine, and another daughter on the way, (due date in July). Asfor me and my husband Mel, together we have two daughters, Chelsea age 13and Renee age 11. I hope everyone is well. It was great seeing Al, Auraand Virginia at my parent's 50th wedding anniversary. I do talk with Raqueloccasionally; I know her kids are doing great. I would love to hear fromany Sanchez willing to re-connect. Love to you all.Sonia Sanchez-Ruffini

Welcome

Welcome to the Sanchez Family Blog or Sanchezfamilytree@blogspot.com. You can post text or pictures (and probably a whole lot more) here. I am going to post Sonia and my mother's stuff. Feel free to add a new post or respond to an existing one.
Lauren