TREASURES

Rev. Jose V. Espada Marrero
Maternal Grandfather

Hi! I am Kelvin Morales (for those whom I have never met). During my childhood, I was fortunate to meet both sets of grandparents. They both created memories to cherish. Though I wish today that they would have lingered a while longer, so I could ask questions about their life growing up, I do not consider it a regret.

My maternal grandfather was from Barranquitas, Puerto Rico, served God as a missionary and pastor for most of his life. He gave and left many treasures to those whom he loved. The following passage of scripture is one of the treasures that he handed out freely and liberally: Proverbs 4:23.

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

Manuel Morales Morales
Paternal Grandfather

My paternal grandfather was a farmer from Naranjito, Puerto Rico. I recall his main crop to be tobacco, plantain and a variety of roots. One anecdote about him I learned recently while checking out the family tree. This story I heard from my first cousin Jorge Santini (Gogie); no, he is not the mayor of San Juan but related. Gogie told me the following: When abuelo (Spanish for grandfather) was looking for a wife, he went to the municipality of Corozal. Reason being that he noticed the physical out come of the children born to parents with very close bloodlines; he did not want the same results for his descendants. Therefore, he goes to Corozal to find himself a bride. How long it took the storyteller did not say; I believe he did not know. Te lo digo como me lo vendieron / I am sharing the same way as I was told. My cousin tells me that while at Corozal abuelo saw this beauty of a woman and said this is the one and that was that.

My uncle Eliseo, my grandfathers youngest, visited the island this past Christmas and he completed the story. The rest of the story; ever heard this saying? He tells me that abuelo asked a distant cousin of his, Dr Pablo Morales-Otero, if he could find out for him if his wife, my paternal grandmother, was some how related to him. Dr Pablo Morales-Otero reported, yes your wife is a distant relative of yours. Like we say here, “tanto nadar para morir en la orilla”. In my genealogical search, I discovered the following: My grandmothers parents were Martin Nieves and Juana de Dios Suarez. Juana’s parents were Don Florentino Suarez and Casimira Morales. Abuelo without knowing did what he was avoiding in the first place, marrying within the same bloodline.