Colleen & Jeff's Roots

The family history of Jeff Greene and Colleen (Robledo) Greene.

  • Home
  • About
  • Surnames Referenced
  • People Referenced
  • Projects
You are here: Home / Archives for California

Confirming the Names of Great Grandfather José Robledo’s Parents

April 16, 2016 by Colleen Greene 3 Comments

Confirming the Names of Great Grandfather José Robledo’s Parents

A series of four records breaks down a 16 year research brick wall, allowing me to verify the names of my great-grandfather’s parents through evidence analysis.

People Referenced: Robledo Sanches, Jose Pablo (1879-1937), Robledo, Silverio (b. abt. 1854), Sanchez, Maria Jesus (b. abt. 1853)
Applicable Surnames: Robledo, Sanches
Filed Under: Colleen's Ancestors Topics: brickwalls, California, identity, Mexico

#52Ancestors: 2nd Great-Grandfather Leonard Jackson Harless Homesteaded in California

July 30, 2015 by Colleen Greene 2 Comments

#52Ancestors: 2nd Great-Grandfather Leonard Jackson Harless Homesteaded in California

Taking a California Homesteading class at the SoCal Genealogy Jamboree leads me to discover that my husband’s California pioneer 2nd great-grandfather received a homestead patent in Mariposa County.

People Referenced: Gann, Margaret (1830-1919), Gann, Pauline Adeline (1860-1938), Harless, Leonard Jackson (1858-1946), Harless, Miles Washington (1826-1891)
Applicable Surnames: Adkins, Broyles, Christler, Duncan, Gann, Harless, Lingel, Preiss
Filed Under: Jeff's Ancestors Topics: #52Ancestors (2015), California, homesteading, property

Grandfather Benjamin Robledo (1919-1990): Trying to Solve the Mystery of His Given Birth Name

April 19, 2015 by Colleen Greene 6 Comments

Grandfather Benjamin Robledo (1919-1990): Trying to Solve the Mystery of His Given Birth Name

For 15 years, I have beaten my head against a wall in total frustration at being unable to locate a birth record for my paternal grandfather, Benjamin Robledo (1919-1990). 14 months ago, I finally had a breakthrough that only confused things more. Yesterday, I obtained a copy of his original birth certificate.

People Referenced: Robledo, Benjamin (1919-1990)
Applicable Surnames: Compean, Nieto, Robledo, Sanches
Filed Under: Colleen's Ancestors Topics: births, California, given names

#52Ancestors: Beginning the Search for My Birth Mother, with Whom I Share Half the Same DNA

March 25, 2015 by Colleen Greene 17 Comments

#52Ancestors: Beginning the Search for My Birth Mother, with Whom I Share Half the Same DNA

This past Monday marked the anniversary of my parents bringing me home as a baby, which six months later resulted in my legal adoption. I have the best parents and family in the world, and have never felt the need to try to find my birth parents. Last week though, I I finally caved and began the process of identifying my biological family by taking an autosomal DNA test through Ancestry.com.

People Referenced: Robledo, Colleen

Filed Under: Colleen's Ancestors Topics: #52Ancestors (2015), adoption, birth parents, California, DNA, my genetic family

#52Ancestors: Grandmother Rosie Salas Married Benjamin Robledo Surprisingly Close to My Home

March 7, 2015 by Colleen Greene 2 Comments

#52Ancestors: Grandmother Rosie Salas Married Benjamin Robledo Surprisingly Close to My Home

Despite them both living in Los Angeles County, California, and Benjamin having a very large family in Los Angeles County, my grandparents Rosie Salas and Benjamin Robledo chose to marry in nearby Orange County. I found this out when I discovered their marriage record, which came as a big surprise to both me and my dad….because his parents married one city away from where I spent my entire childhood.

People Referenced: Robledo, Benjamin (1919-1990), Salas, Rosie (b. 1923)
Applicable Surnames: Cerna, Compean, Jimenez, Nieto, Ochoa, Robledo, Salas, Sanches
Filed Under: Colleen's Ancestors Topics: #52Ancestors (2015), California, marriages

Manuel Nieto Project #52Ancestors: The 1834 Breakup of Rancho Los Nietos in Alta California

February 27, 2015 by Colleen Greene 3 Comments

Manuel Nieto Project #52Ancestors: The 1834 Breakup of Rancho Los Nietos in Alta California

The third part in my ongoing Manuel Nieto Project — trying to prove or disprove my family relationship to this famous early Californian. A look at the initial 1784 Rancho Los Nietos land grant, and its subsequent 1834 breakup into multiple smaller ranchos throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties.


Applicable Surnames: Nieto
Filed Under: Colleen's Ancestors Topics: #52Ancestors (2015), Alta California, California, Hispanic, Manuel Nieto Project, Mexico, New Spain, Rancho Las Bolsas, Rancho Los Alamitos, Rancho Los Cerritos, Rancho Los Coyotes, Rancho Los Nietos, Rancho Palo Alto, Rancho Santa Gertrudes

#52Ancestors: George Walter Harless Plowing Through 1940s Yosemite

February 4, 2015 by Colleen Greene 5 Comments

#52Ancestors: George Walter Harless Plowing Through 1940s Yosemite

All my husband knew about his 1st great grand uncle is that he drove a snow plow in Yosemite. My father-in-law confirmed this, and told me that he thought his grandfather’s brother George had also been a miner in Madera. So when I saw the “plowing through” theme for this year’s 52 Ancestors project, I decided to try to find out a bit more about 1st great rand uncle George.

People Referenced: Harless, George Walter (1894-1976)
Applicable Surnames: Adkins, Broyles, Duncan, Gann, Harless, Hoffman, Lingel, Preiss, Tucker
Filed Under: Jeff's Ancestors Topics: #52Ancestors (2015), California, census records, obituaries, occupations

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 6
  • Next Page »

Let’s Chat Family History!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
Our Wedding

Subscribe To Email Updates

Receive updates delivered to your inbox! Your email address will not be shared.

Top Posts & Pages

  • #52Ancestors: Hanging Out in Jamestown Settlement with 11th Great Grandfather Richard Pace
    #52Ancestors: Hanging Out in Jamestown Settlement with 11th Great Grandfather Richard Pace
  • #52Ancestors: Fourth great-grandfather Jose Victoriano Compean exemplifies Mexican naming conventions
    #52Ancestors: Fourth great-grandfather Jose Victoriano Compean exemplifies Mexican naming conventions
  • #52Ancestors: DNA Proves Our Pace Research is Only Halfway Right
    #52Ancestors: DNA Proves Our Pace Research is Only Halfway Right
  • #52Ancestors: Confirming Revolutionary War Hero Nathanael Greene Is A Relative
    #52Ancestors: Confirming Revolutionary War Hero Nathanael Greene Is A Relative
  • A Look at Villa Hidalgo, SLP, Mexico, Where My 2nd Great-Grandparents Married in 1883
    A Look at Villa Hidalgo, SLP, Mexico, Where My 2nd Great-Grandparents Married in 1883

Latest Blog Posts

  • Yngenio Rascon, San Luis Potosí, Mexico: Birthplace of Great-Aunt Lupe Robledo September 8, 2017
  • Confirming the 1877 Marriage Date of 2nd Great Grandparents Silverio and Maria Jesus Sanchez April 25, 2016
  • Finding the Mexican Premarital Investigation Record for 2nd Great Grandparents Silverio Robledo and Maria Jesus Sanchez April 23, 2016
  • Confirming the Names of Great Grandfather José Robledo’s Parents April 16, 2016
  • A Hiatus, While Neck-Deep in Mexican Research April 13, 2016

RSS Colleen’s Professional Blog

  • Legacy Family Tree Webinar’s 2023 Mexico Research Series January 6, 2023
  • My 12/21 Webinar on Designing with Canva for Genealogy December 21, 2022
  • Getting the Most Out of U.S. Border Crossing Records for Mexican Genealogy November 28, 2022
  • Hispanic Naming Conventions: Dual Surnames November 22, 2022
  • Watch My Presentation on U.S. Immigration Records for Mexican Genealogy with Legacy Family Tree Webinars September 13, 2022

General Topics

#52Ancestors (2014) #52Ancestors (2015) Arizona birth parents births brickwalls California Canada cemeteries census records Christmas church records culinary traditions deaths DNA emigration employment Germany headstones Hispanic identity immigration Jamestown Manuel Nieto Project marriages Maryland Mexico Michigan military records mining my genetic family New Mexico New Spain New York Ohio orphans Pennsylvania property Revolutionary War school records surnames Texas Virginia WWI WWII

Most Cited Surnames

Adkins Allen Bodman Breed Broyles Burke Chope Compean Coon Darnley Dorris Duncan Fields Flanagan Gann Grasley Greene Haley Harless Hayes Hemphill Hoffman Jimenez Kennedy Lingel Lyman Lynch Mara McNamara Nieto Pace Powell Preiss Race Robledo Salas Sanches Sanford Smyth Teakle Tucker Wallace Ward Webster Young

© Copyright 2016 Colleen Greene · Powered by WordPress · Admin