What is the best way to find out about direct descendants of Juan Bautista DeAnza?

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I am a direct descendant of Juan Bautista DeAnza, founder of the Presidio Mission of San Francisco. I have begun research to trace my roots. I have recently met a 2nd cousin, once removed, who spoke in Tubac, Arizona at the 200 Anniversary for DeAnza's mission from Tubac, AZ to San Francisco. I am interested in speaking with anyone with info. I would like photos, articles, coat of arms info, book names, and anthing else that might aid my research. I am primarily interested in meeting as many of the still alive descendants of Colonel Juan Buatista DeAnza.

-- Maura Harris (scorpiorunner@yahoo.com), April 26, 1998

Answers

I would visit Pamela Storm Wolfskill's excellent genealogy web site at . One of the volunteers has access to the Mutnick books, which was an attempt to derive the ancestors from the Anza expedition.

-- Ron Filion (rfilion@geocities.com), April 27, 1998.

Dear Prima Maura Harris,

I too am a descendant of several members of the de Anza expedition. One way to connect with Californio cousins is to join the group Los Californianos. We are having a meeting here in Monterey Jan. 2003. Go to the bottom of my web site for more info., http://www.solideas.com/ Another way is to contact Don Garate of the Tumacácori National Historical Park. He is an expert on Anza. Vaya con Dios, Greg Smestad de Bernal, gsmestad@solideas.com

-- Greg P. Smestad, Ph.D. (gsmestad@solideas.com), December 28, 2002.


De Anza lived in his later life and died in Arispe, Sonora, Mexico. There is a mummy in the old Kino mission church there that is reported to be his. I understand there is some controversy about that but he did live and die in that area. The church records would be a good place to start.

-- D. A. Martinich (dutchm@dcn.org), December 30, 2002.

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