When I was just a small kid I used to hear my mother Sanjuana Tanguma Lopez tell the story of how Luis Zamora died. Luis was my mothers half uncle since he and her father Juan Tanguma where half brothers. Their fathers name was Yldefonso Zamora Mendoza. Luis’s baptism record was the key to finding who Yldefonso’s parents where. The following image can be found in the 24th Baptismal Book of La Parroquia de Mier in Ciudad Mier, Tamaulipas, Mexico.
Baptism Image:
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| Click to enlarge. |
Transcription:
| No 164 Luis Zamora Rios |
En la Yglesia Parroquial de Mier Tam. a los doce dias del mes de Noviembre
de mil novecientos veintedos el infrascrito cura Economo de ella bautizo
solemnemente a un nino quien puso por nombre Luis nacido en esta
ciudad en el veinte cinco de Agosto de mil novecientos veinteuno, hijo
natural de Yldefonso Zamora y Felipa Rios. Abuelos paternos Ga-
bino Zamora y Paula Mendoza. Abuelos Maternos Andres Rios y Pi-
lar Gonzalez advirtio su obligacion y parentesco espirit-
tual a los padrinos que fueron Francisco y Ramona Gonzalez Pa-
ra constancia lo Firmo
               Padre L. Llamas Flores |
Death at an early age:
According to my mother, family lore states that the day that Luis died there was a dance (baile) in El Nogalito, Municipio de Miguel Aleman Tamaulipas, a nearby town only a few miles away from La Mecca (the Zamora’s ranch).
She stated that that night Luis went to the dance and that while there someone cut open his throat with a knife. He was in his teens, about 17 years old, when this happened. She stated that Luis died in his mothers arms. My mother stated that Luis’s mother, Felipa Rios,  keep her clothing and his clothes all covered with blood.
She stated that when ever she would bring them out she would weep due to a pain only known to mothers whose children have died. When asked my mother stated that they never found out who killed Luis.
