Yldefonso Zamora Mendoza and Elena Tanguma Ramirez – A Love Story

This is a story about my great grandparents Yldefonso Zamora Mendoza and Elena Tanguma Ramirez. Growing up I had heard the following story over and over again from my mother San Juana Tanguma and this is how I remember hearing it;

One day Elena was getting water from the ranch’s pond, when Yldefonso saw her as he passed by and since no one else was around he took advantage of her by raping her. As a result she ended up pregnant with my grandfather Juan Tanguma. It is said by my mother San Juana Tanguma that my great-grandmother Elena Tanguma did not want my grandfather and when he was born trew him against a mesquite to try to kill him. Then his brother Toribio Tanguma my grandfather’s uncle took him away from her and raised him up as his own son and even gave him his last name. Elena never married and she only had my grandfather. When Juan was older he recognized Yldefonso as his father and also recognized all his half brothers.

Then one day my cousin Eddie Tanguma told me a different story and I tried to correct it but it turned out that his dad (my uncle) was right. The following story is the correct one and this is how my aunt Ernestina Tanguma (the eldest of my mothers siblings) said it happened;

Yldefonso and Elena met and he tried to court her but every-time that he would build up the courage to go and visit her, Elena’s mother Leandra Ramirez would chase him off with a machete in hand. She was very protective of her and never approved that he would have anything to do with her daughter. Then one day Yldefonso stole her and they left to Zacatecas where he was from. Unfortunately at that time the Mexican Revolution was in full swing and they had to come back to Tamaulipas. The reasons are not clear but she came back to her parents home and by that time she was pregnant with my grandfather Juan Tanguma. Leandra was the midwife when Juan was born and once she had the baby in her hands she ran outside the Jacal and threw him against one of the orcones (supporting mesquite wood beam) of the front porch trying to kill him since such was her hate for Yldefonso and her disapproval of their relationship. When she noticed that the baby was still alive she ran to grab him to finish what she started but her son Toribio Tanguma got to him first and protected the baby. The baby had an arm and several broken ribs.

My aunt stated that she meet her grandfather Yldefonso and that he used to say that he would always be in love with Elena and that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever meet. My aunt states that she never meet her since she stated that she and her parents lived in Texas around the Corpus Christi area. My mother remembers seeing her once when she visited the family and she stated that she was very beautiful with real pretty blond hair. She is buried in the cemetery of Los Trevinos, Tamaulipas, Mexico but her grave has no dates on it and I have not been able to find any additional information on her parents, her brother or her. The search is not over and I hope to interview the rest of my aunts and uncles.

Yldefonso did marry again in 1920 and I will be posting the transcription of that document soon. You can also see his family group on my previous post.

Why two Stories?

Well my grandfather Juan Tanguma was born out of wedlock and her mother Leandra Tanguma tried to conceal the truth from everyone, by instead saying that her daughter had been raped. People at the ranch in Mexico see me and mention to me that I am pure Zamora and that I look exactly like the Zamora’s. I don’t mind since they have told me and my siblings that same thing since we were kids. Just wandering if there is a third story if anyone knows another version please let me know.