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This is the romantic story of my maternal grandparents. At one time I thought there was nothing to tell about them but as you will see, there are many interesting stories. Some sad, some romantic and some heartwarming.

Around the year 1850, three Escobosa brothers left Spain for Mexico to find a new life in the new world. When they arrived they separated. One to Sonora, one to Sinaloa and one to Durango. Each of these men were adventurous and proficient in business and each became wealthy in their separate enterprises.

Genero Escobosa became engages in mining and owned stock in various mines. However, during the uprising of troops in Pancho Villa's time, had to give up his business suddenly and retire to the grocery and banking businesses with the help of a son. This son had a store in San Dimas, Durango, "Escobosa and Burnes Department Store" and Genaro and other members of the family worked at the store, including my grandfather, Jose Antonio Carlos Manriquez.

Don Jose Antonio Escobosa, another brother, was also engaged in mining and became extreme wealthy. He had three wives who produced 5 children with each. The first two died in childbirth and their names are not known. The third wife was Esperanza Pico. Jose Antonio was also a romanticists. He met, fell in love and took for his mistress, Regina Catalan. With her they produced 3 children which then gave him a total of 18 children. My maternal great-grandfather was a product of this romance.

We don't know much about Regina except that she was born in Catalona, Spain. During some research while in Spain I could not find a Catalan family but I did find an Antonio Catalan who was an attorney in 1545 who was responsible for establishing the archives of Spain by order of King Carlos I. It is possible Regina was a descendant of this Antonio and I continue to search for her family. If anyone reading this can help in the search, I would love to hear from you.

The three children born to Don Antonio and Regina were Placido, Leonor and Jeronimo. Because of the romance, these children refused to take the name Escobosa and, instead, took the surname of their mother. Thus the surname Catalan continues to present day.

Placido Catalan married Gertrudis Carrasco in El Rosario, Sinaloa, Mexico. They produced 14 children, the elldest daughter being my maternal grandmother, Josefa Catalan who was probably the most wonderful, kind, thoughtful, grandmother anyone could have. Mommie, as we called her, was born in 1884. She was very intelligent and at the age of 18 became a principal of a small school for boys and girls in San Dimas.

Josefa met Jose Antonio Carlos Manriquez on the beach in LaPaz, Baja California and they were married December 1906 in San Dima, Durango.

For the rest of the story, see The Manriquez Family or The Manriquez Children for more.