The Morales

Beatriz married Francisco Morales (1899-1990) in Tucson at La Sagrada Familia (Holy Family Church) on April 7, 1923. The Carmelites from Cataluña were then administering that parish. Francisco Morales was born in 1899 in Ures, Sonora. He went to Safford Elementary School and after 6th grade went to work as did his brothers to contribute to the support of the family. Just before marrying Beatriz Zepeda, he was offered a position with the Mexican Southern Pacific railroad as an accountant stationed in Guaymas and later in Tepic, Mexico. He and his wife soon wished to return to the United States. In 1928 he took the train from Tucson to San Diego to interview for a position there. When the train arrived in Yuma, Arizona, it broke down. Francisco went to the San Carlos Cafe and there met Mr. Sanguinetti who asked him to stay and manage his men's department store. Francisco and his family were in Yuma from 1928 to 1944. When he returned to Tucson he worked as a haberdasher for Dave Bloom and Sons until his retirement.

Francisco's mother was Matilde Zepeda. There is a very curious story about his mother, Matilde. She was adopted by Francisco's wife's uncle! The story goes that Diego Gastélum, Matilde's father, had many daughters. Manuel Zepeda, Beatriz Zepeda's uncle, was married to Diego's sister. They had no children. Diego said that if he had another girl, he would let Manuel adopt her. Thus, Matilde was raised a Zepeda. The Zepedas sent young Matilde to board in Tucson at St. Joseph's Academy. Matilde met Jesus Morales (1866-1930) of Ures, Sonora, and married him in 1890. Alex Jácome, a well-known Tucson merchant, would tell the story of how Jesus Morales loved his horse more than anything else in the world. Jesus was a horse vet and had inherited land along the Sonora River. Although it has never been fully documented, the Morales were said to be of Sephardic origin. They were related to the Gándaras, Pesquiras and Estrellas of Sonora's history.

Beatriz and Francisco had four children: Elda (1924), Alfia (1926), Herman (1928), and Oscar-Ernesto (1933). Oscar is my father.