By Mary Torres, Special to the Star
The Rio Grande Valley Hispanic Genealogical Society meets at 1:30 p.m. today at the Harlingen Arts & Heritage Museum, 2425 Boxwood St. After a short business meeting, Roberto R. Canales will present, “Cavazos Family History: Discoveries From 40 Years of Research.” Mr. Canales was born in Kingsville, but grew up in Hebbronville, where he graduated from high school in 1962. He received a B.S. degree in Secondary Education with majors in Chemistry and Math from Texas A&I, Kingsville.
After teaching for one and a half years, Roberto began working as a chemist for Dow Chemical in Freeport, Texas, where he retired in October 1997. He and his wife, Isabel Cavazos Canales, live in Richmond, TX and they have two sons, Roberto, Jr., and Richard. Roberto’s hobbies include travel, photography, genealogy, writing chapbooks and books, but most importantly a daily commitment to reading and studying the Holy Bible.
The meeting is free and open to the public. The society will be celebrating the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month and invite you to come and enjoy the talk, festivities, and refreshments. For more information call 956-345-4756.
The RGV Byliners and the Harlingen Public Library, 410 ’76 Drive, invite you to an evening of poetry reading and sharing at the Harlingen Public Library on Tuesday, September 17, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Poems must be family-friendly and poets of all ages are welcome! Refreshments will be provided. Please call Eva Bielicke at (956) 216-5823 to let her know you are planning to attend. The event is free and open to the public. For more information visit http://rgvbyliners.org/.
The Tip O’ Texas Genealogical Society will meet at the Harlingen Public Library, 410 ’76 Drive on Thursday, September 19 at 10:15 a.m., for a program by Eric Garza, Cameron County District Clerk, “A Review of Preserved Historical Documents from the Office of the District Clerk.”
Garza will talk about the ongoing project to digitize historic civil and criminal cases in Cameron County from 1850 to 1917. These cases offer a rare window to the life and times of the Rio Grande Valley during its frontier days and there’s no telling what history buffs and genealogists can discover as these files become more accessible.
Garza took office as District Clerk for Cameron County on January 1, 2015. He has served Cameron County since 1991 when he began his career as a Deputy County Clerk and then as a Deputy District Clerk in 1995. Garza, continuously looking for self-improvement, graduated from the TSC–UTB Police Academy as a Licensed Texas Peace Officer. He served Cameron County as a Reserve Deputy Constable for Precinct No. 1 in 2010 and then as a Reserve Deputy Constable for Precinct No. 4 in 2013.
In addition, Garza received his Texas Real Estate License in 2007 and is a part-time real estate agent. Garza, born and raised in Brownsville, is family-oriented and the proud father of a beautiful nineteen-year old daughter. He is a strong supporter of community involvement and has also participated in the Brownsville Opportunity Youth Soccer Association (BOYSA) and the National Hispanic Professionals Organization (NHPO.) The meeting is free and open to the public. Please come and invite a friend. For more information visit the society’s Facebook Page.
The Texas State Genealogical Society, due to popular demand, has extended its conference early bird registration to midnight tomorrow, September 16. The 2019 Family History Conference, “Blazing Family Trails,” will be held October 11 – 13 at the Omni Houston Hotel Westside. This jam-packed event includes valuable research opportunities, insightful family history sessions for all skill levels, workshops and a full exhibit hall. I’m honored and pleased to have been selected as one of the conference speakers! TSGS members automatically receive an additional conference discount. Not a member? join now! Visit www.txsgs.org/2019-conference for more information.
