Jewish Puerto Ricans

DNA testing may reveal surprises and such is the case for husband and wife, Sonia Rosa-Velez and Eliud Bonilla, whose families have a long history of living in Puerto Rico. Learn how this couple and their families dealt with their surprising DNA results.

Tracing your Family Roots – Puerto Rico

Finding Aunt Della’s Correct Birth Year

By the time I met my Aunt Della around 1996, I was in my early 30s, and had been researching my family history for about two years. Aunt Della is the youngest sister of my paternal grandmother, Hattie and she is now the last living of my grandmother’s siblings. Three of her brothers were alive when I began my family history research. Though various conversations with Aunt Della, I have learned about my father’s family. She used 1910 as her birth year, but often said that she didn’t think that was correct. The births of Aunt Della and her siblings had been recorded in the family Bible by her mother, Mary Eliza Robinson Moore (1880-1920,) however this Bible was destroyed in a house fire. By the time she applied for a social security card in the 1960s, she had been using the birth year of 1910.

Early on in my research, I had located Aunt Della’s family on all the censuses available, including her name listed on the 1910, 1920, and 1930 censuses. But it would not be until about two years ago, that I would revisit the census records and reevaluate all the information given on this family. At this time, I looked at the date the census was recorded (May 9, 1910) and noticed that the age of Aunt Della was listed at ‘5-months.’ She had to have been born in 1909 I concluded. (See 1910 Census – Moore Family)

After this discovery, I had several phone conversations with Aunt Della, but I did not want to share this new finding over the phone. In 2007, our family had a reunion and I spoke about our family history, but did not mention this new finding because I felt it was better to talk to her in private first. During the past year, I had several phone conversations with her and intended to visit, but somehow never got around to it. Another family reunion arrived this past 4th of July weekend, and I again spoke at our family banquet about our history and DNA, but did not mention this age discovery. I had prepared poster boards displaying copies of family documents. After showing them to Aunt Della at the reunion, she asked for copies. On the next day, before leaving town, I visited her with copies of documents including the 1910 census.

Aunt Della was not surprised by this new birth year discovery which would make her 98 years old instead of 97. “Come back to see me real soon,” she said as I was about to leave her house. “You know I’m not far from 100,” she said with laughter in her voice. If she lives another year and a half, she will turn the big 100.

1930 Census - Moore Family

By 1930, Robert Moore had a third wife, Elizabeth Mitchell, whom he married on February 23, 1924, in Greensville County. Several of his children had married and left home (Washington, Hattie, Sarah, and Jack.)

1930 Census ~ Zion Township of Greensville County, Virginia

1920 Census - Moore Family

By the year 1920, all of the Moore children had been born. Mary Eliza Robinson Moore was pregnant during this year, but died from childbirth complications on March 7, 1920.

1920 Census ~ Zion Township of Greensville County, Virginia

1910 Census - Moore Family

By 1910, Washington Moore had died, and his son Robert had taken over the household and property and was also raising his children along with his wife Mary Eliza. Robert’s mother Ellen Moore was living in the household with the family. All of the children in this household lived to be grown, except for Kattie, who died around 1915 of whooping cough. This census was recorded on May 9, 1910 and Aunt Della Moore Richardson was listed as age 5 months. That would give her a birth year of 1909 instead of 1910. Since birth certificates were not generated in Virginia at this time, it was common to get birth years and dates mixed up.

1910 Census ~ Zion Township of Greensville County, Virginia

I informed Aunt Della of her correct age this past Sunday. Read more about the conversation as well as a discussion about getting one’s age corrected on the Afrigeneas discussion “Getting Aunt’s Birth Year Corrected.”

1900 Census - Moore Family

By 1900, Robert Moore had married Mary Eliza Robinson, the daughter of Joshua and Ersie Jane Providence Robinson. The married on February 2, 1899 in Greensville County. Charley Wilks was a son Washington and Ellen’s daughter, Martha. Emmet Moore, who was listed here as a nephew of Washington on the 1900 census, was the son of Luther Moore. Luther Moore was the son of Henry and Eliza Moore. Therefore, Washington and Henry Moore were probably brothers.

1900 Census ~ Zion Township of Greensville County, Virginia

1880 Census - Moore Family

By 1880, Grandma Ellen had a third child by Washington Moore named George, who was born around 1874. The Moore family had moved the Zion township of Greensville County possibly to the Liberty area where they remained the rest of their lives. Junious Scott was married by this time and Pleasant Lundy was living with his father Charles Lundy in Chesterfield County, Virginia.

1880 Census ~ Zion Township of Greensville County, Virginia