Greetings from Close By the Mormon Mexican Colonies

[Navidad]

Good evening: I just discovered this forum and am very impressed by the content, tenor, and tone of the threads. I am a Mennonite who is very interested in LDS doctrine and history. I have a number of questions with which I would appreciate some help. I look forward to what all have to say. I was probably the only Mennonite at this year's MHA conference and was the only participant there from Mexico. I do firesides in the LDS wards here in the colonies and did I mention, I have lots of questions. I guess I have to get to 25 posts before I can ask them. Just remember, the Whitmers were Mennonites and Brethren before they were Mormons! Maybe I can too can some day be a witness (get it?) Oh, never mind. I look forward to learning from all of you. Any descendants here from the Mexican colonies?  Just as proof of my location, I offer this photo of Pancho Villa and LDS Colonists! Probably the only photo of him in a bathing suit in the world! 

[Robert F. Smith]

Welcome, Navidad.  Here are some stories of Pancho Villa and the Mormons:

http://www.orsonprattbrown.com/MexRev/pancho-villa1878-1923.html .

I have met Mennonites from time to time, and found them to be good people.  I particularly recall meeting a couple of young Mennonite men from Kibbutz Nes Ammim in Israel in about 1970.  It was a Mennonite kibbutz.

[pogi]

Greetings to you Navidad, and welcome to the board!  It is always nice to hear from new voices and perspectives.  I am particularly excited to learn more about Mennonites, so I hope that we can benefit from each other's perspectives 

[Navidad]

13 hours ago, Robert F. Smith said:

Welcome, Navidad.  Here are some stories of Pancho Villa and the Mormons:

http://www.orsonprattbrown.com/MexRev/pancho-villa1878-1923.html .

I have met Mennonites from time to time, and found them to be good people.  I particularly recall meeting a couple of young Mennonite men from Kibbutz Nes Ammim in Israel in about 1970.  It was a Mennonite kibbutz.

Hi Robert: Thanks for the welcome. I have used that orsonprattbrown page many times in my research. I hope to write a book about him. He was probably the most powerful and influential Mormon in and around the Mormon colonies. He worked for the secret service of both the Mexican and US government. I just went over to Dublan the other and found his grave. He also was at one time excommunicated. Very complex man and life. Take care and again, thanks for the welcome. 

 

[Navidad]

13 minutes ago, pogi said:

Greetings to you Navidad, and welcome to the board!  It is always nice to hear from new voices and perspectives.  I am particularly excited to learn more about Mennonites, so I hope that we can benefit from each other's perspectives 

Thanks Pogi. I appreciate the welcome. I look forward to learning from you all and contributing my thoughts and questions as i am able. Take care.

[strappinglad]

Welcome to the board. We have quite a few Mennonites in my area as well as a number of " Mexican Mennonites " that work on farms around Southern Alberta.

[Rain]

I am not from the colonies, but I have quite a few people from my ward that are.  It's fun to hear about their lives. 

[Navidad]

42 minutes ago, Rain said:

I am not from the colonies, but I have quite a few people from my ward that are.  It's fun to hear about their lives. 

The folks in the colonies are wonderful people who are working on a better understanding of their past and establishing a vision for their future. I spend at least four hours a day studying the history of the colonies. 

 

[Navidad]

59 minutes ago, Rain said:

I am not from the colonies, but I have quite a few people from my ward that are.  It's fun to hear about their lives. 

The folks in the colonies are wonderful people who are working on a better understanding of their past and establishing a vision for their future. I spend at least four hours a day studying the history of the colonies. 

I see by my avatar and profile listing that I am officially "without form or void."  That sounds like I was created "ex nihilo" out of nothing. Isn't that contrary to Mormon beliefs about matter? Just joking! 

[ALarson]

On 8/27/2017 at 10:12 PM, Navidad said:

Good evening: I just discovered this forum and am very impressed by the content, tenor, and tone of the threads. I am a Mennonite who is very interested in LDS doctrine and history. I have a number of questions with which I would appreciate some help. I look forward to what all have to say. I was probably the only Mennonite at this year's MHA conference and was the only participant there from Mexico. I do firesides in the LDS wards here in the colonies and did I mention, I have lots of questions. I guess I have to get to 25 posts before I can ask them. Just remember, the Whitmers were Mennonites and Brethren before they were Mormons! Maybe I can too can some day be a witness (get it?) Oh, never mind. I look forward to learning from all of you. Any descendants here from the Mexican colonies?  

Hi Navidad (and welcome to the forum!),

I have enjoyed reading all of your posts and love having your perspective here 

Both of my grandparents were born in the Mexican colonies (polygamous families). 

My grandfather was born in Pacheco, Chihuahua, Mexico, and told some wild stories of being driven out in 1912 (he was actually shot and wounded fleeing and riding bare back....at the age of 13).

My grandmother was born in Colonia Juarez, Mexico (she was an Eyring).

I have a few books on the Mexican colonies and have studied some about their history, so I am enjoying anything you post here about them.  I would certainly love to hear you speak on this topic too!

Edited August 29, 2017 by ALarson

[Navidad]

2 minutes ago, ALarson said:

Hi Navidad (and welcome to the forum!),

I have enjoyed reading all of your posts and love having your perspective here 

Both of my grandparents were born in the Mexican colonies (polygamous families). 

My grandfather was born in Pacheco, Chihuahua, Mexico, and told some wild stories of being driven out in 1912 (he was actually shot and wounded fleeing and riding bare back....at the age of 13).

My grandmother was born in Colonia Juarez, Mexico (she was an Eyring).

I have a few books on the Mexican colonies and have studied some about their history, so I am enjoying anything you post here about them.  I would certainly love to hear you speak on this topic them too!

Thanks so very much for the welcome and kind words. I was in Pacheco last week with our local bishop and a group seeking their heritage. There is a brand new highway that ends right at the Pacheco cemetery.  The new road will certainly change the areas of Cave Valley, Pacheco, and Garcia. It will also make it much easier to get to Chuichupa, my personal colony favorite. From your description I know exactly who your grandfather was and could give you the details fo what happened to him. I presented a talk at the annual MHA meeting on the Exodus of 1912. It will appear in the MHA Journal in 2018 as an expanded article. I love the colony history and have written many brief articles on specific events that I found interesting. 

[ALarson]

1 minute ago, Navidad said:

Thanks so very much for the welcome and kind words. I was in Pacheco last week with our local bishop and a group seeking their heritage. There is a brand new highway that ends right at the Pacheco cemetery.  The new road will certainly change the areas of Cave Valley, Pacheco, and Garcia. It will also make it much easier to get to Chuichupa, my personal colony favorite. From your description I know exactly who your grandfather was and could give you the details fo what happened to him. I presented a talk at the annual MHA meeting on the Exodus of 1912. It will appear in the MHA Journal in 2018 as an expanded article. I love the colony history and have written many brief articles on specific events that I found interesting. 

Oh wow!  I would love to hear anything you have (regarding my grandfather or any other articles you've written about the colonies).  Do you have any links to your writings that you can post?  You can also PM me any info you have (especially about my grandfather ).

I found this book to be the most helpful regarding the history of the colonies:

Mormon Colonies in Mexico 

by Thomas Cottam Romney  

Are there any others that you'd recommend?

[Navidad]

4 minutes ago, ALarson said:

Oh wow!  I would love to hear anything you have (regarding my grandfather or any other articles you've written about the colonies).  Do you have any links to your writings that you can post?  You can also PM me any info you have (especially about my grandfather ).

I found this book to be the most helpful regarding the history of the colonies:

Mormon Colonies in Mexico 

by Thomas Cottam Romney  

Are there any others that you'd recommend?

Nelle Spilsbury Hatch's books on Colonia Juarez and Stalwarts South of the Border and Hannah Call's book on Dublan are very interesting and helpful. The Romney book you mention is a classic. Joseph Barnard Romney and Fred Woods have written excellent and candid books about the exodus. Dr. Hatch's book "Medico" is wonderful. He has many intimate stories of both his amazing family and of the colonies themselves. His son is now the bishop of Colonia Juarez. There is also a wonderful new book on Chuichupa by a Martineau.  The leadership of the Church has asked the colonists to put together a historical committee to put together new historical material on the colonies. That will be a major effort. The Church History Department is offering support to them. I am the unofficial historical "he's not Mormon so we can't make him a member" adviser to the committee. 

My only caution would be that the pioneer diaries and journals are not always accurate from a geographical, chronological, or general historical perspective.  Dates, locations, people involved are often confused. Sometimes things are recounted as they wish they had happened. I hope you will understand my saying that. It is without criticism in any way. Read those stories for the enjoyment they provide and realize that not everything bad that happened, was at the hands of a revolutionary or red-flagger.  I think it will also help to understand that there is a Mexican perspective on just about everything that often differs from that of the Saints. That is not a criticism either. I would say the exact same thing about the Mennonites who came here to Chihuahua, of which there are more than 100,000 Anglo-Mennonites here now. 

Sorry, I write too much. I would be happy to send you some of what I, and others have written.  best, Phil

[ALarson]

6 minutes ago, Navidad said:

Nelle Spilsbury Hatch's books on Colonia Juarez and Stalwarts South of the Border and Hannah Call's book on Dublan are very interesting and helpful. The Romney book you mention is a classic. Joseph Barnard Romney and Fred Woods have written excellent and candid books about the exodus. Dr. Hatch's book "Medico" is wonderful. He has many intimate stories of both his amazing family and of the colonies themselves. His son is now the bishop of Colonia Juarez. There is also a wonderful new book on Chuichupa by a Martineau.  The leadership of the Church has asked the colonists to put together a historical committee to put together new historical material on the colonies. That will be a major effort. The Church History Department is offering support to them. I am the unofficial historical "he's not Mormon so we can't make him a member" adviser to the committee. 

My only caution would be that the pioneer diaries and journals are not always accurate from a geographical, chronological, or general historical perspective.  Dates, locations, people involved are often confused. Sometimes things are recounted as they wish they had happened. I hope you will understand my saying that. It is without criticism in any way. Read those stories for the enjoyment they provide and realize that not everything bad that happened, was at the hands of a revolutionary or red-flagger.  I think it will also help to understand that there is a Mexican perspective on just about everything that often differs from that of the Saints. That is not a criticism either. I would say the exact same thing about the Mennonites who came here to Chihuahua, of which there are more than 100,000 Anglo-Mennonites here now. 

I completely agree with your analysis on the writings.  Thanks so much for all the book recommendations....I'll look them up!

7 minutes ago, Navidad said:

I would be happy to send you some of what I, and others have written.

That would be excellent...thanks again.

[Navidad]

2 minutes ago, ALarson said:

I completely agree with your analysis on the writings.  Thanks so much for all the book recommendations....I'll look them up!

That would be excellent...thanks again.

OK - I believe this is now my 25th post so I may be officially out of posting purgatory. I hope I can now edit, because my old fingers deserve a chance to atone for their sins! 

[Navidad]

Just now, Navidad said:

OK - I believe this is now my 25th post so I may be officially out of posting purgatory. I hope I can now edit, because my old fingers deserve a chance to atone for their sins! 

Yes! Like magic the edit button appears from nowhere which only proves that matter is permanent! Sometimes hidden, but permanent! 

 

[ALarson]

6 minutes ago, Navidad said:

OK - I believe this is now my 25th post so I may be officially out of posting purgatory.

Free!!!  

You can also now receive rep points....I already gave you a couple!

[Navidad]

4 minutes ago, ALarson said:

Free!!!  

You can also now receive rep points....I already gave you a couple!

Thanks, just what exactly is a ""rep point?" Does that mean "Yeah, he got to 25 posts, now we won't have to hear from him so much?"
 

[ALarson]

2 minutes ago, Navidad said:

Thanks, just what exactly is a ""rep point?" Does that mean "Yeah, he got to 25 posts, now we won't have to hear from him so much?"
 

Ha....no, it means you agree with what is written in the post or just enjoyed reading it 

[Calm]

Or think they earned a pat on the back for research.

[Rain]

3 hours ago, ALarson said:

Ha....no, it means you agree with what is written in the post or just enjoyed reading it 

Or that one expressed their view well. Or that I appreciate a reply to my question etc.