Barbarosa
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Lost Espinoza History?
Well, lost to me anyway. I wonder if anyone here knows anything about it.
I had a very good friend, David "Oluf" Olufson. He lived up here in California's Gold Country and traveled to Baja not infrequently. We had plans to
make a trip together but it never happened. He died on one of our 2-lane roads up here back in 2008 at age 52.
Oluf told me of how he was fairly closely related to "Mama" Espinoza, like she was a cousin or an aunt or something. Seems that a few generations
ago, an ascendent in his Scandinavian (I'm thinking Norwegian) family went to Baja and married into the Espinoza clan. So he's got a bunch of family
down there.
Sadly, I never wrote down what Oluf told me about it. (Had we made our trip to El Rosario together I most certainly would have known.) And I've
never remembered to ask "Mama" about it. (And I don't seem to find anything in her autobiography about it.)
I wonder if anyone here knows a thing about it (or could ask the family).
A few little tidbits about Oluf: He played a a mean fiddle. Was a story teller par excellence. (He would say, "Don't get me going on interesting
stories unless you have a lot of time.")
Just months before he died, he hopped on his 1925 Harley and joined a buddy who drove a Model-T from California to Indiana in honor that car's 100th
anniversary. Oluf continued all the way across on US 50 to Ocean City, MD on that ancient bike.
TIA for any info you might have.
Barbarosa
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toneart
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Maybe David "Elinvestig8r" knows. 
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Baja Bucko
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The first "Scandinavian" that comes to mind is the Meling family (Norway).....in the 1920-30s there were marriages between several Melings and folks
out and about in the Colonett-ER area.... The Johnson family also comes into my old brain but it has been years since doing genealogical research in
that part of BCN.
My other 4WD is a Baja Mule!
La Mula Mil Survivor 2013-2014!
1000 miles by mule from the tip to Tecate!
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David K
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On pages 46-47 of 'Anita The El Rosario Legend'
Anita's (Mama's) father (Eduardo Grosso) tells the story of his landing in Buenos Aires, Argentina where he met a Norweigian ship's carpenter,
Salvador 'Chips' Meling...
"When Anita, the youngest of the Grosso children, was born in El Rosario on October 16, 1910, Chips Meling became her godfather..."
[this book by Martin Barron c2002, is the one Anita told me is the true story of her life]
In another book, Mama (Anita) Espinoza's autobiography, called 'Reflections' c1994 begins with her father's arrival in Santa Rosalia in 1880 and has
no mention of Chips Meling or her having a godfather. Of special interest is where she gives her birth year as 1908... making her 102 now (or 100 per
the 'true' book).
So, Salvador 'Chips' Meling (of Norway) was her godfather, per the 2002 book.
[Edited on 5-17-2011 by David K]
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Barbarosa
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Baja Bucko
The first "Scandinavian" that comes to mind is the Meling family (Norway).....in the 1920-30s there were marriages between several Melings and folks
out and about in the Colonett-ER area.... The Johnson family also comes into my old brain but it has been years since doing genealogical research in
that part of BCN. |
Meling sounds likely. (I think if he'd said Johnson I'd remember it (or at least it'd resonate.)
Thanks for the info.
Barbarosa
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David K
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Um, any thoughts on what the book Mama sold me said
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Barbarosa
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Um, any thoughts on what the book Mama sold me said :?: |
I thought it seemed complementary.
(I have the Reflections book and concluded as you did.)
Your information seems to fit with subsequent intermarrying which would produce the situation Oluf seemed to be describing.
Thanks.
Barbarosa
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Barbarosa
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Thanks very much to those who helped me out on this (online and off).
I bought a copy of "Where the Old West Never Died," and it just showed up. So I've just gotten into it but already ran into a pretty interesting
tidbit. From p. 16, regarding Harry Johnson, upon leaving Del Rio and arriving in Baja:
"When some of the nearby colonists became discouraged he bought their holdings, mainly for the fencing and buildings. Among these were the Gus
Eliofson place...."
It strikes me that esp given the way names morphed over the generations, esp old European names of immigrants, it's not much of a stretch to get from
Eliofson to my friend David's surname, Olofson.
Barbarosa
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Debra
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You could stop by and have a visit with Mama herself maybe.
Or give a shout out to Baja Cactus here at Nomad's, his family has lived in El R his whole life and can tell you many, many stories. Most probably
only around a campfire with no recording devices,present though, right DK? 
Mean people suck!
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Barbarosa
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Debra
You could stop by and have a visit with Mama herself maybe.
Or give a shout out to Baja Cactus here at Nomad's, his family has lived in El R his whole life and can tell you many, many stories.
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Sounds good to me.
(When we were thru there earlier this year, my impression was that Mama wasn't up to much visiting.)
Barbarosa
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Bajahowodd
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Given her age, I can thoroughly understand that she is not interested in every off-roader, or fisherman passing through, who wants to tell everyone on
their Facebook account that they met her.
But, those who are genuinely interested in the history of her family and of El Rosario just need to make that clear when they visit.
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