Cuban Cousins - Part 1

I wrote this article a year ago to be posted in my "future family history blog." Much has happened in the last year. I have been in touch with several current PIÑA and BOOTH cousins. All of my BOOTH cousins have personally been through the "hell" that Spain, following along with Fidel Castro, put Cuba through in the last century. Some of these families came to the United States in the early 1960s to escape Castro's torment. Others remained in Cuba. The letter transcribed below relates some of this struggle.

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Rose Lamy Piña Booth

As I stated in a former post, my grandaunt Margarite PIÑA, was my family historian in the19th and 20th centuries. Her father, Ramon PIÑA, born in Cuba, emigrated to the United States in 1876 at the age of 29. Ramon’s mother, Rose LAMY, married a PIÑA, became a widow with three young children. These include a sister of Ramon, Lola PIÑA and a younger brother, Frederick A. PIÑA. 

Rose remarried Charles (Carlos) BOOTH and had three more children; Cecelia BOOTH, Edwardo BOOTH, and Emilia BOOTH.

My cousin, eldest grandchild of my grandparents inherited our family trunk loaded with documents and photos. He has shared many of these with me. There were two letters written to family in New York corresponding with Cuban cousins. One shared in this blog was written to Margarite PIÑA dated 25 July [19]67 and is full of the PIÑA/BOOTH family history from her half-cousin Sara BOOTH. 

“My dear Margarite:

Just rec.[eived] your letter of July 12^th with some interesting clippings. It is really the only source that we are getting news about Cuba, as the paper here, doesn’t even know where the island is located. 

I owe you a reply to another letter, which I must have misplaced. You are always so thoughtful in remembering us. As far as things go- we have no reason for complaint. Naturally, we do not have the comforts (the car, what I miss most). But we have our dear ones and besides all the food we want, while in Cuba, we were on a starvation diet.

On a separate paper, I will give you an outline of your father’s family. Papa had always told us, the older ones, about it for he was very fond of his brothers. I know all by heart, but still have to gather some things but will try to remember, and begin at the beginning. It is long though, believe me I am sending this. I found among my papers.

Miss Rose Lamy, lived in New Orleans with her parents. The father was a French man, her mother, I think, was from Cuba, as Rose, had relatives here and visited them. There

She met a man called Piña.  Forget it if was Ramon Piña and married. I don’t know if he was a Cuban or Spaniard. They had two sons and a daughter. The sons were Ramon and Federico and a daughter Lola who married young and had two daughters.

The son, Ramon, early, married a girl named Anita Multra, and had her daughters, Ana Rosa and Amelia. And they all lived in New York (or Brooklyn). In time they also married. Before all this, Piña, died, young, I guess. And the widow (yours and mine, grandmother) met an Englishman, who owned a plantation + sugar-mill and married him and had a son, Edward, and two daughters. The daughter married. The other did not. It seems that an account of our grandmother’s health, she did not like to live in the U.S. and lived here most of the time.

Time passed on – Charles Booth, the Englishman died – and left his plantation to his son Edward + daughter Emilia. In time Edward married a girl, Francisco (Cecilia) Balarich, (my mother) and moved with the plantation, a fine place – and Edward’s mother stayed with them part of the time.

I remember when my grandmother, died, I was about 5 years old, but I remember the funeral. She had been sick, quite a while - + was in bed most of the time and we were not allowed to enter her room. She had lung trouble.

One day, Uncle Ramon came to visit us. I remember that, and told us, how, Fred was 

O.K. and had a business of his own in New York. And that he had married and lived in Brooklyn. He afterwards, Ramon, knew all about the girl, he married. She was of German parents-+ was

a lovely girl, named Margaret [Gunther].

Meantime Edward, was busy having children and when Uncle Ramon made us another visit he told Edward, (my father), that, we should go to live in N.Y. Two things were getting in an awful condition in Cuba. The Cubans wanted their freedom from Spain.

There was trouble and killing etc. etc. Of course, by that time, Edward, my father, had 7 children, + he, your father, convinced him.

Some time after, we were living in good U.S. + we as children met some time – and at last Cuba, helped by the U.S. got her freedom from Spain. And Papa went + the island was a wreck. All from the plantation had been stolen or burned.

Years after your father Ramon made us a visit and invited me to go + spend time with you all + I went. There, I met Aunt Margaret, she was always so kind and sweet to me. And you all

also, made it pleasant for me. You, Margarite, were in High School + you were 17 years old and a very pretty girl. There was Sophie – and in fact all were very nice to me.

I remember I slept with you – but I think when your grandmother + grandfather left (who visited there [Frederick + Anna Gunther]. I got their little room. I guess I might have stayed a couple of months and enjoyed every day there. Dear Margarite, + Sophie, there I knew you look well and all of you and have never forgotten those pleasant days spent with you.

Please overlook the whole thing so badly written but I am quite busy all the time. Mrs. “Peachy”  [Doris - Sara’s daughter] is leaving for Weston where her husband works and will return on Monday. He lost his mother in Miami a couple of weeks ago.

Sara Booth

My love to you as ever.

Sara [Booth]”

What an eye opener this letter was! 

Here are more clues for my PIÑA line to research; yet, more questions to answer. Hopefully, this letter will bring more connections to the descendants of these two families.

I will write more about these ancestors and cousins when I find out more facts about them along with their stories.

EVERWOOD or EVERGREENS Cemetery of Brooklyn, New York

I am obsessed with graveyards or cemeteries. Whenever I am visiting family in other locations far from where I live; I ask for a trip to visit family who have moved on.

My brother does the rubbing, as my cousin looks on.

In 1999, I took a trip to New York to visit my paternal cousins. My cousin, Jack, along with my brother, mother and myself drove out to and walked into the office building of Evergreens Cemetery of Brooklyn, New York, to ask where the PIÑAs were located in the cemetery. The file card was pulled out and I wrote down the EIGHT names and burial dates with the location of the tombstone. We found the tombstone, but to my disappointment, with only three names engraved upon it. The gold attachment with the words “Endowment Fund” caught my attention. I find out that someone paid for the eternal care of this plot with regular care and maintenance which includes the cutting of grass, caring for trees, watering, roads, drainage, etc. of area around paid plot.

Now I want to know who paid for it and when the tombstone was put up. My guess is Aunt Margarite paid for this to be done after her death.Why are the other family members not remembered in such a memorial way? I realize some family members do not like cemeteries as to the sorrowful memories they associate with them. After 3 generations, we are forgotten. 

We later find, in cousin Jack's possession, the legal document from the cemetery stating where everyone is located. These plots were bought on 28 June 1917 by my grandaunt, Margarite Piña, for $170 in the assigned Nazareth 1618 section. There are four graves with the allotment of three per grave. 

In grave 1, there is Fred Walter COOPER (18 Aug 1921-29 Jan 1923) Obituary says Fred Walter Cooper. Death certificate states Fred Walter Cooper. Aunt Margarite labels him as Walter F. My mother overwrites Frederick Walter Cooper. Fred is the second son of John C. COOPER and Sophie R. PIÑA. Fred is my uncle. See blog post, John Carrick Cooper - Part 4, http://familyfilmfabricfood.blogspot.com/2016/06/john-carrick-cooper-1886-1969-part-4.html

Alexander Sisson Cooper

Second is A. Cooper or Alexander Sisson COOPER (3 Oct 1854- 28 Mar 1927). I have a copy of his death certificate. Alexander is my great grandfather.

There is one open plot.

Ramon Piña

In grave 2, with a tombstone, there is Pa or Ramon PIÑA (4 Sept 1847-7 June 1917). With the occurrence of her father’s death, Margarite bought these plots. I have a copy of his death certificate and obituary. Ramon Piña is my great grandfather.

Anna Brazy Gunther

Second is Grandma or Anna Maria BRAZY GUNTHER (24 Jul 1836-3 July 1919). I have a copy of her death certificate and obituary. Anna, Margaret Gunther’s mother, is my 2nd great-grandmother. 

Margaret Gunther Piña

Thirdly, is Mom or Margaret GUNTHER PIÑA (July 1867-26 Oct 1938). I have a copy of her death certificate and obituary. Margaret is my great-grandmother.

This plot is full.

Margarite Piña

In grave 3, Margarite PIÑA (27 July 1887-15 Aug 1980) is buried. She is the one who paid for this gravesite. She is my grandaunt. See blog post, 

Margarite PIÑA (18871980), 

http://familyfilmfabricfood.blogspot.com/2016_11_01_archive.html

There are two open plots.

In grave 4, there is John C. COOPER (5 Nov 1886-15 Jul 1968). I have a copy of his death certificate. Jack is my grandfather. See all six blog posts about John Carrick Cooper.

Sophie Piña Cooper

John Carrick Cooper

Second, is Sophie Ramona PIÑA 
COOPER (8 Dec 1888-29 Aug 1968). I have a copy of her death certificate. She was known as "Honey" and she is my grandmother. See blog post, Sophie Ramona Piña (1886-1969),

http://familyfilmfabricfood.blogspot.com/2016/07/sophie-ramona-pina-1886-1969.html

There is one open plot.

I learned so much about my family from this 1999 visit to Evergreens Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. Here is Evergreens website. http://www.theevergreenscemetery.com

I also ordered this wonderful book about the history of Evergreens Cemetery from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Green-Oasis-Brooklyn-Evergreens-1849-2008/dp/0978689941/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235754261&sr=8-1

Margarite PIÑA (1886-1980)

Grandaunt Margarite -1902 - age 15

Aunt Margarite PIÑA---my only grandaunt I met and remember. In the summer of 1968, we took a visit to New York City with her to Radio City Music Hall to see the Rockettes. I have a photo of my brother, Gib, and Margarite with me. I remember this was taken with my first Kodak Instamatic camera. She always made us laugh with her stories. She would remember my birthday with a card and $2 cash every year. She was a great letter writer. She died in 1980. 

In 2000, after my maternal GABUZDA family reunion, I got interested in my father’s family sides. I wrote to my cousin, Jack COOPER, Uncle Bud’s (my father’s older brother) oldest son. Bud had most of the photos and documents of his parents and aunt. Most of these older family photo treasures are copies I made of his pictures.

Margarite PIÑA was the first born in Brooklyn, New York, 27 July 1887. She shared her mother’s name Margaret GUNTHER who married Ramon PIÑA, 20 years her senior, in 1886. Her father was born in Cuba in 1847 and emigrated to New York by 1876. Her mother was born in Brooklyn in 1867 with French/German heritage.

Margarite trained to be a teacher in the New York City public schools. She focused on Remedial Reading Skills. She retired in 1952 after 45 years of teaching. She spent her summers tutoring and traveling with friends. 

Most of her life she lived with her parents or her siblings. She never married.

I remember visiting her weeks before she died. She is buried at Everwood Cemetery in Brooklyn. She bought a dozen plots in 1917 (time of her father’s death) for $170. There are 4 graves with the allotment of 3 per grave. There are 8 family members buried here at this time. There is only one tombstone with 3 names, which includes Margarite with her parents. The gold attachment on the tomb stone says “Endowment Fund.” This means that Margarite paid for eternal care of this area. 

Aunt Margarite's Photo Album

This photo is labeled “The 4 Peanuts”

which include (bottom to top)
Edward, Margarite, Ramon, and Piedad taken around 1908.  

The PIÑA Peanuts

Ramon PIÑA, my great-grandfather, was born in Cuba on 4 Sept 1847. His second wife was Margaret GUNTHER, 20 years his junior. They lived in Brooklyn, New York, with seven children. Their eldest daughter, Margarite PIÑA (1887-1980), was the family historian for her time. She never married, but, kept in touch with her nieces and nephews along with their children. She also wrote and traded photos with distant Cuban cousins. Margarite had a photo album that she kept pictures from 1910 to 1930. This album is in the possession of my cousin, Deb Cooper Roniger. I have seen this album several times and at my last visit to New York in 2012, I spent the day photo copying each page. Aunt Margarite was my only grandaunt, I had the privilege to have a relationship.

I purchased the Flip Pal portable scanner to use. I found that using my iPad and digital camera worked best. My brother is now in possession of the Flip Pal using it to copy his wife’s side of the family.

Margarite's other siblings include:

Sophie Pina (1888-1969) my grandmother

Ramon Pina (1891-1966)

Piedad Pina (1894-1964)

Frederick Pina (1896-1965)

Anita Pina (1897-1897)

Edward Pina (1903-2004)

For entertainment in the early 20th century, young ones would dress up to act out any life event. There are several photos of the fun creative times of these siblings. Margarite and Sophie, with brother Ramon are included in the photos below.

                                                  Margarite                                                                     Piedad

                                   Margarite and Sophie dress up in brother's clothes and as elderly woman.                                            

                  Ramon dresses up in his sister's clothes.      Sophie as a mock groom

Edward, with mother, Margaret                                  Frederick and Sophie            

Edward and Margarite do their garden chores.