Crespin Torres: The Real Deal

In case you’re new to this blog, you might be asking who is Crespin Torres? Simply put, he was a family man. He was born just one year after U.S. Gen. Stephen W. Kearny proclaimed New Mexico part of the United States. He lived during the rough-and-tumble Wild West era in Socorro, New Mexico. From Territorial times until after New Mexico became a state of the U.S., Crespin lived in the same town and he became a farmer. Crespin lived almost 90 years in Socorro as a gentle and honest citizen. He was never in a shootout. Nor could you spin a Western tale that would show him shooting or cussing out some cowboy or Indian. Instead, he is remembered for offering many kindnesses – as he depended on the kindness of others.
According to his obituary, (Click HERE and search for 'obituary') his parents died when he was a toddler (their deaths were separated by seven months). He lived in households of cousin Candelario Garcia and his Aunt Guadalupe.

After he married, he and wife Andrea raised eight children – all in the same town. They raised their children in a Catholic household, and they exposed them to music and dance. The family lived in a plain adobe house not far from the central plaza, where the youngsters attended chaperoned dances. Crespin’s favorite song was the ballad “La Golondrina.” The couple were well-known in the community. She was a midwife, who delivered many babies born in the town. He taught catechism. Many family members remembered calling their elder “Papa ’Pin” and laughing with him.
Robert Baca wrote a piece about Crespin called “The Story Behind the Photograph: Crespin Torres’ Genealogy” for “New Mexico Genealogist,” where he unveils his misimpression of his ancestor from a family photo (above). Baca states that as a teen he thought the photo of his great-greatgrandfather in a full beard represented an old man who was stern and fierce. But as he learned more through genealogy and relatives, Baca said he realized the depth of the man.
Click HERE to see Baca's blog.

Sources: Interviews with family elders by Maurine Pool.
“The Story Behind the Photograph: Crespin Torres’ Genealogy.” By Robert J. C. Baca. “New Mexico Genealogist.” Vol. 47. No. 1, March 2008. Pgs. 3-16.