Here's an Old Photo of the Family

This is the oldest photo I've got of our forebears. This was handed to me by my Papa (Ernesto Guban-Gacias) while we were preparing for Lolo Serio's centennial birthday last year. This photo was taken either in 1909 or 1910.

With this, allow me to challenge everyone to produce an earlier photo. Let's open and check our parents' and grandparents' bauls for a very exciting treasure hunt. Who knows, we may not just make the most interesting find about our roots; we may also give the rarest treasure to our own branches.

From left to right: Eustaquio Pura, a teacher; Maria Galindes-Gacias; Lola Emeteria Encinares-Pura-Galindes; Sabiniano Galindes-Gacias; Glicerio Galindes-Gacias; Rosa Pura-Galindes-Gacias; Asuncion Galindes-Gacias; Pedro Gabiazo-Gacias.

• Eustaquio Pura: Salient features about him are currently unknown. We would genuinely be grateful if anyone can volunteer information about him.
• Maria Galindes-Gacias, known as Lola Biyay, was the third child of Pedro Gabiazo-Gacias and Rosa Pura-Galindes-Gacias. She married Norberto Tagum -- known as Lolo Berto -- and bore six children. She was famous to the clan for having a green thumb for gardening. She died on January 19, 1970 and was buried in Irosin, Sorsogon.
  
• Emeteria Encinares-Pura-Galindes, a.k.a. Lola Teria, was from Gubat, Sorsogon. She was married to Ramon Galindes, a former Capitan del Pueblo of Irosin, Sorsogon, and was the mother of Lola Rosa Pura-Galindes-Gacias.
• Sabiniano Galindes-Gacias, a.k.a. Lolo Sabin, was born on December 31, 1896. He must have been thirteen years old in this photo. He was the eldest child of Pedro Gabiazo-Gacias and Rosa Pura-Galindes-Gacias. He was an educator and was a retired district supervisor of the education department. He taught in Batangas as well as in the municipalities of Castilla, Bulusan, Sorsogon and Irosin of the Sorsogon province. A prolific writer and poet in his own right, he composed poems in Bicol and Spanish including the historical account of the town of Irosin, Sorsogon which has now been published in book form by Erlano Francisco "Kiko" Reynante-Gacias. (For an on-line edition of said book, click here.) Endowed with a sweet baritone voice, he was a good haranista during his younger years. He was married to Margarita Leander of Sorsogon with whom he had ten children. He died on March 5, 1983 and was buried in the Catholic Cemetery of Irosin, Sorsogon.
  
• Glicerio Galindes-Gacias, a.k.a. Lolo Serio, was born on August 27, 1907. Now 101 years old, he is considered as the oldest living member of the clan. He is perhaps best known in Irosin, Sorsogon for his religiousity. A lay minister in Irosin, he used to go to Mass every day, at 4 AM, seven days a week -- until a few days before his 100th birthday when he was diagnosed with ulcer. Donning the politician's shoes during his younger years, he was elected as municipal councilor in 1940. He married Eulogia Duque with whom he sired a daughter -- Emma. When Eulogia died, he later married Salud Guban of Bulan with whom he had three children. He lives in San Juan, Irosin, Sorsogon. For more infomation about Lolo Serio, here's a write-up on him.
• Rosa Pura-Galindes-Gacias, known as Lola Totay or Dona Rosa, was born on March 19, 1875. She was an only surviving child among thirteen births. The somehow miraculous story is already posted in this site under the title A Tale of an Image. Lola Rosa studied in La Concordia College in Manila. Good in horseback riding, she would go to every town fiesta around the province just to play intre-cuatro, a card game. Being an only child, she was rich, landed and bejewelled. She literally slept over money -- the pesetas and the onsetas having been kept in large bauls under her bed. She died on September 1, 1963. Her remains lie in the Gacias Mauseleum in the Catholic Cemetery of Irosin, Sorsogon. Some bits of stories about Lola Rosa:

1. Lola Rosa's real estate properties were so vast that she could easily give away tens of hectares of land to whoever she would favor. In fact, according to historical accounts, she gave several hectares of land that include the now famous Masacrot Springs in San Roque, Bulusan to her favorite nursemaid.
2. She lost most of her collection of jewelry to a thief who robbed her house.
3. Her bauls in which she kept her jewelry were unfortunately destroyed by termites. A few pieces of wood nevertheless survived. They were converted by my father Erning into a desk which he now considers very lucky.
   

• Asuncion Galindes-Gacias, a.k.a. Susing, was born in 1901 and was the second child of Pedro Gabiazo-Gacias and Rosa Pura-Galindes-Gacias. She was married to Raphael Borromeo but died childless in 1926.
• Pedro Gabiazo-Gacias was born on June 29, 1871. A seminarista turned politico, he was a Cabeza del Pueblo in Irosin, Sorsogon. He was the founder of Partido Democrata in Irosin, a political party which became famous and powerful in local politics for a couple of decades in the history of the town. He was said to have fallen victim, however, for three times, to Eleccion Feliciano, a term used to describe massive election fraud and cheating especially orchestrated by Partido Nacionalista during his time. He decided to quit politics for good and became popular for his Adios Pueblo march around the poblacion. He had six children with Rosa Pura-Galindes-Gacias. He died on July 27, 1959. His remains lie beside his wife Rosa at the Gacias mauseleum in the Catholic Cemetery of Irosin, Sorsogon.