If you’re finding this page because you’re a Morales and are interested in connecting, please check out the Facebook group I created for Descendents of Meliton.
My brother David got married three weeks ago, and I was able to catch up with family I hadn’t seen for…I can’t even remember how long. My Uncle Rey has been the keeper of the family history, combining his own research with that of a few other family members, and after the wedding he sent me a trove of digital material. My dad had sent me some written material a few years earlier so I had a loose idea of the history, but after Rey’s email I had pictures. I’ve put together the succession below. I may add more photos in the future.
Meliton
Meliton Morales (1836-1924) is my great-great grandfather. He’s not the oldest relative Rey has tracked down, but he is the most interesting. He was captured by Apaches when he was 7 and traded to the Delaware tribe for a blanket and a quart of whiskey (or so says the family history). He escaped at 16 or 17 and made it to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and then, strangely enough, to New Orleans (my hometown). He later joined the Union Army in Texas, established a ranching empire, and earned a Texas historical marker.
Eliseo and Angelita
Eliseo Morales (1876-1922) is my great-grandfather. He was a twin with Elisa, lower right in the Meliton family picture above. He married Angelita Camunez (1890-1946). Angelita’s mother’s family was German, from the Markwordt family, one of nearly 20,000 German settlers who took land on the Texas-Mexico border.
Reynaldo
My grandfather Reynaldo Morales (1911-1992). Eliseo died when my grandfather was only 11.
Eva
Reynaldo married my grandmother Eva Hurtado Morales (1910-1989).
Robert and Marialice
My dad Robert “Bob” Morales was born in San Antonio (I’ll leave out dates for now, heh).
He met my mom, Marialice, in Dallas. This is a picture of them in Japan in 2006.
Daniel
My brothers and I took pictures together at the wedding, but I don’t have any copies yet. These are some of the more recent photos of us. Me on the left, David, and Tim below. I’ll have to add a few younger pictures at some point.
Hello My name is Rhonda Valdez I am a great granddaughter of Bruno Rosales and Granddaughter of his son Ciro Rosales, Daughter Lydia Rosales Valdez is my mother I am the youngest of 6 children . My father is Armando N.Valdez now deceased. Robert Valdez Sr. Is the oldest.He lives on Morales Rd. Valdez Ranch.
Hi, Daniel.
I found your blog doing a preliminary search on family history. Meliton Morales is our common ancestor. I believe he’s actually our great-great-great grandfather. I could be wrong. My grandmother is Teresa (Morales) DelaRosa. You may remember her and/or some of her kids (my mother and tios): Veronica, Philip, Marian, Marie, Cindy, and John Richard “Deed”. I believe you and I are cousins in some way. Awesome! I’ve been to several family reunions, although it’s been years since my last one. I intend to change that this year. Tomorrow I’m going to a genealogy center to do some preliminary research on as much as I can get to. I’d love to start an exchange between you and I in order to gain a better understanding and clearer picture of how all the puzzle pieces fit together. It certainly looks like you’ve done some great homework already! I’m a historian by trade so all this stuff sparks my interest big time. One of the previously unknown bits of information that I wasn’t aware of until recently (which you cite here) is that Meliton was a Union soldier during the Civil War. To what extent, I’m not sure, but military records are typically thorough and accurate so I’m bound to find out more information. Overall, our ancestor was a badass. You may have come across this article (http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/guillermo-torres-history-reminds-us-of-who-we-are-and-where-our-journeys-began-ep-439061431-356026531.html), but I thought it’d be nice to share just in case. I’m currently trying to contact the writer, Guillermo Torres, so I can consult with him. All in all, I hope this chance encounter can benefit us both as well as our family. My ultimate goal is to, through collaboration with living family members and thorough research, create a comprehensive booklet of sorts to distribute at perhaps this or next year’s family reunion. Anyhow, I hope this gets the ball rolling. I look forward to hearing back from you. Feel free to email me at any time. Take care, cuz.
Hi Scotty, My name is Elizabeth Ybarra White. Meliton Morales was my great- grandfather. I just wanted to know if you made it to the family reunion. I have been to a few, the last one I attended was in San Antonio but it was years ago. I really enjoyed it. If you ever publish a booklet, I found Meliton’s military record during my search through Ancestery. com. Our ancestor was indeed a badass, thank God he was or none of us might have been born. Nice to see your post on this site.
I’ve got several Picts you would be interested in.
Sorry I have taken so long to reply but I have not been on this site for a while. Yes I would love some pictures for her. Are you on Facebook???
Hello,
My name is Sharon (Sherry) Vigil. My best friend is one of your cousins although you may not know. Her father was Raymond Garcia. I do know that Meliton Morales was also her Great Great Grandfather. I am trying to put something together for her next Birthday as she always mentions Meliton and tells me about the indian history with him. We did go to Texas and went to the ranch to see it. I know this is very special to her and would really like to follow your information. She is related to the Garcia family in San Antonio, Tx. Im not sure how you two connect.
My name is Richard Garcia my great-great-grandfather was Meliton Morales, my grandfather was Saturnino Garcia his mother was Meliton’s daughter
Meliton is my 4x’s Great Grandfather from his daughter Maria who isn’t in the photo because she was eloped by the age of 12 to Bruno Rosales before the picture was taken.
Hi I’m Rhonda Rosales Valdez daughter of Lydia Rosales (father Ciro Rosales (Son of Bruno Rosales
Hi Jessica, just attended the Rosales-Morales family reunion yesterday may 4 2024 in San Antonio. Bruno Rosales and Maria Morales Rosales were my grandparents and their son Gregorio Rosales was my dad. Finally met some more family of my Great Grandfather, Militon Morales. Thanks to Rick Morales,I found out that a Morales family reunion is scheduled for this October at Ft Mckavett Tx and God willing my family will be there. I have never visited there and really looking forward to it. Rudy Rosales (Floresville Texas)
Beautiful work, Daniel! Thank you for keeping our family alive. I remember seeing the first couple of pictures at the top about twenty years ago along with others on the Morales ranch site. My great-grandfather 2-4x back was Meliton Morales. I believe I am down the line of Manuel. My grandfather, Eliseo Morales of San Antonio, TX was a medic in WWII. He worked at Kelly, I think. He had a brother or cousin named Manuel who also served. The family reunions are every September on the Morales Ranch in Junction, TX. If you’re on social media; Facebook hit me up under Lisa Garcia. You’ll see many of our Morales lineage. Btw: I was born in Texas but live in California now.
Who are your parents? Eliseo , your grandfather, and my dad, Richard are brothers.
My grandmother is from this line, her father’s name is adolph.
Hi, Nathan. My name is Elizabeth Ybarra White. My father’s name was Adolpho Morales Ybarra and Meliton Morales was his grandfather. What are your grandparent’s names?
Wonderful story’s and photos some I’ve heard from other family members. I’m a descendent of Paulina Eliseos sister. Hello cousin!
I was just trying to figure out where we fit in the linage! Glad I found your comment ?
Hi Danial, My name is Elizabeth Ybarra White. First I want to thank you for your blog about the family, one of my cousins sent this post to me last night. Meliton Morales was my great-grandfather. My grandmother was Paulina Morales, she is the one on the lower left in the picture above. Paulina married Juan Ybarra at an early age, I don’t know how young. She had ten children. My father, Adolph Morales Ybarra, was her youngest son. Paulina had three daughters after my father was born ( Beatrice, Anita, and Isabel). Isabel was killed in an auto accident in Houston when she was in her 20s. From what I have found during my research, my grandmother had twins, a son and a daughter. They were her firstborn children. Her son, Roman, was raised by Meliton and his wife (I forgot her name but I believe her maiden name was Peña) and her daughter died at the age of 3, by that time my grandmother had another child. I guess her parents felt she could not handle three children at such an early age and that’s why they raised Roman as their own child. My grandfather died when my father was nine and my grandmother and her children went to live with her parents for a while. My father knew Meliton, his grandfather well. He told us his grandfather was very strict and not the easiest man to live with. I suppose growing up with the Indians made him a tough man. From what I have heard, Meliton roamed the US from the Texas border to the Canadian border. My father also told us that Meliton could draw two guns from his holsters at the same time. He also told us that when his grandfather grew very old that he would sometimes revert to speaking in the Indian language he spoke as a youth. I have always been thankful that Meliton was such a stong little boy for having survived his kidnapping by the Indians otherwise none of us would have been born. I want to keep up with your blog as I am very interested in the family history.
Who is your mother? My Grandfather was Adolph.
hello, my name is Rick Morales..I live in Texas.
Trying to find information on my 2 x great grandfather Felix Morales 1840 or 1842.. I ran across the Morales Ranch historial marker & it has led us to here with the help of my cousin Angelique
Morales Pena. We have photos of Felix, know he was in the U.S. Cavalry @ Ft. Griffith then moved to
Breckenridge, Texas..There he raised a large family & passed away @ the age of 92.. his wife was Nancy Dora Cook Morales…she her self was captured & help by indians until she and another small girl was able to escape .. Nancy Dora Cook family is Scottish & has an extended family line… Felix is our dead end… If there is any Morales that is related to Meliton that has taken a dna test that any one of us Morales’s from this line can compare ourselves to it would be greatly appreciated… Thank you in advance
Rick Morales
Ricksauto5821@earthlink.net
Rick726088@gmail.com
Hi 🙂 My name is Victoria Morales. My sisters and I are daughter of Paul Morales. He passed away earlier this year and was buried on the Morales Ranch in Fort McKavett where Meliton is buried. We share an ancestor! Awesome. Do you know how I could learn more about their personal lives?
I’m doing some research. You can email me at Victoriahilary14@gmail.com. I would so appreciate it, thank you!
Hi there everyone!! I have been working on our family tree on MyHeritage.com
Meliton G. Morales is my 5x grandfather.
I have about 750 ppl on the tree but it also includes my moms side, lol.
Please send me your email address and I’ll add you to the site!!
Would love to meet all of you. I’m from Houston but currently live in San Antonio, TX.
https://www.myheritage.com/site-family-tree-116132931/villasana
Hi Family! My name is Rudy Rosales son of Gregorio Rosales. My Grandfather was Bruno Rosales whom I never met, died before I was born. My Grandmother was Maria Morales Rosales, daughter of Meliton Morales. I remember her vaguely and she looked like a typical Grandmother would look like sitting on her rocking chair with a white shawl over her shoulders. What a great history of our ancestors!
Hi Everyone,
My name is Genevieve A. Barron and I’m the daughter of Alicia Garcia Barron, daughter of Genoveva Garcia Garcia. My grandmother was the daughter of Genoveva Morales Garcia and Manuel Garcia and she was the daughter of Milton Morales. So I guess I’m the great great granddaughter of Milton Morales. My niece Alicia is very interested in our ancestry and has me interested as well.
I understand that there is someone that has very detailed information about the family and that she works at the University of Texas, if someone can get me in touch with her I would greatly appreciate it.