SSN: N/A
BORN: Born in Villagran (Tamaulipas) Mexico on September 4, 1892. Died at age 40 in January 1, 1932 at Rhineland, Texas.
RESIDENCE: Interred at the Rhineland cemetery in Rhineland, Texas. Location of gravesite is unknown.
EARLY CHILDHOOD: Rosalio was born in Villagran (Tamaulipas) Mexico September 4, 1892, to . Santiago and Bernardina Valladares . He later lived in Montemorelos until about the age of 18 when he met Maria Godina whom he married. Shortly after he married, he enlisted in the Federalistas Army.
He served with the Federalistas until December 31, 1913 when he immigrated to the United States with his wife and two daughters {Gregoria (Golla), born in Monterrey in 1911}, and {Bernardina (Nina) born in Chihuahua in 1913}. This was due to the increasing hardships and dangers of fighting in the Mexican Revolution.
He had been stationed in Chihuahua, Chihuahua (Mexico) with in the Mexican Army (the Federalistas). He had served with the Mexican Army for a few years, his duties included being the paymaster for his battalion. He had fought side-by-side with and then againstPancho Villa. When President Madero (whom Pancho loved) was murdered by his own people, he turned against the Federal forces. One of the last big battles was at Ojinaga. The Villista forces were winning and by this time they were killing all the Federalistas. Most of the Federalistas fled to the United States, among them were Rosalio and his family (Maria and two daughters, Gregoria and Bernardina). They fled in a wagon that was loaded with a supply of weapons and ammunition; however, they had to be dumped in the Rio Grande, because the wagon got stuck due to its heavy weight. This was probably good, otherwise the United States might have caught and prosecuted them, as they did a lot of the fleeing Mexican soldiers who were taken prisoners by the United States Army and incarcerated at Fort Bliss, Texas.
They immigrated to the United States through Ojinaga across the river from Presidio. After safely crossing, they continued to the Chisos Mountains area and settled in Chisos (now known as Terlingua) He found employment in Chisos at the Chisos Mining Company located in the Chisos Mountains in the Texas Big Bend area.
Rosalio's work at the mines was in the furnace operation, refining the cinnabar into quicksilver (AKA mercury). The miners worked in three eight-hour shifts and received wages of one-dollar per shift, usually in Mexican pesos.
Two more children were born in Terlingua to Rosalio and Maria; Josefina in 1915, and Salvador in 1917. They remained there until sometime in early 1919, then they moved to Sanderson, Texas in Terrell County (Judge Roy Bean used to have a saloon in town before he moved to Pecos). They remained there until after their second son, Isaias born in Sanderson, was about a year old. They moved further north, to San Angelo, Texas. Another daughter, Camila was born there in 1921, and their son, Encarnacion (Chon), was born there in 1923. By 1924 they had moved and were living in Loraine, Texas. Then on to Vera for a short while and another son, Jesus (Chuy) was born there in 1927. They finally arrived in the Rhineland area sometime later in 1927. They eventually settlled in Knox City where the last two children were born, Isabel (Chavela) in 1929 and Rosalio (Chaleco) in 1932.
Sometime in 1931, Rosalio became ill and died the following year. Granddad died at the early age of 42, supposedly of a curse by witchcraft, it is speculated. But it is more than likely that he may have died from consumption, a disease of the lung commonly found in miners. And especially for him, having worked at the smelter at the Chisos mine. Consumption is usually contracted by the breathing of the dust found in the mines, and the mercury vapor in the smelter. This mercury vapor was later found to be deadly. A lot of those early Chisos mine workers also died at an early age.
EDUCATION: Not sure of his educational achievements, but he knew how to read and write, plus knew mathematics.
MILITARY: Rosalio served in the Mexican Military with the Federalistas during the Mexican Revolution. He was a Sergeant, the paymaster charged with paying the troops.
CAREER: Rosalio was a military man during his time in Mexico. After his arrival in the U.S. he worked in the quicksilver mines in the Chisos Mountain - Big Bend country. After he left there around 1919, he moved to Sanderson. He worked for the Galveston, Harrisburg, and San Antonio (GH & SA) railroad for a couple of years. He moved around working his way north as a farm or ranch laborer until he finally settled in the Rhineland area. In 1924 he inquired about the possibility of buying a farm, but never went through with the deal. He did some sharecropping in the area, but his lack of knowledge and farm implements led him to quit and reamain a farm laborer all his life.
OTHER ACTIVITIES: He loved to play the guitar and sing. He is said to have read the Bible from cover to cover, and had a lapel pin identifying him as a member of an organization with other members having accomplished the same. These members offered free accommodations to other members when traveling in their area.
MARRIAGE: Rosalio married Maria Godina in Monterry (Nuevo Leon) Mexico on January 5, 1911. He preceded her in death around March 1932, at age 40.
CHILDREN: Rosalio and Maria had ten children:
