RIO GRANDE VALLEY HISPANIC GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY WELCOMES YOU
ABOUT US
Four friends met at a local family history library one day and discussed the idea that if we did enough research we would find that all of us in the Rio Grande Valley were related.
“If you don't know history, you don't know anything. You are a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree.”
Michael Crichton
KEY PEOPLE
Bertie Lucio Caballero is a Brownsville native and the daughter of Eddie Lucio, Sr. (1916-2006) and Josefa Liendo Lucio (1925-2016) and one of ten exceptional siblings including Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. She is a retired English teacher after having taught in middle schools in Texas, California, New York, and Connecticut for 47 years. She holds a Masters Degree in English and Multiple Alternatives Programs from the University of Bridgeport, Connecticut. She has been honored as Region One Teacher of the Year, Gifted & Talented Teacher of the Year, BISD Teacher of the Year, and has received numerous other awards. She has served in the Brownsville Public Library Endowment Board, and Alpha Delta Kappa Board. She has researched and documented her family trees for over 40 years. Bertie is married to Ruben Jaime Caballero, a Retired Lt. Col.-USAF and is the mother of 3 beautiful children; Claudia Christina Caballero, Ruben Jaime Caballero, Jr., and Dr. Jason Ryan Caballero. She and her husband reside in Rancho Viejo, Texas. Some of the surnames Bertie has researched are : Lucio, Allala, Lopez, Cuellar, Fleischman, Ruoho, Liendo, Caballero, Olivares, Ayoub, Garzoria, and Hinojosa
Andreina T. Muniz has been researching her family genealogy for several years. Along with tracing her family lineage, she is also interested in the history of the early Spanish land grants families that settled in Mexico and what is now Texas, as well as the pioneering families who lived in deep South Texas.
Adreina Muniz
Bertie Luci Caballero
Advisory Board Members
Irene Silva
Mary Ester Guillen
Newsletter Editor
Mary Ester Guillen
Indexing Coordinator
Ofelia Olsson
Journal Editor
Ofelia Olsson
CONTACT RIO GRANDE VALLEY HISPANIC GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
Harlingen TX United States 78550
MARY TORRES
President
Mary Torres is the current President of the Society. She is a charter member of the organization and has served as President since 2014. She was honored to have served on the committee for the 33rd Annual Texas State Hispanic and Genealogical Conference held October 11-14, 2012 in South Padre Island, TX. Mary retired from the State of Texas as Chief Financial Officer for the Laredo State Center for MHMR. She is a native of Harlingen and is actively involved with several community organizations and serves as District S Representative for the Texas State Genealogical Society. Mary started genealogical research after retirement and has traced part of her family back to Revilla in the 1750s. She is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists
OFELIA OLSSON
Vice President
Ofelia Olsson is the current Secretary of the Society. She is one of the founders and for five years, served as its first President. As president. she co-chaired the committees who planned the 2012 Annual Texas Hispanic Genealogical and Historical Conference held at South Padre Island She is proud of the success of that Conference. Ofelia is a retired teacher after having taught for approximately thirty years. She started genealogy research in her teens and has been researching for over fifty five years. She is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists.
Mary Esther Guillen
Secretary
Maria Esther Guillen is currently Secretary of the Society and is the Editor of the Society’s quarterly e-newsletter. She enthusiastically researches her family names of Garza, Cortes, Perez, Olivarez, Martinez, Esquivel, Garibay, Carrizo, Barro, Sanchez, Rodriguez, and Munio. A native of Harlingen, Maria Esther is a retired educator who enjoys attending the annual Texas Hispanic Genealogical and Historical conferences and collecting genealogy related books and other publications. In their spare time, Maria Esther and her husband are writing their story for their three children and five grandchildren.
ENEDINA BARRERA
Treasurer
Annie was born and raised in San Benito, Texas. She worked for 28 years with the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office. Annie retired 6/30/2010 and on 7/1/2010 she became the Treasurer for the RGV Hispanic Genealogical Society. She has served as treasurer since 2010 and honored to have served on the committee for the 33rd Annual Texas Hispanic Genealogical and Historical Conference held October 11 – 14, 2012. She worked for 28 years with the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office as a support staff.
