Juan Vargas Biographies & Genealogy

603 Juan Vargas Biographies

Juan Vargas Jan 1, 1795 - Aug 19, 1910 San Antonio, Texas, United States

Juan Vargas was an Aztec Indian from Mexico who's life touched three centuries. His mother, an Aztec Indian, had been captured by another tribe. She persuaded her husband from this tribe to release her and let her go back to her people. This is the story that was written in the newspaper detailing Juan Vargas's life. It is because of this one bit of information that I am going to assume Juan Vargas did not know his father. In fact, in Mexico at the time, the children took the last name of their mothers. So we can also assume that Juan's father's last name was not Vargas. Although he did state that his father's first name was Simon. According to the newspaper article Juan left home at the age of 13 to find make his fortune. He made his way into Mexico City where he joined the revolutionary party of Father Miguel Hildago in 1810. When Hildago was captured and shot, Juan tried to make his way back home but he was captured. He then was made to fight. As the story is told he was forced to fight first on the side of Agustin de Itrubide (a Mexican army general and politician) and then on the other side. The way the article is written we have to assume he was captured numerous times and made to fight battles for either side until 1821. How he escaped military services he did not remember. He did remember that he ended up in Monclova, Coahuila, Mexico. There is where he married Perfecta De La Cruz. Now the story says that his daughters Jacinta and Geronima were born there before they headed to the United States and doesn't mention any other children being born in Mexico. In the article it says he arrived in Texas in 1830. With women and children walking and him on a horse he traveled to find peace. With a small sum he bought a huge tract in San Fernando Gardens where he and his children worked the land. Juan Vargas has many trials while living in the United States. He and his family were attacked by Indians. They had to deal with Mexican soldiers stealing their food and livestock. Each time Juan Vargas rebounded. At one point he was captured by Santa Anna's army and told he did not know how to shoot or use a gun, not realizing that he had fought in the war with Hildago and Itrubide. As Juan has stated he refused to go to the Alamo, for this the soldiers threatened execution when the day was won, but they could not at that time waste a bullet on him. Juan Vargas rehabilitated his gardends at San Fernando and again acquired influence. When the Civil War was fought he was a rich man. He gave freely to the soldiers of the South. He was then considerably over 60, too old to bear arms. Soon after the war he exchanged his San Fernando holdings for a property in South Heights. A large tract passed into his possession, and with his family, then increased to grandchildren, he moved. A small adobe hut was built, but later supplemented with a larger one, but as he grew older his land was sold piece-meal, as revenues were needed. Toward the end he owned only a small parcel on which stood his house on Vargas Street, named after him. For at least 100 years Juan Vargas used tobacco, but if he used alcoholic liquor it was before he became old, for he complained that intoxicants burned his throat. His favorite food was corn meal mush, strong coffee, and ocasionally a meat broth. In August 1910, an old friend of his was killed. His family hurried home to tell him that his old friend had died. He trembled violently, became ill, and in three days he was dead.

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Juan M Vargas-Hernandez Jun 16, 1943 - Jun 24, 2007 Carolina, PR

Juan M Vargas of Carolina, Carolina County, PR was born on June 16, 1943, and died at age 64 years old on June 24, 2007. Juan Vargas was buried at Puerto Rico National Cemetery Section N Site 570 #50 Avenida Cementerio Nacional, in Bayamon, Pr.

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People named Juan Vargas

603 Juan Vargas Biographies

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