Brief Biography
Jose Rojas Cortes was born about 1864 in Barros, Puerto Rico. I cannot confirm, as records for this period do not exist. The legitimate son of Jose Dolores Rojas Maisonet, from Ciales, Puerto Rico. There is some confusion about where Don Jose is from, as he sometimes appears from Arecibo and Bayamon. Petronila Cortes Sepulveda, is from Ciales, Puerto Rico. Don Jose married Marcelina Flores Y Colon and had seven children, six of whom survived adulthood. Also, two girls named Rosa registered in 1902 and one in 1905. But this isn’t very clear because their son Abraham was born in 1905.
Genealogical Information
His paternal grandparents are Jose Gabriel Rojas and Maria Maisonet, and his maternal grandparents are Esteban Cortes and Carmen Sepulveda. He appeared to have one sibling named Gerardo Rojas Cortes, who married Magdalena Malave. In addition, there are two half-siblings from his mother’s second marriage to a man identified as Jesus Rodriguez. Together they appear to have two children named Abraham and Julia Eloisa Rodriguez Cortes.
Brief Timeline between 1893 – 1909
- January 30, 1893: Jose Rojas Cortes, Barros, Puerto Rico he married Dona Marcelina Flores Y Colon. She is the legitimate daughter of Don Florentino Flores Berherena and Dona Marcelina Colon.
- July 3, 1894: Olimpia Heliodora was born. She was a teacher, and she married her cousin, Don Angel Suro Cortes, also a Teacher.
- Jan 12, 1899: Jose Gualberto was born. He is Mulato and was also a Teacher. He married Dona Pilar Davis Carrioin, Blanca, property owner.
- May 25, 1902: Rosa was Born. I cannot identify her profession, nor a husband or children.
- May 6, 1904: Leopoldo was born. A lawyer who married Dona Crescencia Reyes Y Torres.
- March 25, 1905, another Rosa was born.
- 26 Nov 1905: Abraham was born. A Postman who died young and married Providencia Lozado Rivera.
- November 26, 1909, Eli Samuel was born. He was a medical doctor who studied at George Washington University in W.D.C. He was in private practice in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico. Married a woman named Dona Ruperta Diaz Diaz.
Brief timeline from Census records
- May 25, 1910-Census, Barros, Orocovis, Puerto Rico. His race is white, and he was born in the year 1864. Occupation listed in Agriculture, farm, and married for 17 years. Seven children, once deceased.
- January1920-Census, Orocovis, Puerto Rico, Mulato, born in the year 1864. Agriculture, farm, renting, able to read and write.
- April 5, 1930-Census, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, white, born 1863, Agriculture, farm, “Frutas Menos,” Married, living with all his children and daughters-in-law, a half-sister, and grandchildren.
- 1935-Census, Gurabo, Puerto Rico, Don José does not appear; the wife is head of household.
- April 4, 1940-Census, living with his son, Dr. Eli Samuel in Gurabo, age 81, married, is not living with him, although she is still alive.
- 1945-Deceased, Buried in Rio Piedras, PR, has not located his death record. Hence cannot confirm his date of death.
- Jun 17, 1957- His wife passed away in Orocovis, Puerto Rico
Occupations between 1894 through 1957
Jose Rojas Cortes professions throughout his lifetime. Extracted from his children’s birth records and census records.
- 1894-Municipal
- 1899- Industrial
- 1902- Police Chief
- 1904-Municipal
- 1905-1957; Agriculture until his death.
“La Democracia,” dated Tuesday, October 29, 1901
The article describes an election in which Don José lost the Vice President position. His best friend, the newly elected President Don Pedro Arroyo, won but quickly resigned.
Don Pedro described Don José as his right hand and the best soldier he knew. If he is not worthy of the position of vice president, I will not serve. To the surprise of its members, Don Pedro resigned, and other members resigned as well.
Translation of above article
News from Barros, Puerto Rico
It seems that the republican hosts of Barros are not very in harmony; see what they tell us from there:
On the night of the 15th, the Republican Committee of this town met to make some agreements. Still, to everyone’s surprise, President Don Pedro Arroyo got up expressing himself in these terms: “Gentlemen, I resign my position because where my best friend, my best soldier, my right arm, Don José Rojas Cortés, does not fit, I should not fit, and where he is not, neither am I.”
Don José Rojas did not become Vice-President, despite his nomination by Señor Arroyo. When he finished speaking the resigning, those of the Committee shook their heads as if showing assent. Finally, the vice president, Don Severaiano Arroyo, took the floor in energetic tones and resigned, forcing several Committee members to resign. They rose, greeted the rest, and left.
A few days passed
A few days passed, and he met again, trying to settle the resignation issue. To no avail, as everything remained the same. The last session took place in the municipal deposit.
A member who made this discourse: “To my colleagues, the members of the Republican Committee of Barros; on the night of the 13th, you heard the voice of our president when he resigned from his position. Don José Rojas Cortés is his right arm, his best friend, the only one worth it, the only one who can do something, and he has placed all his trust. So is it that we are worth nothing, are we but mere hormones? Do we hold new elections every time? Do we have no dignity? Remember that Don Severiano Arroyo, a worthy man, resigned as Chief of Police and wanted to give José Rojas Cortés, don Pedro’s handbag. There are already two, and two will be four, so it will continue. Therefore, the rest, we already know. “We’ll see what for that imbroglio.”
Final thoughts
A collaborative effort between Sr. Carlos Hernandez Melendez and myself made this possible by providing the photographs and introducing me to this Orocoveño. Hence, the result of this article. We recently met in a Puerto Rican genealogical group on Facebook. And through my research, I discovered we were related and descended from mutual ancestors. Sr. Hernandez was a graduate of the Jose Rojas Cortes school in 1970. A former High School teacher in biology in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, he joined the US Army and retired after 26 years of service. He now spends his time actively sharing his passion and love for his ancestral hometown, Orocovis.
Sr. Hernandez is the administrator of “FOTOS DE OROCOVIS Y SU GENTE DE PUERTO RICO,” which translates to Photos and its people from Orocovis, Puerto Rico. The group provides and documents the history of Orocovis and its people. This group is on Facebook, and here is their link; https://www.facebook.com/groups/fotos.gentes.orocovis.
