A Brief History of the
DUMAS/ROBINSON/FELIX/VALENZUELA
Family in Mexico and the United States
Juan and Julia
The Juan Dumas family of Palmdale California has it's principal roots in Mexico. Juan married Julia Felix in Los Angeles on December 15th, 1931. They bore six children, Juan Jr, Yuli, David, Michael, Anthony and Juanita. All born in Los Angeles.
Both Juan and Julia's immediate families were greatly affected by the political turmoil of Mexico in the early 1900's and had in their separate ways gone back and forth, as need would have it, between Mexico and the United States. Both families wound up in Los Angeles California at the same time in the late 1920's. Though Juan and Julia's families were from near by towns in Sonora, they never saw each other until they met in Los Angeles.
Juan and Julia met by virtue of Julia's friendship with Juan's sister, Virginia. Julia and Virginia were members of an informal young folks club known as the Ala'. Juan belonged to another club called the Piratas. The two groups would frequently throw dance parties together. The strict courting traditions of their Mexican heritage made it difficult for Juan and Julia to see each other, however, the chaperoned dances and get togethers at club member's homes were accepted ways to socialize. With these opportunities to meet, they soon grew to know each other.
In the depression years of the 1930's many young Mexican's found employment in the garment industry of Los Angeles. Both Juan and Julia helped support their respective families by working in the factory lofts of the City. It was with this background that they met and married. After marrying, Juan went on to use the knowledge that he had acquired in the garment factories to start his own coat manufacturing business in Los Angeles and supported his family in this manner.
In 1957, Juan sold his interest in the coat manufacturing business. After a short sojurn, he, his brother and friend started a new garment factory in Palmdale, California. Here, Julia and Juan raised the two youngest of their children Anthony and Juanita.
Julia's Family
Julia's parents were from the Alamos region of Sonora, Mexico. Her forebears came from Spain perhaps in the 1700's. They lived at various times around Alamos, in the villages of Quiriego and Bacum and others. Their occupations and incomes were rural in nature, being initially associated with ranching. In the first half of the 1900's they moved into the growing town of Navojoa where many of them were in business or held positions in these businesses. Julia's father, Lorenzo Felix, married his second cousin, Guadalupe Valenzuela in Quiriego. They had five children, Maria, Fernando, Lorenzo, Julia and Guadalupe. When Julia was five years old (1917) the Felix family moved to Los Angeles California and lived there for six years. In 1923 they moved to Mexico City where Lorenzo Felix held a position in the administration of then President Calles. When President-elect Obregon was assassinated in 1928, the family moved back to Los Angeles.
Juan's Family
Juan's parents were from Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico. His paternal grandfather, Julian Dumas, had been a French soldier at the time of the French occupation of Mexico in the 1860's. Julian had remained in Mexico after the French withdrew their forces and had apparently headed up a small group of indian fighters. He and his men were in the hire of a rancher Uriarte in Chihuahua or Culiacan when he ran off with the rancher's daughter, Juana, and took her to Guaymas, Sonora where they were married. They had three sons, Maximino, Julian and Cruz. There Juana stayed with her three sons despite the comings and goings of Julian. He was later killed by indians. Juana sustained her family through her bakery and dairy businesses. There also, Juana's eldest son, Maximino, was to meet Virginia Robinson, the girl next door.
Juan's maternal grandfather, Gabriel Robinson, was involved in the mining industry around Guaymas, Sonora. Gabriel's paternal forebears had come to Mexico from the United States in the 1820's. Gabriel's father, Juan Alfredo Robinson was involved in commerce between Mexico and other countries including Britain, China and the U.S. and had also been the U.S. Consul in Guaymas. He had met and married Gabriel's mother, Francisca Ybarra in Alamos. In the same Sonora mining country, Gabriel met and married a girl who's mother was indian and who's father may have been Irish. Her name was Maria Eloisa Francisca Oca~na (O'Connell perhaps.) Gabriel had five or more children by Maria Eloisa. Maria Virginia Juana de la Cruz was the youngest of Maria Eloisa's children.
Juan's father, Maximino Dumas met and married Maria Virginia in Guaymas, Sonora. They had five children who were Maximino, Juan, Virginia, Eloisa and Ofelia.
