Tom J. Martinez is the librarian, webmaster, and Facebook administrator, of the Fray Angelico Chavez Chapter of the GSHA in Pueblo, CO. He is also the Vice President of GSHA and is also a copy editor of the GSHA Journal, Nuestras Raices.

 

Born in San Francisco, CO, 73 years ago, his 3rd great grandfather, Jose Gregorio Martin, was one of the earliest settlers in the area of “La Culebra” that is now known variously as San Francisco, La Valley, and El Rito. His patrilineal line goes back to Hernan Martin Serrano, circa 1550.

 

Tom worked for Hallmark Cards, Kansas City, as a Steel Rule Die Maker and Photo Lab Technician, raising a family and retired after 37 years. He has been a 43-year member of the Astronomical Society of Kansas City, serving as its president, vice president, and historian. Photography, especially photographing the night sky, has been a lifelong devotion.

 

After retiring in 2006, his passion turned to genealogy. When Tom moved back to his home town of Pueblo in 2015, he joined the FACC where he was able to expand his ancestos’ paper trail. After taking his DNA and studying how the results can be used to point to possible cousins, he has expanded his family tree to prior unknown relatives without the DNA tools now available. Tom has coordinated several classes for FACC members on how to find DNA cousins.