Branch C: Romagosa Arteaga/Rosabal

Manzanillo/Camagüey

Diego Tomas Romagosa Arteaga married Mercedes Rosabal on August 27, 1838, in Manzanillo. She was the daughter of Bartolome (Buenaventura) Rosabal and Maria del Socorro Fajardo. The witnesses were Jose Juan Fajardo, Antonia Perez and Prudencio Martinez. The "padrinos" were Bartolome Rosabal and Mariana Arteaga. They had at least seven children: (1) Sebastián, (2) Nieves, María Josefa de Jesús (1845), (3) Maria del Rosario (1847), Manuel de Jesús Bernardino (1855) and two other sisters, whose names are not available. According to Mercedes Ramirez de Cardenas, great-granddaughter of Diego and Mercedes, after whom she was named, two sisters married Canadians and moved to Canada, and another sister, who was asthmatic, lived in Havana with some cousins.

1. Sebastián Romagosa Rosabal

Sebastián, who was called Papachán, married Ana T. Guerra. In 1902 they moved to South Camaguey province where they had property, called la Aurora, near the Francisco Sugar Mill They had 11 children:

a) Sebastian, who married Pilar Bajuelo.

b) Carlos, married Josefina Palma, daughter of Ramon Palma and a relative of Don Tomas Estrada Palma, from Manzanillo. Carlos and his family had a property called el Indio, with cattle and sugar cane, in 1932. They had nine children, including:

-Carlos married Ramona del Pino. Children: Carlos and Hortensia.

-Maria Leonor married Edesio Pons. Children: Josefina and Leonor.

-Sebastián.

-Enrique (1907-1985) married Blanca Bezos. Children: Edith, Enrique (Henry), Carlos. Henry married Joanne Garrett and had a daughter, Maria,  who married Paul Danis and had two sons, Jackson, and Mitchell. In a second marriage, Henry married Carol Carl.

-Ana Luisa (1909-1980) married José Perez. Children: Ana Luisa.

-Arsenio married María Julia Torres.

-César (1913-1997) married María Mercedes Hernández. They had Marta, Josefina, and César.

1) Marta married César Alvarez Arteaga, from Camaguey, Cuba. They have three children:

-Cristina Alvarez, born in Camaguey, married Pierre Rodriguez, from Miami, and they have two children: Pierre John and Alisa Rodriguez.

-Miriam Alvarez, born in Camaguey, Cuba.

-Cesar Luis Alvarez, born in West Palm Beach.

2) Josefina, born at the Central Fracisco, Camaguey, married Glen Gerould, from Alabama, and they have one daughter, Alina Gerould.

3) César married Georgelina Bautista Linares from Florida, Camaguey. They had one daughter, Adriana, who married Ricardo Farías, and one grandaughter, Briana Farías Romagosa.

-Jorge.

-José Joaquín, married Emilia Acevedo. One daughter: María Emilia, married Manuel Millares and had two children: Javier and Ruben.

c) Clemencia, married Ricardo Martinez. Children: Ricardo and Luis.

d) Mercedes married Mariano Dorticos. Children: Mariano and Ana Matilde.

e) Amparo married Isidro de la Herran. Isidro was the first doctor of the Central Francisco clinic. He later brought his friend, Francisco Sosa de Quesada from the city of Camaguey, to take his place, [Francisco (Pancho) was married to Isabel Carolina Moya, whose sister, Caridad (Lala) Moya then met and married Alfredo Romagosa (Branch A) who set up a sugar cane plantation in partnership with Pancho in Francisco.] Amparo and Isidro had three children: John (father of María/Fufa), Isidro, and Ana Gertrudis.

f) José married Esperanza Zayas. Children: José, Sebastian, Mario, Virginia, Graciela, and Cutica.

g) Enrique married Rosalin Baronat. Daughter: Ana Victoria. Enrique and his sister, Carmen, appear on Ellis Island records as traveling to Philadelphia on November 24, 1914, at the ages of 24 and 22. Enrique is identified as a planter. Their nearest relative is identified as Manuel Romagosa, their cousin. They were going to visit Mrs. E. de la Herran at 711 S. 56th Street, Philadelphia.

h) Matilde married her cousin Manuel Romagosa and Romagosa from Bayamo, son of Manuel Romagosa Buelta (Branch B) and Chuchina Romagosa (Branch A). Matilde and Manuel were the parents of Elena Romagosa, Romagosa and Romagosa, married to Alfredo Marrero.

i) Carmen married Luis Martinez. Children: Gladys, Ana, Nely, Hector, and Ada. She traveled with her brother Enrique to Philadelphia in 1914 (see (g) above).

j) Manuel married Consuelo Masó, whose father was a nephew of Bartolome Masó. Children: Marta and twins Ana and Consuelo.

k) Maria Teresa married Bartolomé Masó, a nephew of the Cuban patriot.

2. Nieves Romagosa Rosabal,

Nieves married a Spaniard, named Gomez, who lived in Havana. They had four children:

a) Ramon Gomez Romagosa who married Carmela Nieto. They had eight children: Carmen (married to Adolfo Rivera Tomkins; parents of Carmita Rivera de Riera), Adolfo, Aurora, Ramona, Ramon, Alicia, Clarita and Conchita Gomez Nieto. Carmita Rivera de Riera fundó la Coral Cubana en Miami, Florida.

b) Asuncion Gomez Romagosa, who did not marry

c) Dolores Gomez Romagosa, who did not marry

d) Josefa Gomez Romagosa

3. Maria del Rosario Romagosa Rosabal (Charo)

Maria del Rosario, or Charo, as she was known, was born on December 8, 1847 in Manzanillo and died around 1942 in Havana. She was baptized on December 24 of the same year. Her godparents were Jose and Dolores Romagosa. Charo married Enrique Cespedes del Castillo at 15 years of age, in an arranged marriage, and had two children: Mercedes and Enrique Cespedes Romagosa. (See Branch D, Cespedes Romagosa) Charo was very close to her cousins, Manuel Romagosa Buelta and Juan Evangelista Romagosa Venecia. She was always grateful for Manuel's assistance to her family when they were growing up and used to sew linen shirts for him, according to her grand-daughter, Mercedes Ramirez de Cardenas. She became estranged from her husband over the ten years he was fighting during the 10-Year war. Her husband died when she was only 34 and the property was divided among the children. She later moved to Havana and died there. Carlos Lopez Chaves, a grandson of Manuel Romagosa Buelta, helped with her burial.