California Portuguese Fraternal organizations

[celeste perry]

I will try to write what I remember about the organizations my family joined in California.

The oldest organization I found was the UPEC. This was a men only organization and I was told that it began because there were families where the husband died and there was no money to bury him. There were "donations" by his friends to bury the deceased. This made sense that a group of men began a "lodge" and each member contributed a monthly fee that was used to bury when the member died.

In addition to the UPEC there was the IDES (also began with only men). Again, being raised in an immigrant family, I understood the competition that was part of what I felt was the Portuguese. Friends from the same Azore Islands stood together and had separate "festias" to celebrate their traditions.

The UPPEC, (women only) was the organization my mother and her family joined. In Hayward, CA, the rivalry between the UPPEC and the SPRSI was something I saw as a child. Even to the point that the best friend of one of my aunts rose to be the "Supreme President" of the UPPEC while her mother was active in the SPRSI. There was a lot of issues that caused some families to show their hostility about some of their friends and relatives that did not participate together in one or the other "lodge."

There was a time in the UPPEC (I don't know about other lodges) where "only" women of Portuguese descent could join. That did eventually change.

So, getting back to lodge records. In Hayward, I had a "connection" to the Supreme Council when it moved to an office in Hayward. My aunt, Esther Sobral, was the Supreme Treasurer. And, my daughter's godmother worked in the office. When I began to try to find ancestors places of birth, I looked at some of the UPPEC death records and found that some, not all, listed more than Portugal or Azores as their place of birth.

Because at that time, there were so many people I met that had no idea they needed the village, not just the island, where their ancestor was born to search the church records. Until 1900, the Catholic church ran the country. There were no civil records. So, needing to know what village and church a where person was baptized was the only way to begin to confirm their birth.

I was able to index all the death records for the UPPEC that had not been at the house where the very first records were burned in a fire. Over a period of 4 years, I did so and when the UPPEC merged with (if I remember correctly) the IDES, UPEC, and some others.

At that time, I was told that I would not be able to do any further indexing because of "privacy" issues. So, I have in the database the deaths from 1909 to 2009.

I believe that the SPRSI records were taken by the Luso organization when they merged with that organization. There were other smaller Portuguese Lodges, I just can't remember all their names.

Hope this helps.
Celeste
Celeste Perry ccgr...@yahoo.com

[j Bc]

I was indeed reffering to the  SPRSI records, although I am ALSO interested in those of the UPPEC.

Specifically in Morro Bay/San Luis Obispo County California.  Is there any was you might be willing to look for deaths in those areas in your database for surnames simalar to: DeTerra/Terra/Reis/ReizCardoza/Cardoso

That would be very interesting.

Thanks

Jeremy

[Cheri Mello]

Jeremy,

Of course she's going to find those surnames. Every organization has them. You'll have to email Celeste with the full name of your ancestor(s) and she'll take it from there.

Cheri Mello
Listowner, Azores-Gen
Researching: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das Tainhas, Achada

[j Bc]

Yes, I am sure there are a great many persons with those names, but I am interested in any in Morro bay/San Luis Obispo.... As you said Cheri in regards to the UPEC collection "Do NOT put on horse blinders...You have to look around and collect the whole set! You may find the answer you were seeking by looking at another relative or relation." I don't want to specify names unless it is neccisary to do a search because I would not want to miss any cousins that may have been members.  So depending upon the layout of your database Celeste, if this is possible pleaselet me know, if not I can compile a list.......

Thanks,

Jeremy G. Berry-Cahn

Researching: Ribeira Seca, Calheta, Faja Dos Cubres

 

 

[Marilyn Thompson]

Does anyone know where I can find the  UPPEC for Bakersfield? I know that my grandmother belonged to that organization. I would like to see if my great grandmother also belonged to the same organization.

Thanks

Marilyn

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[celeste perry]

If anyone wants me to look in the database I need information about the member. The more information, the more likely I can find the woman.

Here are the thing I copied from the information I found in the death records of the member:
death claim #, policy #, last name, first name, mid. name, month of death, day of death, year of death, age, where died, birth date and place (here is where many just wrote Portugal or Azores), Father's name, mother's name, council # (the council where she was a member), cause of death (if there was a death certificate), mortuary, contact person and whether the file held a death certificate.

The more information you have the more likely I can match the information to a deceased member of the UPPEC. I am happy to try to help you find your female relative that was a member of the UPPEC.
Celeste
Celeste Perry ccgr...@yahoo.com

--------------------------------------------
On Wed, 10/12/16, 'j Bc' via Azores Genealogy <azo...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Subject: [AZORES-Genealogy] Re: California Portuguese Fraternal organizations
To: "Azores Genealogy" <azo...@googlegroups.com>
Cc: ccgr...@yahoo.com
Date: Wednesday, October 12, 2016, 12:31 PM

I was
indeed reffering to the  SPRSI records, although I am ALSO

interested in those of the UPPEC.Specifically in Morro

Bay/San Luis Obispo County California.  Is there any was
you might be willing to look for deaths in those areas in
your database for surnames simalar to:
DeTerra/Terra/Reis/ReizCardoza/Cardoso
That would be very
interesting.
Thanks
Jeremy

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[celeste perry]

Jeremy,
As an example of what I can and cannot do: You mention Morro Bay. In the database I have several deaths in Morro Bay and the Council of the UPPEC to which the person belonged varies from 13, 18, 32, 39, 58, 110. Where the person died does not give me the "real" information about the council to which they belonged.

Again, my experience with the ladies my mother met monthly gives me an answer as to why some formed a "new" council in the same town or nearby. They disagreed about something, got a group of friends to join them and moved their group to a different town. They still lived in the same place, just did not participate in the same council.

So, even though I recorded the council to which they belonged it may not be the place where they lived. This is one reason I need as much information as you have to find your family.

Celeste
Celeste Perry ccgr...@yahoo.com

--------------------------------------------

On Wed, 10/12/16, 'celeste perry' via Azores Genealogy <azo...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Subject: Re: [AZORES-Genealogy] Re: California Portuguese Fraternal organizations
To: azo...@googlegroups.com
Date: Wednesday, October 12, 2016, 5:11 PM

[celeste perry]

Jeremy,
It has taken me some time; however, I did find a Maria Brazil Reis who died in San Luis Obispo on Jan, 9, 1943, age 73.
I also found Mary/Maria Julia M. Reis and a Julia M. Reis who died in San Luis Obispo. I did not search farther because I do not have enough information.
If Maria Brazil Reis is your family, let me know and I will send you all the information in the data base for her.

[celeste perry]

Marilyn,
Without more information, I cannot search for your greatgrandmother.

Celeste
Celeste Perry ccgr...@yahoo.com

--------------------------------------------

On Wed, 10/12/16, Marilyn Thompson <mar...@jmtmlt.com> wrote:

Subject: Re: [AZORES-Genealogy] Re: California Portuguese Fraternal organizations
To: "Cheri Mello" <azo...@googlegroups.com>
Date: Wednesday, October 12, 2016, 4:26 PM

Does

anyone know where I can find the  UPPEC for Bakersfield? I know
that my grandmother belonged to that organization. I would
like to see if my great grandmother also belonged to the
same organization.
ThanksMarilyn
On Wed, Oct 12, 2016 at

1:42 PM, 'j Bc' via Azores Genealogy <azo...@googlegroups.com>
wrote:

Yes, I am sure there are a great
many persons with those names, but I am interested in any in
Morro bay/San Luis Obispo.... As you said Cheri in
regards to the UPEC collection "Do NOT put on horse
blinders...You have to look around and collect the whole
set! You may find the answer you were seeking by looking at
another relative or relation." I don't want to
specify names unless it is neccisary to do a search because
I would not want to miss any cousins that may have been
members.  So depending upon the layout of your database
Celeste, if this is possible pleaselet me know, if not I can
compile a list.......
Thanks,
Jeremy G.

Berry-CahnResearching: Ribeira Seca, Calheta,
Faja Dos Cubres 
 

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[Jeremy G. B-C]

Maria Reis San Luis Obispo CA or Morro Bay CA died 1942

[Jeremy G. B-C]

 I would have no idea which council number it was. Her name was Maria Emelia Reis nee Terra and she died July 1942 and was born about 1855 but thats all I know.  She lived in Morro most of the time she was in the States.

 

[Kawika322]

The PFSA (Formerly the UPEC) has the original UPEC records in their office (separate from the JA Freitas Library in the same building) in San Leandro. I have been many times and they have let me look through the records and take pictures of the pages I was interested in. I also talked to them a while back and they said they have the IDES records in their storage facility somewhere, however they were unable and inside when they could access or get them..although I did volunteer to help find and organize them for them.

David

[celeste perry]

Jeremy, the only name I found that is even close to the information you sent me is:
Maria Terra, died 6/7/1942, no age listed, in Oakland, CA. No date of birth no father or mother listed. She died of bronchopneumonia & myocarditis. The mortuary was C.P. Bannon, Oakland. Children listed: Joseph S. Terra, Jr., Martha Zerke, Carla Patridge. No death certificate listed.

I did not find any other Maria that fit the information you sent to me.

Celeste
Celeste Perry ccgr...@yahoo.com

--------------------------------------------

On Wed, 10/12/16, 'Jeremy G. B-C' via Azores Genealogy <azo...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Subject: Re: [AZORES-Genealogy] Re: California Portuguese Fraternal organizations

To: "azo...@googlegroups.com" <azo...@googlegroups.com>
Date: Wednesday, October 12, 2016, 5:35 PM

[Jeremy B-C]

Hmm. No that is not her although it's close. Thanks very much for looking anyways Celeste! Do they give the birthplaces of the parents?

[Jeremy G. B-C]

Wow! Awesome! that's not her but is an aunt of mine! Cool thanks so so so much for looking!!!

[celeste perry]

No, Jeremy, the birth place of a member's parents is not listed. In many cases, the member did not list her parents unless they were the people to contact after their death.

Celeste
Celeste Perry ccgr...@yahoo.com

--------------------------------------------

On Wed, 10/12/16, 'Jeremy B-C' via Azores Genealogy <azo...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Subject: Re: [AZORES-Genealogy] Re: California Portuguese Fraternal organizations

To: "Azores Genealogy" <azo...@googlegroups.com>
Date: Wednesday, October 12, 2016, 7:07 PM

Hmm. No that is not her although it's
close. Thanks very much for looking anyways Celeste! Do they
give the birthplaces of the parents?