Ancestors of Juan Manuel Ruiz

Juan Manuel Ruiz was the father of Jose Francisco Ruiz, who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence.   Juan Manuel arrived in San Antonio sometime before 1760 from San Luis de la Paz, Queretaro (present-day Guanajuato, Mexico).    Juan Manuel was a tailor and private tutor by trade.  His siblings included Francisca Manuela Ruiz, Jose Felix Ruiz and Maria Gertrudis Ruiz.    Maria Gertrudis married Joseph Guadalupe Fernandes de Agreda in San Antonio in 1783.  Manuel's mother, Ana Maria de Cumplido was buried at San Fernando Church.

Juan Manuel Ruiz' parents were Agustin Ruiz and Ana Maria de Cumplido.  Agustin Ruiz was also born in San Luis de la Paz and is listed in the census there as a comerciente or merchant.  His siblings included Joseph Ruis de Mora, Maria Eugenia Ruiz and  Julian Ruiz.  Their parents were Manuel Ruiz and Augustina Servin.  

The Servin family name may come from the French word serve, i.e. “servant.”  A branch of Servin family reached Querétaro in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century, mid-century and added to his surname de la Mora for unknown reasons.  Several Servin woman in the Queretaro records use the alternate surname of Touraine.  Touraine is a region in France south of Paris, where a family named Servin exists who for centuries have been known for growing grapes and making wine.

 
MANUEL RUIZ (M. BEFORE 1695) + AUGUSTINA SERVIN

  - Joseph Ruis de Mora (b. 1695)[2]

  - Maria Eugenia Ruiz (b. 1700)[3] 

  - Julian Ruiz (b. 1708)[4]

  - Agustín  Ruiz (b. 1708)[5] + Ana María de Cumplido (d. 1783, Béxar)

       - María Gertrudis Ruiz (m. 1776) + Joseph Guadalupe Fernandes de Agreda

       - Joseph Felix Ruiz (b. 1740)[6]

       - Francisca Manuela Ruiz (b. 1745)[7]

       - Juan Manuel Ruiz (m. before 1766) + Manuela de la Peña y Valdes

---

[2] Santiago de Querétaro Baptisms, Feb 1695. Joseph Ruis De Mora, son of Manuel Ruis and Augustina Servin De Mora

[3] San Juan Bautista Church Baptisms, Apatzeo El Grande, Guanajuato, 21 May 1700.  Maria Efigenia Ruys Servin, daughter of Manuel Ruys and Augstina Servin.

[4] Santiago de Querétaro Baptisms, 21 Jun 1706. Julian Ruiz Servin, son of Manuel and Augustina Servin.

[5] Santiago de Querétaro Baptisms, 23 Jun 1708. Augustin Ruis, son of Manuel Ruis and Augustina Servin.

[6] Santiago de Querétaro Baptisms, 20 May 1740.  Jose Felix Ruis, born 20 May 1740, Santiago, Queretaro, son of Agustin Ruiz and Ana Maria Cumplido.

[7] Santiago de Querétaro Baptisms, 27 Jul 1745. Francisca Manuela Ruis, daughter of Agustin Ruis and Ana Maria Cumplido. 

Following the Battle of the Alamo Francisco Antonio Ruiz Took Personal Possession of the San Antonio Treasury

Following the Battle of the Alamo, Francisco Antonio Ruiz (FAR), took personal possession of the public treasury of the City. As late as November 1836, FAR was delivering funds to the army from the deposits in his possession.

Jose Francisco Ruiz advises Antonio Navarro to not serve in the Senate.

In April of 1835, a year before Texas Independence, Jose Antonio Navarro was offered a seat in the Mexican Senate being reformed under Santa Anna's centralist rule. It came with a hefty salary of 10,000 pesos a year. He wrote to his uncle Jose Francisco Ruiz for advice. This was his reply. “My nephew, you know me well enough to excuse any preambles on my part to the decision you wish me to make. I will give you my advice in a few words, remembering the favorite expression of your worthy father, Bread is Bread, Wine is Wine. The die is cast, and in a few months will begin the revolution that will forever separate Texas from the Republic of Mexico. I feel a lump in my throat when I say this. I spent the flower of my life and freely shed my blood for the Independence of Mexico, and I would willingly do so again, though I am now old, could I see any evidence that unfortunate Mexico was capable of governing herself, or upholding the honor of her flag and her nationality; but I have lost all hope of remedy, and see nothing in the future but her inevitable ruin and degradation. I have military honors (you know it well), and receive a pension from the Government of Mexico. I will lose it all rather than go to Mexico and unite myself to the ranks of that oppressive army. Do not go to the Senate of Mexico, for you will only go to assist in quenching the dying embers of Mexican liberty; let us rather stay in Texas, and throw in our lot with our native State."

A Mission Indian Connection: The Reyes Family of Von Ormy

Maria Rita de los Reyes (married to Miguel Flores) had three siblings all baptized at the San Fernando Cathedral.  Her sister, Gertrudis married Vicente Vara and also settled in Von Ormy around 1870.  The Reyes sisters were the daughters of Jose Policarpo de los Reyes who was baptized on 28 Jan 1801 at San Fernando Cathedral.  His father was Jose Santiago de la Trinidad de los Reyes who was baptized at San Fernando Cathedral on 17 Jul 1757.  His father was Juan de los Reyes who died on 01 Jun 1801 at Mission San Jose and was born circa 1721.  Juan de los Reyes was a Mission Indian.  The records fail to record from which tribe he was, but his last wife was noted to be from the Borrado tribe.

Flores Family of Von Ormy

Many of the Flores family of Von Ormy, live along Benton City Road (aka Floresville) and in Von Ormy Heights.  The earliest known Flores was Gregorio Flores who was born around 1790 and was married to Maria Josefa Garcia. It is not known where they were from, but on 19 Feb 1809 they baptized their son Jose Antonio Flores in Nadadores, Coahuila, Mexico.  Jose Antonio was married to Maria Marta Baltasar also from Nadadores on 09 Jan 1825.  They were the parents of Francisco Flores, who was born on 11 Mar 1828 in Nadadores and married Antonia Munos on 05 Mar 1844. She was also from Nadadores. They came to Texas following the American Civil War in 1867 or 1868.  They had six children: Miguel, Presciliano, Ponciano, Felipe, Refugia, and Juliana who was born in Texas.  The Flores’ originally settled in Atascosa County and can be found there in the1880 census. Miguel Flores married Maria Rita de los Reyes on 19 Apr 1880 and settled in Von Ormy.  Francisco, Miguel, Maria Rita, and many other Flores are buried in San Patricio cemetery in Bexar, Texas.

Casillas/Casias Family of Bexar County

This family came to spell its name two ways, Casillas and Casias. But this is the same family and the name change occurred in the early 1800’s when they moved away from Mission Espada. The first Casillas in the New World was Martin Casillas who was born in Almendralejo, Spain in 1556.  He was an architect and was commissioned to design the Cathedral in Guadalajara, Mexico.  He married his wife on 18 Sep 1582 in Puebla, Mexico and had several children including Domingo Casillas, born 1595 in Guadalajara.  Three generations later his namesake Domingo Casillas was born in Tonala, near Guadalajara.  He was married to Juana Ana de la Rosa also from Tonala.  Their son Juan Casillas was born in 1716 and married Maria de Luna from Guadalajara.  They moved north to Mission Lampasos, Coahuila.  Juan was not a soldier; he was one of the very few who moved north as a businessman.  Juan and Maria had a son, Carlos Casillas, who was born on the Mission in 1731.  He married a girl from the Mission named Maria del Carmen Vasques, whose background is Basque and Jewish.  They moved to San Antonio as private citizens, again at a time where nearly all other settlers were soldiers around 1790.  They originally moved into La Villita, but in 1792 when Mission Espada was secularized Carlos and his son Juan purchased homes at the Mission.  Today these rooms are still in use and are part of the convento where the current Franciscan Friars live.  Juan served in the Spanish Army and was posted at the Alamo and several other missions.  He was also a mail currier between San Antonio and Nacogdoches. Later Juan served in the Texas Revolution with his nephews Pablo and Mateo under Juan Seguin at the siege of Bexar, when the Texas Army first took the Alamo from Mexico.  At this point many of the Casillas/Casias family moved off the mission to San Antonio, Losoya, Somerset and Von Ormy.  Juan’s son Santiago settled in Von Ormy where he married a local girl Matiana Orosco and baptized nine children at the old Santisima Trinidad Church.  Nearly all the Casillas/Casias families from South Bexar County descend from Carlos Casillas.