=This project is designed to gather New Mexico Otero families who are descendants of Fray Cayetano de Otero c.1703-1768=

UPDATE 12-2-2016: New DNA Haplogroup assignment for Cayetano Otero DNA.

=R-DF63=

'ALL NEW MEXICO OTERO DESCENDANTS PLEASE ADD YOUR PROFILE.

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The Story of the Otero’s of New Mexico begins in far off Espana. To an Otero family living in the Galicia region of Spain was born in 1701 a boy whom they named Cayetano. By the time Cayetano was in his 20’s he must have heard stories of the New World and must have dreamt of Conquistadors in their shinny armor and their gallant horses. Cayetano made a decision to come to the new World and its stories of Gold and Honor. By 1725 he was in the city of Puebla south of Mexico City professing as a Franciscan priest (January 29). Whether he came here as a young man full of missionary zeal seeking souls from among the pagan “Indians” or once arriving he was recruited by passionate and fervent followers of St Frances we shall never know, but his faith now drove him not only to the New World, but to its frontiers fraught with their dangers and challenges.

Cayetano Otero like all travelers on the Camino Real, the Royal Road from Mexico City to La Villa de Santa Fe arrives in the Reyno de Nuevo México by 1731. His first Assignment is in the Pueblo of Zuni to the West. He is given several assignments throughout New Mexico. (Appendix I and II will document these) According to the records Cayetano was not in Alburquerque until August of 1733 when he is assigned to Laguna Pueblo (Sept – Oct of 1733).

Accidently while researching the San Felipe de Neri Marriages, I stumbled on the following information. In September of 1732 while transferring from Laguna Pueblo to Pecos Fray Cayetano makes a stop in Alburquerque and according to the San Felipe de Nero Marriage Register he performs a wedding for the then prominent Duran y Chavez family. The marriage was for the 18 year old Dona Efigenaia Duran y Chabes (sic) who was marring Jacinto Sanchez. Two questions: was this the first time for Cayetano in Alburquerque and was this the first time he met this prominent family? If the answer is yes then here at this wedding Cayetano meets the bride’s older sister, Quiteria for the first time and the rest is our Otero history. (My mind is doing two or three Hollywood type scenarios in the “truth is stranger the fiction” story.)

According to articles in the Herencia by Jonathan Ortega (July 1998) and by Ernest J. Sanchez (April 1999) and in other publications, Cayetano went on to have a relationship with Quiteria which resulted in them having at least five children maybe more. 1. Leonardo Chabes 2. Pedro Duran y Chabes Otero b: before 1935 in Santa Fe m. 1759, d. 3. Victoria Duran y Chabes Otero b:1736 4. Úrsula Duran y Chabes Otero b:ABT 1740 5. Antonio Duran y Chabes Otero b:1746 (AKA Antonio Chabes in marriage record) 6. Santiago Duran y Chabes Otero b:1751

All the original New Mexico, So. Colorado, Arizona Otero’s come from the relationship of Cayetano and Quiteria and from these siblings.

Most of the Otero’s of New Mexico come from the Line of Pedro Duran y Chavez OTERO and his wife Maria Juliana Alary (Alared/Alari/etc.). Pedros sons were Jose Lorenzo OTERO, Antonio Rafael OTERO, Vicente Antonio Otero, Jose Estanislado OTERO. The Otero’s from Valencia County, the East Manzano Mtn.s, and Upper Town/San Antonio/Las Vegas and all points N., S., E., & W. are of the same families. My particular line is from Pedro b. 1735 * Jose Lorenzo b.1773 * Jose Refugio Ysidro b.1821 * Serafin Rudolfo b. 1865 * Dionicio Ismael b. 1926 * and myself, Denis Ismael Otero b.1950.

Because of the scandalous nature of this relationship several Otero families have either taken the position that the Otero’s came from Spain via Cuba, New Orleans, St. Louis then to New Mexico; a scenario discredited by Ortega and Sanchez or that Fray Cayetano Otero adopted the orphan Pedro Duran y Chaves which Pedro then now uses the “appelldo” of Otero to honor his “father” Cayetano. That clergy often took in orphans is a well documented fact, hostile Indian raids, health issues in a medical-less environment and mothers dying in childbirth made for many orphans. As was mentioned above both Jonathan Ortega and by Ernest J. Sanchez have done an excellent work in bringing this to light.

The New Mexico Genealogical Society on their web-site database www.hgrc-nm.org carries Cayetano’s downline, check it out and load your family to the tree. Cayetano was born in Galicia Spain in 1701- He came to the new world as a Missionary and studied in the Franciscan Convent in Puebla Mexico where he was ordained in 1724. He was in New Mexico at Zuni by 1731, at Pecos in 1732-33 and in San Felipe Parish in Albuquerque in 1734-35. He apparently remained in Alburqueque until he died after 1768. ...Cayetano is the Father and progeniter of the Otero's of New Mexico.

Fray Cayetano Otero - Chronological Dates b. 1701 Galicia, Spain Studied at Franciscan Convent, Puebla, Mexico – Ordained 1724

I have compiled the following dates of my GGGGreat-Grand-Father, Fray Cayetano de Otero. I am Dr. Denis Otero, my father was Dionisio I. Otero, his father was Serafin R. Otero, his father was Isidro Refugio Otero, his father was Lorenzo Otero, and his father was Pedro Duran y Chavez Otero whose father was Cayetano.

Cayetano officially served in these Pueblos and the old Albuquerque San Felipe Church; unofficially he served and was in many other churches as a guest and while traveling from one Mission to another. He would also have gone on sabbaticals to his Seminary in Puebla, Mexico and/or a trip to Spain (home), we have spaces in his record where it is “unknown” where he is for years.. We know these dates from “birth, marriage, and death” records entered with his name. I have copies of his actual signature with “rubric”. Dr. Otero...

Jan 1731 – May 1732 @ Zuni (1 y 4 m)
May – Aug 1732 @ Acoma (3 m) Mar, Nov, 1732 @ Pecos Jun, Aug, 1732 @ Laguna Feb 1733 @ Galisteo Feb-Apr 1733 @ Pecos (3 m) July, Sep, Oct, 1733 @ Laguna Aug 1733 @ Albuquerque Jul -1734- Nov 1735 @ Albuquerque (1y 4m) Jan 1735 @ Zuni May, Sep 1736 @ Picuris Jul-Nov 1737 @ Santa Ana (5m) Nov 1736-Apr 1737 @ Zia (5m) Nov 1737-Dec.1738 @ Jemez (1y 1m) Mar-Aug 1739@ Zia 1739-1743 @ Unknown (4 years) Jul 1743 @ Zia Oct –Nov 1743 @ Laguna Jan 1744 @ Albuquerque Jul-Dec 1744 @ Zia (5m) 1744-1749 @ Unknown (5 years) Oct 1749 @ Acoma Jan 1750 @ Acoma (last reference) Some say he was in Albuquerque till 1768- this is unknown…

I have extracted from the Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, 1678 – 1900 by Fray Angelico Chavez the following Itinerary and Mission assignments for Fray Cayetano Otero.

=Cayetano’s Itinerary=

: • Jan 1731 to May 1732 @ Zuni (Alburquerque on the way) • Mar 1732 @ Pecos (Alburquerque on the way) • Jun 1732 @ Laguna • May – Aug 1732 @ Acoma • Aug 1732 @ Laguna (Alburquerque on the way) • Nov 1732 @ Pecos • Feb 1733 @ Galisteo • Feb- Apr 1733 @ Pecos (Alburquerque on the way) • Jul 1733 @ Laguna • Aug 1733 @ Alburquerque • Sep 1733 @ Laguna • Oct 1733 @ Laguna • Jul 1734- Nov 1735 @ Alburquerque • Jan 1735 @ Zuni • Jan 1736 @ Alburquerque • May – Sep @ Picuris • Nov 1736 – Apr 1737 @ Zia • Jul – Nov 1737 @ Santa Ana • Nov 1737 – Dec 1738 @ Jemez • Mar – Apr 1739 @ Zia • Jul 1743 @ Zia • Oct – Nov 1743 @ Laguna • Jan 1744 @ Laguna • Feb – Mar 1744 @ Alburquerque • Jul – Dec 1744 @ Zia • Aug – Mar 1749 @ Alburquerque • Oct 1749 @ Acoma • Jan 1750 @ Acoma

=Cayetano’s Assignments:=

@ Zuni • Jan 1731 to May 1732 • Jan 1735
@ Pecos • Mar 1732 • Nov 1732 • Feb- Apr 1733 @ Laguna • Jun 1732 • Aug 1732 • Jul 1733 • Sep 1733 • Oct 1733 • Oct – Nov 1743 • Jan 1744 @ Acoma • May – Aug 1732 • Oct 1749 • Jan 1750 @ Galisteo • Feb 1733 @ Alburquerque • Aug 1733 • Jul 1734- Nov 1735 • Jan 1736 • Feb – Mar 1744 • Aug – Mar 1749 @ Picuris • May – Sep 1736 @ Zia • Nov 1736 – Apr 1737 • Nov 1737 – Dec 1739 • Jul 1743 • Jul – Dec 1744 @ Santa Ana • Jul – Nov 1737 @ Jemez • Nov 1737 – Dec 1738

Fray Cayetano Otero and Quiteria Duran y Chávez to be continued...

...was Cayetano a "Sephardic Jew"???

'Otero DNA through familytreedna.com is R1b1a2 (L-21). We encourage all New Mexico Otero's to add name to project and do a DNA test

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