Angel Maria Figueredo y Vazquez and Ida Pierce

[his parents]                          [her parents]

Angel Maria (Angelo) Figueredo y Vazquez was born in either 1857 or 1858.  Flora Mora quoted a conversation between Angelo’s parents on the eve of the outbreak of the Ten Years’ War in October 1868, in which Isabel comments that Angelo is nearly 11 years old, which would suggest that he was born late in 1857, or early in 1858.  He was, clearly, 10 or 11 years old when the burning of Bayamo took place in December, 1868, and the family took to the Sierra Maéstra.

In August 1870, the family were at the country property, Santa Rosa, where they were attacked by Spanish troops and Angelo’s mother and some of his sisters were arrested.  He and his 15 year old sister, María de la Luz, managed to escape and they somehow found their way to the home of their uncle, Miguel Figueredo.  A day or two later their sister, Candelaria, also arrived at Miguel’s home.  They stayed there until April 1871, when more Spanish troops arrived and, once again, Candelaria, María de la Luz, and Angelo managed to escape.  They roamed the countryside for a few days before they found the camp of Francisco Javier de Céspedes who took them in.  On July 15, 1871, the Spanish again arrived and this time they were captured.

They were taken to Guayabal and then to Manzanillo, where María de la Luz and Angelo were released, but when Candelaria was imprisoned in the Fortress of Zaragoza, Angelo seized her skirt and refused to be parted from her.  The jailer allowed him to stay in the prison with her until, on October 13, 1871, they, Candelaria, María de la Luz, and Angelo, were put on board the schooner Annie bound for New York.  They arrived safely in New York where they learned that their mother and the rest of their family were in Key West.  With the help of some old family friends they embarked for Key West where they rejoined their mother and family after 14 months of separation.²

Angel María accompanied María de la Luz and her new husband, Basilio Angueyra when they emigrated to Colombia towards the end of 1875, but while they remained in Colombia, he apparently returned to the US within the next few years, since, on September 14, 1881, in Monroe, FL he married Ida Pierce, the daughter of William H. Pierce and Rebecca Saunders.³  Angel María and Ida had seven children, José, Pedro, Ester, Lucille, Eulalia, Piedad, and Isabel.

Angel María returned to Cuba at some time following his marriage and, according to Albert Parra, he, there, became postmaster general.¹  He then returned to Key West, where he and Ida lived on the corner of Olivia and White Streets before buying what was to become the family home at 1103 Olivia Street.¹

Angel María died on October 31, 1892, according to Roberto Giraldo, who wrote that this is the date on his headstone in the Figueredo family lot in Key West Cemetery.  A chart made by Albert Parra says that he died in 1921,³ which, considering the dates of birth of his children, seems more likely.  Ida died on September 30, 1925, and they were buried side by side in Key West Cemetery.¹  On Angel María’s head stone his date of birth is given as January 25, 1858, which agrees with the year of birth suggested by Flora Mora.  Ida’s stone says that she was born on March 20, 1866.  The chart provided by Albert Parra says 1863.³

#  Children of Angel María Figueredo and Ida Pierce:

i               Jose Angel Figueredo was born in 1883,³ in Havana, ^?where he had a brokerage office, ^? and died there ¹ in 1930.³ 

ii              Pedro (Peter) Eugenio Figueredo was born in 1884,¹ and died in 1938,¹in Miami ¹ of liver disease.¹  Roberto Giraldo wrote that there is a headstone in the Figueredo family plot in Key West Cemetery marked - Pedro Figueredo, May 18, 1883 - March 29, 1930. ^?  Albert Parra confirmed that Peter is buried in the Key West Cemetery.¹

iii             Ester Norma Figueredo was born in 1886,³ and was more often called either Ethel or Pecosa.¹  She married Charles Koontz,¹ from whom she was divorced,¹and, later, in Miami,¹ married Joseph Cubba.¹ She died in 1966,³and was buried in the family lot in Key West Cemetery ¹ on October 15, 1966. ^?  Roberto Giraldo wrote that there is a headstone marked - Blanca Esther. ^?  He didn’t say if Blanca Esther had a last name, nor did he give any dates - is this Ester Norma?

iv             Lucille Isabel Figueredo was born in 1888,¹ died in 1965,¹and is buried in the family plot in Key West Cemetery.¹  She never married ¹and lived, for most of her adult life, with her sister Isabel Luz and her husband, Thomas MacPherson, in Key West and Miami.¹

v              Eulalia Maria Figueredo

vi             Isabel Luz Figueredo

vii            Piedad Luisa Figueredo

____________________

¹  Source: letter - Albert Parra - June 19, 2000

²  This scenario comes from LIBRE,   Antonio Cacua Prada in his De Cuba a Boyaca por la Libertad says that Candelaria, Luz, and Angel María arrived in New York in October 1870, not October 1871, and that they lived with their mother and sisters in New York for a little over a year before they all moved to Key West on December 11, 1871.

³  Source: chart made by Albert Parra