Ancestor Story

      My name is Cassandra Marie Leyba. My parents are Beniva Abeyta, maiden name Salazar, and Dwayne Leyba. My grandparents on my mom's side are Jesse, and Benny Salazar. My grandma Jesse's maiden name is Baker. My grandparents on my dad's side are Rose and Valentino Leyba. I have two uncles and one aunt form my dad's side of the family. My two uncles names are Michael and Valentino Jr, Leyba. My aunts name is Carla Chavez. On my mom's side I  also have two uncles and one aunt. My two uncles names are Scott and Rick Salazar and my aunts name is Tina Driggers.

      My grandma Jesse is 70 years-old and was born in Pennsylvania, I don't know what city she was born in but she did live there. She now lives in Chama, New Mexico, alone. My grandpa Benny was 65, going on 66 when he passed away. He is of Hispanic descent, and had lived in New Mexico all his life. I don't really remember him because by the time I was old enough to have some memory of him, before he passed away, he was already getting sick. Which enabled him to speak much, but I do have some memory of him and I'm glad that their all good memories, I sometimes see my grandma Jesse, but mainly on holidays and occasional visits. I talk to her hardly ever. All that I know, and what I have learned from my mom was that she was born in Pennsylvania and she is of German descent.

      My grandma Rose is Choctaw Indian and my grandpa Val is from San Felipe Pueblo. My grandpa Val is 75 years-old, has lived here his whole life, and even went to the University of New Mexico (UNM). My grandma Rose is 74 years-old, going on 75. They are the healthiest people that I know. They are the closest people that I have to family, besides my parents. Ever since I was little, I have never spent time, or even saw my family much. The only people that I really have contact with are my parents, my grandpa Val and my grandma Rose. My family that are on my mom's side of the family mostly live in Pennsylvania, and my uncle Scott lives in Ohio with his family. My dad's side of the family mostly everyone lives here but I still don't have much contact with them. The closest cousin that I have, is my cousin Melissa and she lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

     I sometimes wish that I was much closer with my family because then I would know and understand where my ancestors really came from. I would know about their times and what kind of problems or achievements were happening during their time. I would really like to come closer to my family, from both sides, because I have cousins that I never see and I believe that if I don't start learning about my own heritage and where my families came from, I won't be able to tell other people and maybe I won't even be able to tell my future kids or grandchildren. I want to be able to talk to my whole family about their past and what they know.     

     My family and I don't really have a tradition that I know of, because like I said before I don't spend much time with them. The only thing that I think of that my and I do, are for Thanksgiving and Christmas we always go to my Aunt Tina's house. For years now, we have been going there for Thanksgiving and Christmas because there my grandma Jesse and we can meet there for that night. Other then that I can't think of anything else that could be considered as a tradition. 

     My grandma Rose and grandpa Val are the only people that I can rely on. I see them a lot and I am so thankful for them. I, Cassandra, am German, Choctaw Indian, San Felipe Pueblo Indian, and Hispanic all put into one. The End!