Book by Elmer Maestas. Courtesy/MPL

LIBRARY News:

Native New Mexican and former Los Alamos resident Elmer Maestas will do a special presentation at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 9 at Mesa Public Library. He will talk about his new book “New Mexico’s Stormy History,” and how he solved the puzzle of his family’s role in New Mexico history.

Maestas began a serious study of his family’s roots after his late brother Jeffery “Walt” Maestas travelled through Spain years earlier and failed to find anyone with the name Maestas. After Elmer learned that his surname was originally “Mestas,” he discovered that his ancestors had indeed come from Spain and had soldiered with General de Vargas, and that he was a 10th generation Spanish descendant.

Maestas’ search for his family’s roots led him to explore many historical archives and resources, which he is happy to share with people who may be pursuing similar searches. He found Spanish census records from the late 18th century, and lists of soldiers who served with de Vargas, along with many other clues along the way.

For more information about this and other programs at the Library, go to the Events calendar on the Library’s webpage or call the Library at 505.662.8253.