Esteban Valdes Salazar by Arturo Ramos; NFU@JosephPuentes.com

Esteban Valdes Salazar is the municipal historian ("cronista") of
the municipality of Totatiche, Jalisco. He was born in Totatiche
and as an adult moved to Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, where he worked as
a verger in one of the local parishes. It was there that his
interest in genealogy and historical research began after he was
exposed to the disciplines by a parrishioner. While still living in
Monterrey, he wrote his first book, Los Valdes de Totatiche, which
documents the various branches of the Valdes family in Totatiche
and Colotlan, Jalisco. His second book, El sacerdocio ministerial,
singular don de la parroquia de Totatiche, Jalisco, documents the
descendants of Joseph Cayetano Grano and his six daughters, who are
considered pivotal figures in the history of Totatiche and who are
the ancestors of most of the illustrious clergy that has come from
Totatiche. He has also documented the genealogy of Saint Cristobal
Magallanes Jara, who was born and served as priest in Totatiche,
and most recently wrote a two volume history of Totatiche. This
history, which was published by the Ministry of Culture of the
State of Jalisco, can be found in many of the most renowned
libraries in the United States. Arturo Ramos is an economist in
Washington, DC. His family immigrated to Los Angeles, where he was
born, from the vicinity of Totatiche, Jalisco. His interest in
genealogy was inspired by his father, who had himself collected and
compiled subtantial genealogical information about their family
before Arturo joined the effort. Arturo is an active member of the
Nuestros Ranchos genealogy group (http://NuestrosRanchos.com) and
has traced many of his lineages back to the 17th century. He is
currently writing a book which explores the historical ethnography
of the Totatiche region and documents his father's genealogy within
this ethnological context.