Looking for local family ties: Colorado woman hopes Kinney County residents can help identify Terrazas and Ballez relatives

A woman in Colorado is reaching back into Kinney County history in hopes of finding family connections that may still exist in this area today. June Hutchinson of Divide, Colorado, is searching for information about her paternal grandmother, Antonia Terrazas, who married Augustus Ballez in 1886, according to Kinney County marriage records. While the record confirms the marriage, it does not list the names of the couple’s parents, leaving unanswered questions about the family’s earlier roots.

In her research, Hutchinson found several people with the surname Terrazas in the 1880 U.S. Census for Kinney County, especially in the Spofford area. One name in particular, Maria Antonia Terrazas, caught her attention, although she has not yet been able to confirm whether that was her grandmother or whether the Terrazas families listed there were related to her. Hutchinson is also reviewing church records in and around Brackettville in hopes of learning more.

She said her grandfather, Augustine Ballez, was born in La Vernia, Texas. His mother died when he was about 3 years old, and his father later remarried. By the time of the 1910 census, the family was living around St. Hedwig. Because the family moved often and did not appear to have a permanent home, tracing relatives through the years has been difficult.

Hutchinson has also shared an old family photograph that she hopes may help with the search. The photo shows her grandfather, Augustine Ballez, standing in front of a man believed to be his uncle, along with several other unidentified family members. Her hope is that someone in Kinney County or the surrounding area may recognize the Terrazas or Ballez family names, remember family stories that match this history, or recognize someone in the photograph.

Anyone with information that may help may contact the newspaper at editor@kinneycountypost.com, which will forward responses to Hutchinson.