STORIES

My 10X Great Grandmother, Luisa Robledo

 Luisa Lopez Robledo married Bartolome Romero, she was the daughter of Pedro Robledo and Catalina Lopez,. Luisa was born about 1581 in Lugar de Carmena, Spain and died about 1625 about age 44.


While reading Fray Angelico Chavez,s book “My Penitente Land” The Soul Story of Spanish New Mexico, I came across this reference about my 10X Great Grandmother, Luisa Robledo, in Chapter 5, part 2. She was with the first families who came to New Mexico with Don Juan de Onate in 1598. The following is taken directly from the book.


At first, while Onate's long forays of exploration were going on, the Spanish women had to cultivate and harvest the crops of native maiz and whatever European seeds they brought along. And sturdy women they must have been, especially Luisa Robledo, as shown the first summer when wild Indians from the eastern plains came to attack San Juan when her husband and the other men were away exploring.

She was the daughter of the old ensign from Toledo who had died along the trail, and the wife of Bartolome Romero, likewise a Toledan who was one of Onate's best captains.Brave Luisa gathered all the Spanish and Indian women on the flat rooftops to pelt the invaders with stones while taunting them with screeching female invective. The ruse worked, for the enemy, a small band most likely, gave up and left.

I identify this valiant and inventive Debborah because she is my direct ancestress by several Romero, Lucero, Roybal, and other lines on both my mother's and my father's sides. I would not doubt that, like the brave prophetess in early Judges, she burst out into triumphant song from the roof-tops after the baffled foe had slunk away.