Early Years
Juana Gertrudis Navarro was born in San Antonio de Béxar (modern San Antonio, Texas) to José Ángel Navarro and Concepción Cervantes. Her exact birthdate was unrecorded, but she was baptized on December 28, 1812. The Navarro family was well known in Béxar; both Juana's father and his brother, José Antonio Navarro, held prominent positions in local government.
When Juana was a small child, her mother died. She and her younger sister Gertrudis were adopted by their father's sister, Josefa Navarro, who was married to Juan Martín de Veramendi. The Navarro girls considered their cousin Ursula another sister. Veramendi served as governor of Coahuila y Tejas from 1832–1833. Although Juana spoke little English, she and her family socialized with the prominent Anglo families in Béxar, including Samuel and Mary Maverick.
In 1832, Juana married Alejo Pérez Ramigio, a relative of the De León family which had founded Victoria, Texas. Pérez was a merchant, with a license to transport goods to and from Monclova The couple had one son, Alijo Perez Jr., and may have had a daughter who died in infancy.
Juana's adoptive parents and her cousin Ursula died in a cholera epidemic in Monclova in 1833. Her husband died of the same disease in either 1834 or 1835.
Read more about this topic: Juana Navarro Alsbury
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