Introduction

Proving the parentage of individuals born in Guam during the 1800s is difficult, and in some cases, appears impossible. Finding any written documentation for those born during this period is a challenging endeavor. This is because much of the written documentation for this period did not survive. Guam’s turbulent history, the tropical climate and the devastation of World War II are responsible for the dearth of information.[1]^,[2] This presents a challenge to genealogists and requires them to use creative strategies to assemble evidence in support of their research. Unless a hidden cache of historical documents is found to bridge this gap, this will continue to confound genealogists and historians for years to come.

 In Guam, many families do not know much about their ancestors that lived in the early 1800s. One significant event that may have contributed to this situation was the worldwide influenza pandemic in 1918-19. Brought to Guam onboard the military transport ship the USS Logan, the “Spanish Flu” killed over 6% of the island population.[3]  The very young and the elderly were especially vulnerable. Because of the high rate of mortality in the elderly, it has been said that over 80% of those who spoke Spanish perished because of the epidemic.[4]  While this event brought an abrupt halt to the use of the Spanish language on Guam, it is also believed to have hindered the transmission of family histories from one generation to the next. For today’s elderly, it is not uncommon for Guam residents to not know who their great grandparents were. For those that do, they know very little about their lives. This was the case with Apolonia Ada.

 Reproduced by permission of the Author for research and educational purposes.

[1] Safford, W.E., “The Mariana Islands Notes compiled by W. E. Safford: From Documents in the Archives at Agaña, the Capital of Guam, from early Voyages found in the Libraries of San Francisco, California,” (bound transcript 1901, Micronesian Area Research Center, University of Guam) p. IV-V.

[2] O.R. Lodge, “Attach Preparations,” The Recapture of Guam, (Fredericksburg: Awani Press Inc., 1988), 33.

[3] Shanks, G.D., Hussell, T. and Brundage, “Epidemiological isolation causing variable mortality in island populations during the 1918-1920 influenza pandemic”, Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses, 6 (January 2012) 417-423.

[4] Julius Sullivan, “Men of Navarre,” The Phoenix Rises (New York: Seraphic Mass Association, 1957), 118-119.

Sources: Jillette Leon-Guerrero

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