The first-ever Casso Family Reunion on July 27 brought together 380 family members — many who met for the first time at the event at La Posada’s San Agustin Ballroom.
The origin of the reunion dates back to the chance meeting in January of 2019 of Alfonso Casso Jr. and Roberto Casso Flores in a grocery store parking lot.
According to Alfonso Casso Jr., the family’s lineage dates back to Juan Pedro del Caso, who was born in 1710 in Reinos del Castillo, Spain. He was married to María Josefa de Villarreal Treviño. Descendants of that union formed the three branches of the Casso family represented at the reunion — Tadeo Casso Villarreal (1811 – 1869), married to María Eulalia Villarreal; Pedro Casso Villarreal (1838 – 1923), married first to Gregoria De La Garza and then to Trinidad Cantu; and José María Casso Cantu (1838 -1900) and wife Jovita Barreda Martinez.
The Casso Family Reunion brought together 380 descendants of Tadeo Casso Villarreal (1811-1869); Pedro Casso Villarreal (1838-1923) ; and José María Casso Cantu (1838 -1900).
“Many who planned to attend the reunion helped unravel the family tree. Not only were there similarities in our ancestor’s first names, but many of their spouses had the same last names. They all had roots in Aguasleguas and Villaldama, Nuevo Leon. Trying to distinguish the right lineage was difficult,” Alfonso Casso Jr. noted. The name of Tadeo Casso, he said, surfaced in information exchanged with cousin Raul Salvador Casso.
Jo Emma Quesada and Robert Casso Majalca — both descendants of Pedro Casso — and local genealogist John R. Campbell were Instrumental in researching and authenticating the family lineage.
Last February Alfonso Casso Jr. began putting to paper a first generation family tree of his grandparents and his siblings. He identified at least one member of the 12 children of Pedro Casso that had living descendants who could help fill in the family tree and an expanding contact list. A discussion with Oscar L. Casso, a Nuevo Laredo cousin who was not a direct descendant of this branch, led to research and the discovery of a connection further up the ancestral tree, a discovery that added the Jesus María Casso Cantu branch to the tree.
“From that point on, countless cousins continued to send information that helped expand the family tree,” Alfonso Casso Jr. said, adding that a planning committee for the reunion began meeting weekly.
Members included Roberto Casso Flores, Fernando Montemayor, Alfredo Pellegrin III, Dr. Emanuel Martinez and his wife Linda, Anna Galo, Memo Casso, Sergio Casso of Monterey, Julia Casso, Renato Zapata, Tere San Martin Stool of Dallas, Alfonso I. Casso, and Agustin Serna.
Descendants of three branches of the Casso family filled La Posada’s San Agustin Ballroom. The well-attended event was held July 27.
“The oral history of some of the descendants of the three families indicated they had ancestors from Aguasleguas, like ours. Though we had in common many first and last names, we couldn’t always make a connection.
“In evaluating the family tree graphic, it was noted that on many generational levels there were still many Cassos with no descendant information. For example, Facundo Casso Villarreal born in 1808 — to distinguish from the Facundo Casso Villarreal born in 1884 — had 16 children. We only had information on one, Jesus Maria Casso Cantu, one of the ancestors whose descendants would be attending the reunion. Because there were many branches not yet researched, the organizing committee decided that only descendants with authenticated proof of a relation to the family would be invited,” Alfonso Casso Jr. continued.
The breakdown for descendants in attendance ran thus — 253 descending from Pedro Casso; 58 from Jesus María Casso Cantu; and 32 from Tadeo Casso.
Attendance by city was: Laredo and Nuevo Laredo, 144; San Antonio, 37; Monterrey, NL, 33; Mexico City, MX, 15; St. Louis, MO, 11; Aguascalientes, 11; Houston, 8; Saltillo, COAH, 7; McAllen, 6; Dallas, 4; Guadalajara, JAL, 4; Del Rio, 3; Oklahoma City, 3; Hebbronville, 2; Indianapolis, 2; Miami, 2; Musquiz, COAH, 2; Nashville, 2; Round Rock, 1; Los Angeles, 1; New York, 1; Tampico, TAMPS, 1; and 42 unspecified.
