The Woman in the Photograph: Día de Muertos and a Family's History

In a photograph displayed on Conchita Iglesias McElwee's ofrenda, two relatives walk through downtown Shreveport, Louisiana. One is her grandfather, Juan Jorge Iglesias, and beside him is his mother, María de la Concepción Coríz Pacheco Iglesias. The older woman once sold homemade tamales in the same city, and several generations later, her great-granddaughter still carries her name.

For Conchita, this photograph represents a connection to the Mexican heritage that shaped her family. Through photographs, inherited belongings, and memories passed down by her grandparents, she has gradually pieced together the lives of relatives she never had the opportunity to know.

Remembering Family Through Día de Muertos

Every year, around November 1 and 2, families across Mexico celebrate Día de Muertos, the Day of the Dead. Many prepare an ofrenda, an altar decorated with photographs, candles, food, and orange marigolds called cempasúchil. Favorite dishes and personal belongings help families welcome and remember deceased relatives, with each offering reflecting the people being honored.

The tradition, recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, varies across Mexico and combines Indigenous practices with Catholic observances. For many families, preparing an ofrenda also brings opportunities to share stories about earlier generations.

Conchita's connection with this tradition developed gradually. Growing up in Shreveport, she remembers special shelves in her grandparents' home where photographs and small keepsakes were carefully preserved. Although her grandfather never called these displays an ofrenda, they occupied a meaningful place in the household. Years later, Conchita incorporated many of those inherited objects into an altar of her own.

The Great-Grandmother Who Sold Tamales

Conchita's family history reaches back to Spain and Mexico. Her great-grandfather, José Iglesias, grew up in Spain before traveling to Mexico, where he met María de la Concepción. The couple married and eventually moved to Louisiana, settling in Shreveport around 1926 with their two children, Juan Jorge and Yolanda.

José worked at a glass factory, while his wife helped support the family by selling homemade tamales downtown. She died in her mid-forties, when her son Juan Jorge was only fifteen years old. Although Conchita never knew her great-grandmother personally, family photographs and stories have preserved details of her life.

Her grandfather Juan Jorge became an important link to the family's Mexican roots. He regularly visited relatives in Mexico and returned with sweets and other delicacies, including cajeta, a caramel made from goat's milk. Conchita remembers the family gathering to enjoy it over vanilla ice cream, a childhood experience that strengthened her connection to Mexico.

These memories were documented by folklorist Laura Marcus Green in a 2012 account of Conchita's family history and Día de Muertos traditions.

Following Family Memories Into the Archives

Conchita grew up surrounded by an interest in genealogy. Her grandmother's involvement in family-history research meant that visits to libraries and cemeteries were a familiar part of her childhood, and the family's research eventually extended across numerous generations.

Her family's story illustrates how personal memories can help guide an investigation into historical records. Knowing that José and María de la Concepción lived in Shreveport around 1926 provides a starting point for examining census records, immigration documents, and other sources that might reveal additional details about their lives.

For ancestors who lived in Mexico, civil registration records (registro civil) and Catholic parish registers (registros parroquiales) can help researchers establish earlier family relationships. Birth, baptismal, and marriage entries may identify parents, places of residence, and other relatives. The FamilySearch Mexican genealogy resources offer guidance on locating these collections.

Researchers interested in the wider history of an ancestral community can also consult Mexico's Archivo General de la Nación (AGN). Its collections include historical documents concerning land ownership, Indigenous communities, and government administration, offering context about the places where earlier generations lived.

Keeping the Story With the Photograph

Today, Conchita's family history lives through the photographs and belongings she inherited, as well as the stories she remembers hearing as a child. Her ofrenda includes generations of relatives whose lives crossed countries and cultures, including the great-grandmother whose name she shares.

There is something meaningful about returning to these family photographs during Día de Muertos. A conversation with an older relative, a remembered hometown, or a newly discovered historical record can gradually add another piece to someone's story. When the photographs return to the ofrenda, those discoveries can become part of the memories shared with the next generation.

And what about your own family? Is there a face in an old photograph whose story you would like to discover?