Kern-Los Angeles County CA Archives Biographies.....Albitre, Remick Obispo October 1, 1900 - July 12, 1978 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: JoAnn Louise Harris Hamilton Fischer jalhhf2000@yahoo.com October 7, 2007, 4:15 pm Author: Jo Ann Harris Hamilton Fischer Remick Obispo Albitre was born 19 Oct 1900 in PO Box Bakersfield (old Sumner now East Bakersfield) and died 12 Jul 1978 in Oildale suburb of Bakersfield, California. (source 1), He was the third child and 1st son of Juan Batista "Bat" Albitre and his wife Francisca Rita Camacho. He was of Spanish decent (source 2) His father broke family tradition by not naming the first born son after the father, instead he was named after a great uncle, the war hero RIMICK OBISPO ALBITRE who fought on the Mexican side of the Mexican-American war in Alta California. The area he was born in, was called the "Mexican settlement” and included “Sumner” (now “East Bakersfield“). His father, was Mission Spanish-Indian and was born Vallejo, California (Rancho Gertrudis, a Mexican land grant carved from the 2nd site of Mission San Gabriel). His mother was Spanish-Italian and was born Tule sinks (now Porterville, California). Remick was schooled at the near by the settlement (and stage coach stop) of POSO. He attended a one room school with Mrs. Bonha, the soul teacher . He off and on attended school to grade 3. He began work as a Vaquero , with his father, at age 5. His father died 4 Jul 1916 of a ruptured aortic aneurysm and was buried at the Stockton HORSESHOE RANCH "Engle Cemetery" located on the Woody-Glenville . His father (“Bat”) and Ralph Stockton were very close friends and after “Bat” died, Ralph took the Albitre family as his own. Ralph Stockton claimed Remick as his adopted son (but he was not adopted) and Ralph's son Ralph Trent Stockton born 18 years after Remick in 1918, called him "brother". Remick met and married his first wife Dorothy Helen Bertrand, while at the Stockton HORSESHOE ranch. Her family came to cook during a branding season. She was 14 and he 26, when they ran off to Mexico and married in a small catholic parish. (source 3 A and B). Their first child Remijo was stillborn 1825 and buried at what is now Blue Mountain Cemetery, (Woody, California, with a rock as a headstone.) He applied for a homestead and was told his Mexican marriage was not legal in California. And as a married man he qualified for more land. So, for his second marriage to Dorothy, he had to file permission papers from her parents because she was 17 and still a minor by law. Their marriage banns and marriage were printed in the Bakersfield Californian News Paper 1927 During their years of marriage they accumulated over 6 sections of lands (many from delinquent taxes on other homesteads). They had the following children; Remick Ernest Albitre 1927, Dortha Mae Albitre 1929, and Dan Leroy Albitre 1939. (source 4). He and Dorothy made certain that their children were educated, as he had only completed 3rd grade and Dorothy 7th grade. His homestead in 1929 lists his “given name” as spelled “Romijo” Albitre, but other land records and tax records have “Remick“.Albitre. 1959, he and Dorothy separated and divorced. He remarried to Barbara Gail Johnson and had two daughters Rosemary and Judy. All his life he was “a cow puncher” and a “Rancher“, a colorful story teller, and a good friend. His well known brand was a tall "T" with a smaller "R" attached to the bottom right. The publications “Echo” and “Mountain Echo” wrote several articles on his early life in Kern County relating when cattle still roamed free on unfenced lands. He loved the local rodeos. And was often in them as an organizer and as a contestant. He assisted in gathering artifacts for the Kern County Museum regarding Kern Co history, the settlement of Woody, the stage line from Visalia to Mountain House, the settlement of Poso and the rest of the stage line on to Los Angeles. He and his wife Dorothy raised over 47 foster children. At his last rodeo, at Glenville, he was age 77. The announcer commented that his rope seemed to come alive in his hands at his bidding, and his horse "RED" read his mind for directions. Over the years, He and his sons were in many winning teams, in roping contests against far younger contestants. His son Dan was a unusual roper, he was left handed. Much to his pride, his grand daughter, (Robin) by his daughter Dortha Mae “NINA” Albitre Williams, was crowned Rodeo queen at Glenville. To the day he died, he still road “fence line” on his ranches. He died on 12 Jul 1978 in his doctor’s office, in Oildale. He had gone there because he did not feel “quite right“ that morning.. Over 3000 came to pay respects at his funeral at St Francis Church in Bakersfield. He was buried at the Stockton HORSESHOE RANCH “Engle’s” cemetery, next to his father, as per his request. He was truly “one of the last of the old time cowboys of Kern county“. Sources: 1. Social Security death Index 2. Wedding announcement and wedding (second wedding) in Bakersfield Californian newspaper. 3. A. Cencus 1920 Kern Co, Cal, which lists Renwik and Dorothy were married age 26 and 14. B. Parish record of San Yacidro Parish near Tijuana, now destroyed.. The crumbling fragile fragments of this record atest - Remijo Albitre 25 legitimate son of Batista Albitre and Francis Camacho, and Dorothy Bertrand 15 legitimate daughter of Gene Bertrand and Lola Baur, presented to be joined in marriage without Banns due to Dorothy was with child. The record is badly damaged, barely readable. Parts are obliterated such as the date, the wittnesses and the marrying priest, but the other records with this record are of the date Oct 1925. 4. Kern Co hall of records births, deaths, marriages, devorces, tax records, land deeds, Brands and ear marks. 5. Obit "Remick Obispo Albitre" in Bakersfield Californian Newspaper. 6. Publications ECHO and MOUTAIN ECHOS Additional Comments: JoAnn Louise Harris Hamilton Fischer was a foster child of Remick and Dorothy File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/kern/bios/albitre987gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cafiles/ File size: 6.5 Kb