01/10/2025
My Great Grandfather Antonio Serafin Mendez hailed from the island of La Gomera in the Canary Islands Spain. He left Cuba in the late 1800s and arrived in Cuba as a soldier during the War of Independence. He first settled in Cuba’s premier to***co region, Pinar del Rio before settling in Las Villas Province (Central Cuba). He took several trips back to the Canary Islands and brought much of the family back to Cuba where they mostly worked in To***co and agriculture. My Father told me a family story that had been passed down that when my Great Great Grandfather Juan Serafin came to Cuba he told his son Antonio (In the picture) my Great Grandfather jokingly “Antonio, you have more land here than all the Canary Islands put together” I can see why he said that. Cuba was a very fertile area and the Canary Islands although beautiful were a very arid, rocky terrain. My Great Grandfather was successful and owned land and worked hard in to***co. He taught my Grandfather Ramon the trade which has been passed down now 5 generations to my Son.
