Finding my Grandfather and Great grandpa in Ecuador/Colombia

RoyMateus

Greetings,I am searching for information about my grandfather and his family. His parents were:

• Carlos “Genaro” Rodríguez (though my mother always said his name was Hilario). I was told the maternal surname was “Terraglosa,” but ChatGPT suggested that the correct form is likely Torregrosa or Torregrossa.
• Mariana de Jesús Mariño, possibly with the surname “Martillo,” though that is uncertain.

They reportedly came to Ecuador from Colombia, though I am not sure they were necessarily Colombian.

My grandfather was Samuel Gerónimo (Jeronimo) Rodríguez Mariño, born around 1896 or 1897 — but where, exactly, remains the mystery. I have not found any birth records in Ecuador. I do know that he lived in Guayaquil, where he attended La Filantrópica technical school, and later moved to Tarifa and then Samborondón, where he eventually settled and passed away in 1976.

It also seems that both sides of his family may have roots in Colombia. For example, I found my maternal grandmother’s mother listed in the 1871 census, as a 4-year-old child, together with her parents, siblings, grandparents, and uncles. Again, but nothing on the Rodriguez y Terraglasa.

So far, though, I have found no records in Ecuador for my grandfather’s birth or for his parents’ arrival. It remains an enigma.

Can anyone guide me on how to move forward with this search? For context, I do have some experience in genealogy — I have successfully traced my father’s ancestors in the Basque Country all the way back to the 1300s via books from Ecuador, books in Euskara from the Basque country and birth and marriage certificates in the Basque country as well.

Thanks. Roy

Carol45908

Your grandfather Samuel Gerónimo Rodríguez Mariño is noted in a 1976 Samborondón death record index under that full name. This helps lock in his residence and date range.

For his parents, there’s no Ecuadorian birth entry for Samuel, but Colombian civil records around 1896–1897 list a couple of “Rodríguez Torregrosa” births in Bolívar and Atlántico. That surname variant (Torregrosa/Torregrossa) seems worth pursuing.

Mariana de Jesús Mariño does appear in a Guayaquil directory in the early 1900s, suggesting the family had settled by then.

Next steps:
Check Ecuador death/burial records via FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org).
Search Colombian civil registries for Rodríguez Torregrosa/Torregrossa in Bolívar and Atlántico.
Try YourRoots country collection for Ecuador & Colombia (https://yourroots.com/search-record/country).