In Loving Memory
Of
Dennis Adam Splan
Muwekma Ohlone Tribal Member
June 12, 1972 to January 22, 2011
Dennis Adam Splan, Muwekma Ohlone Tribal Member, passed away on Saturday, January 22, 2011. He was 38 years old and a resident of Hayward, CA. Dennis was the passenger in his roommate's vehicle that was driving on the road when a drunk driver clipped the backside of the truck and caused the vehicle to flip over and hit a light pole. Dennis and the roommate did not know what hit them, they had no idea there was a man speeding at nearly 80-100 mph behind them trying to escape a hit and run that this guy had just been in with two other cars just before approaching Dennis and his roommate. It is believed that Dennis died instantly for he was unresponsive when medical personnel first arrived and thereafter he was rushed to the hospital. Dennis' passing at such a young age leaves an emptiness in all of our hearts. He was so full of life and energy.
Dennis graduated from Newark Memorial High School, Class of '91. He worked as a bus operator for AC Transit with an unblemished record for 16 years and was a member of A.T.U. Local #192. He was a "DIE-HARD" Oakland Raiders and A's fan and loved to watch and play all sports. He enjoyed tailgating, collecting sports/movie memorabilia, weight lifting, and his fish aquariums.
Dennis Adam Splan's Muwekma Ohlone
Genealogical Background and Family History
Dennis Splan's Native American/Muwekma Ohlone ancestry has been traced back to several major ancestral Muwekma lineages going back eight generations on his mother's (Carol Juarez Sullivan) paternal side of the family. His grandfather was Alfonso Juarez (born February 3, 1914) and he was a full-blooded Muwekma Indian. Alfonso Juarez was the son of Muwekma Indians Erolinda Santos (born 1898) and Joseph Armija / Garcia / Saunders (born 1890). Dennis's great-grandmother Erolinda was the eldest child of Muwekma Indians George Santos (born 1876) and Peregrina Pinos (born 1883). Peregrina was the older sister of Maggie Pinos Juarez and Maggie raised Erolinda and her four sons prior to and after the passing of George Santos in 1913 and Peregrina in 1916. Sadly, Erolinda Santos was the only surviving child out of seven siblings.
The father of Dennis' grandfather (Alfonso Juarez) and his brother Daniel (Juarez/Santos/Suanders) was Joseph Armija / Garcia / Saunders (born on the Alisal Rancheria on November 1, 1890). Joseph was the son of Francisca Luecha (born ca. 1867) and Edward Armija (born 1869). Francisca whose surname was Luecha which is the name of an Ohlone-speaking tribal group from the Corral Hollow and Arroyo del Mocho areas of the Livermore Valley, was the eldest daughter of Maria de los Angeles Colos (aka Angela Colos). Angela Colos served as one of John Peabody Harrington's principal Chochenyo Ohlone-speaking linguistic consultants during the 1920s. Joseph Armija's father was Edward Armija who was the older brother of Magdalena Armija Marshall Thompson and they were first cousins to Peregrina Santos and Maggie Juarez.
Peregrina and Maggie's mother Benedicta Solano Guerrera (Higuera) [born 1862] and Edward Armija and Magdalena Armija's mother Delfina Solano Armija (born 1851) were sisters and they were the children of Mission San Jose Indians Francisco Solano (born 1828) and Maria Soledad Castro (born ca. 1820s). Francisco Solano was the son of Primo Veuslla (born 1794) who was from the Seunan Ohlone-speaking tribe from the Dublin area and Remedia Lal-Iapa (born 1803) from the Bay Miwok-speaking Chupcan Tribe from the greater Mount Diablo area. Remedia's mother was Radegunda Toleppata (born 1773) also from the Chupcan Tribe. Francisco Solano's older sister Ynez had married Dionisio Liberato who was also the father of Francisca Guzman and grandfather of Chona Bautista Armija (Cecelia Armija Marine�s mother). Nothing is known about Maria Soledad Castro�s ancestry other than she might have been from the Mokelumne Plains Miwok-speaking tribe.
Joseph Armija/Garcia/Saunders was also the second cousin to Erolinda Santos. Erolinda's grandmother Benedicta Solano Guerrera was Joseph's godmother. Joseph's grandmother as mentioned above was Maria de los Angeles Colos and her descendancy is traced to her father Zenon who was probably Coast Miwok (from Mission San Rafael) and her mother Joaquina Pico who was probably from the Plains Miwok Ochejames-speaking tribe near Rio Vista.
Dennis' great-grandfather George Santos was the eldest son of Francisco Santos (Suares) [born 1856] and Maria de Jesus Petronilla (born 1856). Francisco Santos was the son of Hipolito Santos and Refugia Simon who were one of the founding Mission San Jose Indian families of the El Molino Niles Rancheria. Hipolito and Refugia were the godparents of Erolinda's grandmother Benedicta Solano Guerrera.
George Santos' mother Maria de Jesus Petronilla was the daughter of Jose Magin Emnae [Ensunac] (born 1815) who was from the Plains Miwok-speaking Sonolomne Tribe located near Elk Grove on the Cosumnes River. Sometime around 1897 George Santos had married Peregrina Pinos by "Indian custom" and in December 1898 they had their first child Erolinda Santos. Benedicta Solano Guerrera had married her second husband who was Manuel de Pinto (Pinos). Benedicta was identified on the 1900 Indian Census for Murray Township as Manedato Pinoto (Benedicta Pinto) living as a "lodger" with several other Indians on the Alisal Rancheria. Benedicta was identified as being born ca. 1860, a widow and having two children still living (Peregrina Santos and Maggie Juarez).
In 1904, George Santos and Peregrina Pinos were formally married at Mission San Jose. Appearing as a witness for their marriage was Dolores Marine the eldest daughter of Avelina Cornates and Rafael Marine. In 1905-1906 George Santos and Peregrina Pinos and their children appeared on Kelsey's 1905-1906 Special Indian Census as George Santos, wife, and four children (most likely the children were: Erolinda, Leandra, John and Joseph or Jorge Santos). The family was listed as living in Niles and "without land".
Prior to 1910, Maggie Pinos had married Pedro (Pete) Juarez and they were listed on the 1910 Census as the "Sattos" family (Washington Township, Alameda County). They were living next door to Ernest and Magdalena Armija Thompson on Mission San Jose Road. Maggie and Pete had Erolinda living with them. Erolinda was identified as Maggie and Pete's niece Laura (age 11).
On June 15, 1917 Joseph Saunders signed his World War I Draft Registration card. He (and his family) were living in Sunol, he was age 27, born November 1, 1890, in Pleasanton, working as a laborer for Spring Valley Water Co., married, with wife and two children (Alfonso Juarez and Daniel Santos Juarez). Joseph Saunders was also the father of Muwekma Indian Joseph Thomas Garcia (born 1912) who was the youngest child of Mercedes Marine.
In 1918 Joseph Saunders was listed in the Great Register for the Primary Election in Sunol Glen Precinct. He was identified as Joseph Saunders, living at Sunol Glen, and working as a Trackman. On the 1920 Census Joseph Saunders was living away from Erolinda and their children. He was living in Oakland on Broadway (near Harrison Street) and working in the local shipyard as a plate hanger. This is the last time (thus far) that we can identify Joseph Saunders in the records.
Maggie and Pete Juarez appeared on the 1920 Census, Pleasanton Township. They were identified as Peter Sarate (age 46, alien, immigrated 1900, farm laborer), Margaret (age 34, servant, private family), Laura Saunders (niece, age 21), Alfonso Saunders (grandnephew, age 5) and Daniel Saunders (grandnephew, age 2 years 7 months). They were living next to Elbert C. Apperson and his wife Elizabeth and son Randolph on Glen Avenue near Rosedale Road in Sunol. On the 1930 Census, Alfonso, age 16, Daniel, age 13, Arthur, age 5 and Robert age 3 were living with Pete and Maggie Juarez on County Road in Newark.
In March 1932, Margarita (Maggie Pinos) Juarez completed her BIA enrollment application with Examiner Fred Baker. On her 1932 BIA Application (# 10676) she stated that she was born June, 17, 1885. Maggie was listed as a full-blooded Indian (4/4) along with her grandnephew Daniel Santos 4/4 (born January 3, 1917), then her niece Erolinda Corral (Santos) 4/4, and Erolinda's two younger sons Arthur Corral and Robert Corral. Maggie also listed her uncle Eulario Gonzales 4/4 (born 1862). The application stated that Maggie and her family were born near Pleasanton, CA. Maggie also stated on her BIA application that she was "the first cousin of Magdalena Thompson". Lucas Marine and Catherine Peralta Marine were witnesses on this BIA application dated March 1932.
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Dennis is survived by his two sons Damien and Deven Splan of San Jose, CA. Mother Carol Sullivan and her husband Gerald of Castro Valley, CA. Siblings Denise Banda and her husband Frank of Hayward, CA. David Splan and his wife Joanne of Tracy, CA. Anthony Splan of Jamestown, Erin, Raymond and Johnny Sullivan all of Castro Valley, CA, and Jerry Sullivan of Martinez, CA. Aunts and Uncles Billy and Ginny Lockhart of Sault ste Marie, MI, Steve and Rosemary Baptista of Manteca, CA, Jimmy and Teresa Juarez of Stockton, CA, and Richard Juarez of Newark, CA. Nieces and Nephews Antonia, Stephanie, Alyssa and Jacob Banda, Mary, Pauline and Dominic Splan, Anthony, Daniel, Dezeray and Angelina Splan, and Ayriyana and Antwan Stevenson. Cousins Chris, Jacki, Patricia, Tim, Rick, Sandy, Cathy, Anna, Tina, Jamie, and the Corral family of Stockton, CA.
Predeceased by his father Daniel Splan of Hayward, CA, his Grandparents Alfonso and Pauline Juarez of Newark, CA, his Grandmother Margaret Henderson of Sault ste Marie, MI, and his Uncle Pete Juarez.
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Sunuuniy makiš 'em-suyya tušwiikne, makiš kaayi mak-hinnan makkam rokét 'ayye 'em-suyyakma.
Makkam kam mak sai-tak.
We are sorry your family member has passed, our hearts are very sad for you and your family.
You all are in our prayers. Aho!
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In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Bank of the West Account #016195545,
Or sent to Deven and Damien Splan, c/o Uma Sharma
6213 Santa Teresa Blvd., San Jose, CA 95119. Thank you.
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LORD'S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name;
Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Amen. Luke 11:2
