WILLIAM MICHAEL ROMERO and FAYE MICHELLE TREJO

 William Michael Romero and Faye Michelle Romero 

of Rawlins, Carbon County, Wyoming

William Michael Romero was born 14 March 1935 in Rawlins, Carbon, Wyoming the son of Joe Modesto Romero and Mary Moncallo. He was one of the first generations of the Romero family y to be born out of New México  in almost 300 years.

                As a child he moved around with his family to the orchards of the Grand Junction area of Colorado  to Ogden, Utah where he attended a Catholic elementary school.  In 1941 he was listed in a sschool census as being 6 years old living with his father's family at 449 Daley Street in Rawlins 

He was ten years old when World War II ended and his parents moved back to Rawlins, Wyoming where as a teenager he went to Rawlins High School. 

While attending school he lived at 607 West Front Street with his father Modesto's family. 

Bill Romero age 14 Freshman

Bill Romero was active in the Spanish Club in High School which wasn't a language club but a club for the Hispanic students to socialize with each other 

Bill Romero Top Row 2nd from the end. Faye Trejo 2nd row from the top below Bill Romero. Faye Trejo was the Treasurer for the club.

Bill Romero 1952

While a senior in high school on 30 March 1953 Bill was registered for the draft during the Korea War. His draft registration place was Rawlins  and draft number was 4843518.  He was described as weighing 140 pounds and 5 ft. 8 1'2 inches tall. His hair coloring was dark brown and eyes brown with a medium complexion. 

        Upon graduating from high school his father Modesto was going to up root the family again and move to Arkansas.  However Bill Romero did not want to leave Wyoming and chose to stay behind and marry his girlfriend,  Faye Michelle Trejo.  

  Faye Trejo celebrated her birthday on 16 February 1936 however birth records stated she was born 20 February in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California to Aurora "Nora" Martinez and a man named Alpha William "Bill" Trolson.  She was adopted by Rudy Trejo.  Faye  never knew who her real father was until late in life. Her adoption papers stated her father was a person named Grover which was a ruse.  Nora Martinez was coerced into marrying Rudy Trejo who the brother of her sister Rose Martinez's husband Lee Trejo. He worked for the Union Pacific Railroad. 

Faye Trejo was a popular girl at Rawlins high school  and on 13 June 1953 she was a delegate to "Girls State", held at the University of Wyoming.  She was sponsored by the Rawlins Elks Club.  The following year on 26 May  1954, Faye Trejo was named queen of the Spring Cancer Festival at the Elks Club. Her attendants were Barabra Schwartz and Loydeen Foster.

Bill Romero and Faye Trejo were high school sweethearts. A clipping from the Rawlins High School paper captured their high school romance by stating: "Faye Trejo Little Miss Muffet is about 5'8 and has black hair, dark eyes, sits in the Ford garage, loafing, with her mind on boys and "natcherly" getting married.  This little girl, who is afraid of spiders and eating custard pie hangs out in Bill's car eating candy and sighing to "Till We Two Are One".  In case you didn't catch the name of the pert   gal, it's Faye Trejo of 517 State Street."

Bill graduated in 1953 and Faye in 1954. After graduation Bill and Faye were married on 14 August 1954 .

Marriage License. 

Bill and Faye Romero lived their entire lives in Rawlins where they raised three children, Michael Romero, John Romero, and Michelle Romero. 

Faye, Michael and Bill 1956

They were very involved in the Rockhound Club of Rawlins gathering arrowheads, spears, and various rocks on their many excursions camping.  Bill operated a sewing machine and repair shop in Rawlins, worked for the state for a period and accumulated various properties in Rawlins. Their main residence was at 201 W. Cedar 

Faye was basically a homebody helping Bill with the finances of the various businesses as well as having various hobbies such as crafts and  painting. She was a wonderful cook.

Faye Romero

Michelle, Bill, Faye Christine, and Nora

Nora, Carlos, Jeannie, Faye, Judith Prince, Bill, Mike, Ben Williams, Alice, Michelle, Joyce, Ana, Tracy Christine and John

Bill and Faye loved animals and had pets for most of their entire life and a collection of Shih Tzus in their later years

201 West Cedar Rawlins Wy 

 

Michael Ray Romero

       Michael Ray Romero was born 21 June 1956 the son of Bill Romero and Faye Trejo in Rawlins, Wyoming where he also was raised. He attended St. Joseph's Catholic Church a As a young boy he use to get free passes on the Union Pacific Railroad from his step-grandfather Rudy Trejo who worked for the railroad.  He would take round trips to Green River where he remembers seeing his great-grand mother Mary Martinez fishing on the banks of the Green River.  He developed an affinity for the Union Pacific Railroad and all railroads in general, collecting models and books as a hobby. 

He  attended Rawlins High School where he graduated in college preparation course in 1974.  In his senior year he was a Jr. Parliamentarian, a Reporter and Mr. FBLA [Future Business Leader] a member of the La Raza Club and a Kiwanis Award of Merit Recipient.

After graduating from high school, Michael Romero went to college at the University of Wyoming at Laramie.  His courses of studies were mainly accounting in which he majored and social work in which he had a minor.  He only completed 3 and a half years before quitting college to go to work.

                Most of Michael Romero's vocational career has been in the field of counter man and assistant manager of Auto Parts. He worked for years in Rawlins Auto, in Rawlins Wyoming but also lived and worked in Colorado and Utah. In  1980 he received a diploma from the National Radio Institute Home Study Course as a Master Automotive Technician. He graduated with high honors.  In 1991 he received a Certificate in Counter Workmanship Skills from the Hatch Grinding Company in Denver Colorado.

                Michael Romero's main interest is however being in the great outdoors of the American West. He has visited all the National Parks in the Western United States and enjoys camping in the state parks of Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah.

              In 1994 Michael Romero moved to Salt Lake City, Utah and worked in the main warehouse of Big A auto parts in customer service and later for NAPA auto parts before retiring..  

Mike Romero Rawlins High School

John Allen Romero

John Romero was born 21 March 1958 in Rawlins. He married Joyce Belinda Arellano that daughter of Gilbert and Glenda Arellano. She was born 11 February 1957 also in Rawlins.  They became the parents of three children, Carlos Romero, Tracy Romero, and Ana Romero.  Shortly after being married John and Joyce moved to Seattle Washington but lived most of his married life in the Denver Colorado area.  John and Joyce lived in Colorado Springs and Centennial. His job once took him to Australia for a period of time away from his family. John was an avid Rock wall climbing enthusiast 

Carlos, Tracy, Ana, John, Nora, and Christine

Joyce Arellano  Rawlins High School

John Romero Rawlins High School

Michelle Faye Romero

Michelle Faye Romero  was born 22 May 1960 in Rawlins and married Steven R Taylor 23 May 1977 in Las Vegas, Nevada. They later divorced.  They had a daughter Christine Taylor who later went by Christine Romero after being told her uncle Von Taylor in 1990 was convicted of the murder of a family in Okley, Utah and is currently on death row in Utah. Michelle died at the age of 54 on 18 November 2014 in Rawlins of liver failure. Her daughter Christine was married at the time to Vasil Penev. 

She worked as a loan secretary at the Bank of Rawlins for sometime and lived next to her parents at 107 W Cedar St. She kept parrots as pets. 

Michelle with Ernie and Louie

Michelle Romero

              

Alpha John Trolson and Katie Maude Cummings.  

Alpha William Trolson was born in Cache County, Utah the son of Mormon pioneers.  Nora Martinez and Bill Trolson ran off together but were not married as he was still married to a Mormon woman in Cache Valley. Faye's father tracked her down and brought her back to Rawlins and filed charges against Bill Trolson who was convicted of the Mann Act and sentenced to Federal Prison.

The Trolsons were a Swedish family from Kvibille, Hailand, Sweden who had joined the Mormon Church in Sweden.  Andrew John Trolson was born 27 July 1842 in Sweden and migrated with his parents Ola Trulson and Maria Magdalena Dalin to Utah across the Mormon Trail. They settled in the Mormon village of Millville in Cache County, Utah.  In Cache County Andrew John Trolson married another Swedish emigrant named Karna Hansdotter 10 Nov 1873.  She was born 9 July 1847 in Odarlof, Sweden and died 21 Oct 1908 in Millville, Utah. Andrew John Trolson died 5 Fébruary 1926 at Nibley in Cache County, Utah.

                These Swedish Mormon pioneers had a son named Alpha John Trolson who was born the 6 March 1876 at Millville and married Katie Maude Cummings 8 June 1904.  He died 15 August 1954 at the age of  78 years.

                Katie Maud Cummings was the granddaughter of  a Mormon polygamous family. She was born 20 Oct 1884 at Millville, Utah, the daughter of Timothy George Cummings and Frances Cecelia Weaver. Katie's grandparents were all Mormon pioneers who crossed the plains, from the Mormon city of Nauvoo, Illinois to Utah with Brigham Young.  

Her grandfather Franklin Weaver was with the Mormon Battalion that went through Mora County Nuevo México  in 1846 during the Mexican American War.  He may have even participated in the siege of  Gertrudis in which Felipe de Jesus Romero and other New Mexicans revolted against the American occupiers. 

Weaver marched all the way from Iowa to Nuevo México then over to California and up to San Francisco where he married his first wife in 1848.  He was at Fort Sutter when Gold was discovered there by the Mormon Captain John Marshall.  He moved back to Utah where he had several more wives as a polygamist.

           Katie Maude Cummings and Alpha John Trolson, according to the 1920 U.S. Census of Utah, had only two children a daughter Thelma Trolson born 1907 and Alpha Willard Trolson born in 1912 in Utah.    According to family knowledge, in 1935 during the Great Depession the 23 year old Willard Trolson abandoned his wife and came to Green River, Wyoming to find work. He met 15 year old Nora Martinez and by May 1925 she became pregnant. Tolson convinced her to run off with him to California and his child  in February 1936 in Los Angeles.  

An article dated 14 April 1937 showed that Willard returned to Utah along with Nora and presumably their year old daughter Faye. Couple Faces Federal Count. Brigham City. Willard Trolson 25, of Nibley Cache County and Nora Martinez, 17 year old Green River , Wyoming school girl, face possible Mann Act charges Tuesday.  Trolson and brunette Miss Martinez  were being held in Brigham City jail awaiting investigation by Federal officers. City Marshal Mc Robinette said the two passed a worthless $40 check at a store  here. The girl was taken into custody at the Brigham City Hotel Saturday and Trolson was arrested in Cache Valley  late Monday.  Sheriff John H. Zundel who with Robinette returned the man to the city, said Trolson has a wife and three children in Nibley."

he Ogden Standard Newspaper referred to Nora as "the girl, an attractive brunette, is reported ill at the city jail."

On 17 April 1937 it was reported that Alpha Willard Trolson was charged with violating the Mann Act He pled guilty to transporting a aw man across state lines at various times  since 3 June 1935. and in May he was sentenced to three years in the McNeil Island Federal Prison in Washington State.

However, William Trolson was already a married man with children in Utah and his deserted wifealong with Nora's family pressed charges against William Trolson for Bigamy.  Since William Trolson came from a polygamous family which practiced plural marriage it may have been that William Trolson was a fundamental Mormon which tries to still practice polygamy even though its against the law and the teachings of the Mormon Church since 1893.  However many Mormons secretly practiced Polygamy and especially with young girls.

                What ever the reason for William Trolson's actions he was arrested for bigamy and tried in Utah and put in prison.  He is said to have died of a brain tumor after a Féw years in prison. The Utah Prison in the 1930's was located in an area known as Sugar House Park today and he may have been buried in a prison cemetery there which as long since been moved.

                The daughter of Nora Martinez was brou

ght back to Wyoming where she was raised.  On 28 March 1938 Faye Michelle was adopted by Rudolph Trejo who married Nora Martinez.  Nora and Rudolph because of the highly sensitive nature of Faye birth falsely put down on her adoption papers that her father's name was Grover.  Only in later years as a grown woman with grandchildren of her own did she learn who her real father was from her mother.  It is still a very sensitive issue needless to say.

                The Trejos originally came from Nuevo México.  and  the San Luis Valley in Colorado.  John Beautista Trejo  born 24 Féb 1875 in New Mexico, was a laborer for the railroad in Wyoming and settled  at Ft. Steel and Rawlins.  He died  of natural causes at his home in Rawlins, Wyoming in 1964.  He and his wife Genera had six sons, Peter Trejo, H.L. Trejo, Max Trejo, Rudolph Trejo, John G.Trejo, and Alphonso Trejo and a daughter Mrs. Isabel Reschke. Nora Martinez married Rudolph (Rudy) Trejo  and had a son named Raymond Trejo who lives in Texas and flies helicopters. 

                The marriage of Rudy and Nora Trejo was a rocky one due to Rudy's drinking and typical male machismo upbringing. He worked for the Union Pacific railroad and build a house for Nora using railroad ties  to make it solid. 

                In the 1950's Rudy and Nora traveled to Panama for a vacation and enjoyed Central America especially seeing the square trees.

                As Rudy's drinking got heavier in his later years he traveled to Arizonia frequently where he simi-retired leaving Nora in Rawlins. He had a small streamline camper in which he lived.

Rudy also liked to make jewelry and was good at the craft.

                He died in 1992 and was cremated. His ashes were spread out over the Boulder Dam area where he enjoyed his golden years.

                Nora and Rudy Trejo's son, Raymond Trejo, married Bernita Potter according to a wedding announcement which reads:

Bernita Potter weds Raymond Trejo

 in rites at local LDS Chapel June 2

                                                                Benita Potter, daughter of Mr.and Mrs. Burl Potter

                                                of Daniel, Wyoming and Raymond Trejo, son of Mr. and

                                                Mrs. Rudy Trejo of Rawlins, Wyoming, were married in the

                                                LDS chapel in Pinedale June 2nd at 7 p.m. Bishop John L.

                                                Harvey performed the service.

                                                                The bride wore a floor-length white wedding dress

                                                of white lace over net and tafFéta.  Her accessories were white

                                                and she carried a bouquet of pink rosebuds and white lilies

                                                of the valley.

                                                                Deon Potter, a sister of the bride was maid of honor,

                                                Janet Sommers and Florence Saui were the bridesmaids. Debra

                                                Potter, sister of the bride was junior bridemaid.  Each of the

                                                bridesmaids wore a green carnation corsage.

                                                                Russell Sommers was best man, Calvin Dee Potter, uncle

                                                of the bride, Bob Beard, and Joe Alexander were ushers.

                                                                Madge Funk played the wedding music with Nancy Clark

                                                singing the "wedding Prayer".

                                                                A reception was held immediately following the ceremony

                                                in the American Legion Hall.  Mrs. Dee Potter and Mrs. Bill Williams                                                    presided at the gift table.  Mrs. Hank Sommers handled the guest

                                                book. Mrs. Skip Potter, Mrs. Bud Alexander and Mrs. L.W. Shaui

                                                served and poured at the refreshment table.

                                                                After a short honeymoon the couple will make their home in                                                   Pinedale.