Soza, Edward

The Soza family was founded in 1746 by Jose Maria Soza I, a cavalryman in the Royal Spanish Army who was stationed at Presidio San Ignacio de Tubac in 1774 and was later transferred to the Presidio San Agustin del Tucson, with his wife, Rita Espinosa, with whom he fathered one son and three daughters.

Jose Maria So Soza II was the Civil Administrator of the Tumacacori Mission during the 1830’s and was married to Dona Gregoria Nunes. They had eight children.

Jose Maria Soza III married Solana Mendoza in the early 1850’s. Their daughter, Manuela Mendoza Sosa married Michael McKenna, a Civil War veteran, and they created the McKenna branch of the family.

The descendants of the Manuel and Calistro Sosa branch included the families of Antonio Campa Soza, Placido Campa Soza, Nicolas Campa Soza and Juan Soza. The Juan Soza branch became early settlers of Tempe, Arizona and have roots with the Hayden family. They were later joined by the Placido Sosa branch.

The Antonio Soza branch of the family has long been associated with Tucson and the San Pedro River Valley, where Antonio homesteaded and was engaged in farming and ranching.

The Soza family papers were complied by Edward Soza. Edward Soza was born in Benson, Arizona on March 24, 1921 and lived briefly at the Soza ancestral homestead ranch at Redington on the San Pedro River. In 1925 the family moved to California. After attending public schools in Wilmington, CA, Edward returned to Arizona and graduated with the first graduating Class of 1940, North Phoenix High School.

Edward graduated from Pennsylvania State College (now University) in 1946 with a BA degree and was commissioned Ensign USNR. He married his wife Phyllis in 1947 and together they had 3 children. He has published extensively on Soza family genealogy.

For further biographical information on the Soza family please see Edward Soza’s publication New world odyssey, a search for roots: the Sosa, Soza families of Arizona. Altadena: E. Soza, 1995.

From the guide to the Soza family papers, 1892-2000, (University of Arizona Libraries, Special Collections)