We're getting closer and closer to our Gregorio & Ana Esparza Family Reunion, and we don't want anyone to miss out! Check out our Reunion Page for more information.
**Ticket prices will increase ($30) after this week**, so now is the perfect time to secure your spot and save money. Table Reservations DO NOT include tickets. Reunion Registration
Don't forget to order your reunion shirts! Kids' shirts are currently taking approximately **1½ weeks to arrive**, so be sure to place your order soon to ensure they arrive before the reunion. Shirt Orders
We're excited to celebrate our family heritage, reconnect with relatives, and make new memories together. We can't wait to see everyone there!
2026 Gregorio and Ana Esparza Family Reunion

March 6, 2025, Dawn At The Alamo marked the 189th anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo – that’s one year for each known Alamo Defender. We appreciate the attendance of our family members at this significant event to Remember the Alamo and our ancestor Gregorio Esparza, Alamo defender.

The Huizar and Esparza families are excited to share their story about their Great Grandmother Isabel Esparza Huizar.
The Smithsonian National Museum of American History of the American Latino in Washington D.C. asked to display Isabel’s shawl that has been in the family for years.
Francisco Esparza, a member of the Mexican army, asked Santa Anna to bury one of the Tejanos. It was his brother, Gregorio, who died defending the Alamo.
ABC News’ Mireya Villarreal goes behind the scenes at one of the most historic battlefields in the country – The Alamo.
As we continue to honor and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we remember the Esparza brothers who both played a significant role in the Alamo's history. Senior Curator, Historian, and Lecturer of Alamo History Ernesto Rodriguez tells the compelling story of the Esparza brothers, Gregorio and Fransisco Esparza.
or one Mexican-American studying Texas History in school back in the 1960s and 70s, he learned something that wasn’t in the history books.
Jose Maria (Gregorio) Esparza was born in San Antonio on February 25, 1802, Gregorio was a native Texan and a citizen of San Antonio de Béxar. He fought during the Siege of Bexar from December 5–9, 1835, an early campaign of the Texas Revolution.
Gregorio and his family sought refuge at the Alamo Mission, where they prepared for the Battle of the Alamo from February 23 to March 6, 1836 against the Mexican Army. During the battle, he manned a cannon positioned at the southeast corner of the Alamo and eventually was killed after being shot in the chest and stabbed in the side with a sword.
His wife, Ana, his sons Enrique, Manuel, and Francisco, and his stepdaughter María de Jesús survived the battle. His brother, Francisco Esparza—a Mexican soldier who was not present during the fighting—received permission from Antonio López de Santa Anna to retrieve Gregorio’s body.
Gregorio Esparza is recognized as the only known Alamo Defender to have received a Christian burial. After the battle, Santa Anna gave Ana two silver coins and a blanket, allowing the family to return to their home in San Antonio.
The family later relocated to Atascosa County, where they established San Augustine Church, the first Catholic church in the county. Today, Gregorio’s family is officially recognized as non-combatant survivors of the Battle of the Alamo.
Visit to Alamo for more

Gary Zaboly commissioned portrait
Link to The Alamo's video on Enrique's story from his Nov 1902 article in the San Antonio Paper.
To see his uncle Francisco's testimony Click here. This is the Testimony of Francisco Esparza August 26, 1859.