Mercedes Suarez was the cacique, or chief, of a Charrua tribe whose territory encompassed parts of Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil. As cacique, the position was hereditary. He lived in Uruguay and later Argentina, where he met and married Francisca Carballo. They had five children, including Lujana who moved to Ensenada, Argentina in 1935 with her brother Jose and later married Luis Dure, having Mercedes in 1944 who is the author's grandmother.