"A family tree can wither if nobody tends its roots."

Feb15th2026

Gemma & Giacomo’s Story

by  Phyllis Zeck

gemma ciolli giacomo leoneI recently received some wonderful photos from Giacomo Leone of his grandparents, Giacomo Gerardo Leone (1876-1947) and Nicolina Gemma Ciolli (1879-1952). Gemma and my great grandmother Elvia were sisters and lived across the street from each other. Gemma’s first home in Chicago was at 165 Forquer St. She arrived 16 Aug 1901 and the ship’s manifest (Patria) said she was to meet her husband Giacomo Leone but she had insufficient funds to travel to Chicago.

Giacomo was with his grandfather when he passed away in 1947. He was just a boy of 4 years old but clearly remembers that they were playing under the grape arbor when he fell ill from a stroke. He died three days later.

Giacomo has made molds of the original Crucifix his grandfather brought from Italy with him when he emigrated to the U.S. around 1900. He shared his grandparents story below:

“Giacomo had a great devotion to the cross and to St. Theresa. I remember the day he passed when I was about 4 1/2 years old. I was told that he held the crucifix when he died. A picture of St. Theresa was also in his room on the wall at the foot of the bed.

He was a shepherd and farm hand on my Grandmother’s family estate. Growing up with the family, he and my grandmother fell in love-forbidden in that class system. They did get married, but her family had the marriage annulled, and sent my grandfather to the states and my grandmother to a convent.

After a while, my grandfather was financially successful in the states. My grandmother, Gemma, had a sister who was sympathetic with the situation, who, along with my grandfather’s brother took my grandmother to “lunch” one day. And escorted her to a ship bound for the USA.

Upon arrival my grandparents married and had a family of 12. The day my grandfather died, the entire family gathered in the house. Three of us children “hid” under the dining room table, probably to avoid the crowds of aunts, uncles and older cousins.

Upon grandpa’s death, his devotion to St. Theresa, we were blessed with the scent of roses filling the house. An odor that I recall to this day.

In memorial of my grandparents, I wished to find a duplicate the old picture of St. Theresa. About 10 years ago, after dropping off the crucifixes at the church store, I went into the gym. It was being set up for a rummage sale. I was met with a vision of the exact picture of St. Theresa — frame, bowed glass and all. I asked, Serene if I could buy it even though they were not open. She agreed.

My sister Carlolyn (nicknamed by my grandmother, Blue Eyes) had the crucifix and passed it on to me as the namesake before she passed.”

What a wonderful story, thank you for sharing it Giacomo. Giacomo was 23 and Gemma was 20 when they married on July 3, 1899 in Pescasseroli. Giacomo arrived in the US in April of 1900 less than one year after his marriage. He applied for citizenship on Jan 3, 1928 at the age of 51. By this time the family was living at 1206 21st Ave in Melrose Park. The 1930 census shows a houseful! He owned his home which was valued at $3,000.00 and was a laborer in a steel plant. Living with Giacomo was his wife Gemma, Joe (19), Ester (17), Rocco (16), Anthony (13) and the twins Filomena & Carmela (8). The twins, nicknamed Fifi and Mimi, were born in 1921. I think this might be the earliest set of twins in our family that I’ve come across in my research. Also living at the home were Joseph Di Pirro, his wife Christina and their daughter Jean. They appeared to be renting from Giacomo for $20.00 a month. 

Click the image below to read Gemma’s petition for citizenship which she applied for on 17 Dec 1934.  Click here to read more about Gemma and here to read more about Gemma’s journey to America.
Gemma Ciolli Giacomo Leone

 

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Feb1st2026

I Have The Stories—Do You Have a Photo?

by  Phyllis Zeck

pietro del principeI have three photos of my great-grandfather Pietro Del Principe. That sounds like plenty—until you start wanting more. Every time I look at those photos, I catch myself wondering who else was there, who took them, and whether there’s another image of Pietro still hiding somewhere, waiting to be found. Legend has it that Pietro did not like to have his picture taken.  In the photo on the left some of Pietro’s sons lured him to the roof top to capture this shot. If you click on the photo to enlarge it you can see a “good luck” horseshoe over the door. Pietro has a great mustache! The baby of the family, Frank would have been 14 when Pietro died and my grandfather Gilbert would have been 19. Is that Frank or Gilbert grinning like a cheshire cat, or one of the other boys? He sure looks happy that they pranked Pietro. 

Pietro left Pescasseroli in 1891 and showed up in Chicago with a whole life behind him that never made it into the frame. For instance, did you know that Pietro was married before Elvira? Pietro and Anna Emanuela (16 Apr 1862-02 Feb 1887) were married in July of 1880 in Pescasseroli. They had a son named Antonio Nicola (07 Aug 1881-08 Oct 1887). Anna was 24 when she died. Antonio died 9 months after his mother. I wonder if they both passed from the same illness. The following summer Pietro married Elvira. 

My three photos are all I have of Pietro and every time I study them, I can’t help thinking there has to be more—another picture, another moment—somewhere out there that would help me learn about his personality. My website has been updated so that when you leave a comment, you have the option to include photos. I hope that as you come across family photos you will share them on this website. Just click on the blue Login link  and you can leave a comment or a photo, or both. If you want to send a private message to others who have commented on the post, you now have the option to do that as well.  Fingers crossed that someone else has a photo or two of Pietro!

Click here The Organ Grinder to read an article that I found on Newspapers.com.

It was printed in The Inter Ocean Newspaper  on February 22, 1897. I have so many questions about this article. First, evidently Pietro was in business with one of Neri family members at 165 Forquer St.  Was this Pasquale Gerardo Neri born in 1874? Pasquale was married to Elvira’s sister,  Angelica. Pasquale and Angelica did live in Chicago.

Next, why was Pietro called the “Professor” in this article. Did the reporter bestow him with this title or did Pietro declare himself a professor?  Lastly, where did the monkey live? I can’t imagine he lived on Harrison St perched in the kitchen watching Elvira cook spaghetti. If anyone can add more insight into this article, please leave a comment.

And don’t forget to upload any photos you’d like to share with the family! 

 

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Dec22nd2025

Her Star Shines Brightest on the Holiest Night

by  Phyllis Zeck

Corinne and Phyllis. Sisters and best friends. My mother passed away in 2004. It was especially hard on my Aunt Phyllis as Corinne was her baby sister. When Auntie passed away in 2013 she left instructions that she wanted to be buried at Mount Carmel in Illinois near her mother and father (Bertha and Gilbert). She is buried directly behind Elvira.

When my sister Holly and I were planning our trip to Chicago last October our cousin Rick said he would like to meet us and visit his mother’s grave. We spent a wonderful week together being tourists and reminiscing. One morning I pulled up an audio recording my brother Rob and I had made of an interview with Auntie Phyllis in 2011. In part of this interview Rob asked Auntie Phyl about Christmas Eve in 1939, the evening that Elvira passed away. Our mother would have been 8 and Auntie Phyllis just turned 12. Below is an audio of Auntie’s memory of that night. She recalls it as if it happened yesterday.  

Wishing everyone a joyous and peaceful Christmas!

 

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Nov30th2025

Restoring Elvira & Pietro’s Memorial

by  Phyllis Zeck

The last 18 months have brought profound challenges and changes for me. In June of 2025 I unexpectedly lost my best friend and baby sister, Lori.  People often mistook us for twins and we loved traveling the world together on our yearly trips. Since 2013, Lori and I lived side by side, supporting each other through life’s hardest moments and celebrating its most joyful ones.

In 2018 Lori and I bought a new home and moved closer to family. My daughter and grands, my sister and brothers along with numerous nieces, nephews and their children are all within 15 minutes of Lori and I. How I wish we’d all had more time with Lori!

In September of 2024 my sister Holly and I decided to take a trip to Chicago. We wanted to visit with our younger brother Tony who had some health challenges. Home was calling to us.  As always, we packed a ton of activities into the trip. We had friends and family to see and trips down memory lane that had to be made. 

Holly and I stayed in Oakbrook Terrace. One day we visited the “pond” where we used to ice skate and St Pius Church.  We stopped in at the Villa Park train station (now a historical museum), toured Willowbrook High School and visited with the family who lived in the home we grew up in. I have no idea how we fit our family in that tiny home! Mom & dad, 8 kids and Grandpa Gilbert in a 1600 square feet house.  Grandpa and the 3 oldest boys slept in a room in the basement. There were 3 bedrooms on the main floor. One for mom & dad, one for us 3 girls and one for Lori & Tony.  For several years dad’s mother and step-father lived upstairs.

We spent several days with our brother Tony, playing cards, bringing him treats (beef sandwiches) and watching old home movies. We couldn’t have imagined that our time together would be our final visit. Tony passed away this past January.

One day was set aside to visit Mount Carmel Cemetery and Queen of Heaven Mausoleum in Hillside. Holly and I cleaned up headstones and toured the magnificent stained-glass panels inside the Mausoleum. What a glorious structure that is! 

Several relatives told me that Elvira and Pietro’s monument needed some attention.  It was true that the words were barely legible and that the statue of Jesus was covered in moss and lichen.  When we returned to Oregon I was tasked with finding someone who could restore the monument and Holly set up a go fund me account to help pay for restorations. Thank you for helping honor our past and protect our family legacy for those who come after us.

We hired Glen, the owner of Memories in the Making. He removed the lichen growth from the statue and cleaned the dirt and stains from the granite. For the second phase he applied a dark grey Lithichrome paint to the engraved letters and the background of our family name. Lastly Glen cleaned and caulked the area surrounding Elvira and Pietro’s cameo photos. Thank you to all who contributed!

Another highlight of this trip to Chicago was our Ciolli & Del Principe Family Reunion.  The photo above is of my sister Holly, Vickie (great granddaughter of Bibbiana Ciolli, myself (granddaughter of Gilbert Del Principe), Sandy (great granddaughter of Emil Del Principe), Susan and her daughter Sandra (daughter and granddaughter of Otto Del Principe). Fun fact, Susan was our mother’s flower girl. Standing is Mary and her father Greg (great granddaughter and grandson of Antonio Del Principe).

I can’t express how amazing it was getting to know one another. I had met Vickie, Mary and Greg on earlier trips to Chicago, so it was wonderful to reconnect with them. We all showed up with photos and keepsakes to share, and we laughed and reminisced until the afternoon vanished in a blur of joy.

Until we meet again, Chicago…

 

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Jan8th2024

Portraits From The Past

by  Phyllis Zeck

In 2015 I wrote about a long-hidden secret. My father Robert had changed his last name from Winkofske to Winike. For many years I was frustrated that I couldn’t find any information about my father’s birth father.  Dad passed away in 1970 while I was still a teenager and I never thought to ask questions about his father. I only knew that my grandfather’s first name was Frank and I consistently searched for him by the last name of Winike. I was shocked to discover that his last name was Winkofske. I was very curious to discover more about Frank and this new branch of my family tree. I’ve been able to connect a few more dots over the years but so much time has passed most of the relatives who might have know what Frank’s personality was like along with his life story have long since passed.  

Francis John Winkofske (1899-1959) married Grace M. Norder on 05 Nov 1928 in Chicago. Their son was born 30 Dec 1928 in Chicago. Dad’s name on his birth certificate was Francis Winkofske Jr however dad changed his name to Robert Thomas Winike.

In 2018 I connected with a relative through Ancestry.com. Tom’s mother and my grandfather Frank were siblings. I asked Tom if by chance he had any photos of my grandfather. He didn’t, however a few days ago he sent me three photos I’ve never seen before along with the following memories; “Charles owned a house at 5926 S. Honore St. in Chicago. As I was only twelve at the time of his death I don’t recall very much. As we did not have a car it was a rarity to visit. I do recall he kept homing pigeons, which I thought was kind of neat. I believe he was a teamster – that is he drove horses. I believe for a while he delivered coal.  His father’s name was Louis. His first wife (Catherine) died in 1915. With 8 kids in the house, he married a second wife, Anne Duball, she had two children from a previous marriage, one was Gertrude.”

Charles Peter Winkofske Catherine GannonThe photos above are my paternal great grandparents Charles Peter Winkofske (born in Germany) and Catherine Gannon (born in Chicago). Dad would never meet his grandmother Catherine as she died in 1915. Since Charles lived until 1960, I wonder if dad and his grandfather had a relationship. 

Edward & Marie WinkofskeThe photo on the left is a snapshot of my paternal grandfather Frank’s brother. Edward & Marie Winkofske pose with their two daughters Marie (Bonnie) and Edith (Kitty).

Charles Peter Winkofske (1874-1960) and Catherine Gannon (1879-1915) had 
eight children:
Jessie Agnes (1895-1983)
Charles P. (1897-1965)
Francis John (1899-1959) (my grandfather)
Jane L. (1901-1978)
Thomas Edward (1903-1937)
Edward John (1905-1982)
Katherine (1907-1922)
Patricia Mary (1911-1991)

 

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