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

Sep9th2012

Sarafino Amideo (John) & Jeanette Del Principe

by  Phyllis Zeck

Sarafino (John) was born July 18, 1897 in Chicago, Illinois.  This is his birth certificate.  Click on the image to enlarge it.  Note that John was born in Elvira and Pietro’s apartment at 165 Forquer in the first flat, front.  He was delivered by a midwife at 6 AM on a Sunday morning.   What a fantastic record to have!  Isn’t it great when you can read the handwriting of the record keeper?  

John married Eva D’Asaro and they had two children; Margrette (Margie) Elvira born in 1919 and Leona born in 1920.  They divorced and John married Jeanette Martin who was divorced with two children;  Francis (Hobby) Johnson and Violet Johnson.  John and Jeanette adopted one child; John Anthony who was born in 1941.   

This is the marriage license for John age 44 and Jeanette age 40.   Click on the image to enlarge it.  The record is a bit fuzzy but it’s interesting to note that John and Jeanette applied for a marriage license in St Louis, Missouri.  Perhaps that is where Jeanette was born and raised.  It makes me wonder how John and Jeanette met.  Also Jeanette signed the document “Mrs Jeanette Martin”.  Her children’s last names were Johnson.  I wonder if Martin was her maiden name.

Through this connection with Jeanette I have met (via email) Jeanette’s great grandson John McCallion.  John’s grandmother was Jeanette’s daughter Violet Johnson.  Violet married John Messina. 

Violet & John Messina

Violet and John had a daughter named Sandra.  Sandra married Tom McCallion and their son is John.

John has many happy memories of every Christmas spent at John and Jeanette’s until he was a pre teen.  He remembers that John had many acres of land out in the “Country” which was Orland Park. 

My brother Tom remembers John and Jeanette fondly.  “John and Jeanette were always so kind to me.  I admired all my mother’s uncles but Uncle John and Uncle Hank were among my favorites because they could do anything, just like my grandpa Gilbert”.   Tom said, “Uncle John was a neighborhood hero in the old days.  He taught me carpentry when I was a kid.  We used to replace the boards in the huge wooden decks behind his apartment home.  John also had a wonderful house in the country called “Playfield”.  He built his big house from scratch; and a bunch of cottages for his guests.  The weekend getaway from the inner city was awesome and magical.  John welcomed all of his nephews by name.  He was an incredible inspiration.  I miss him dearly.”

Sandra & Tom with Jeanette & John

Thank you to John and Tom for sharing your photos and memories.  New generations now have an opportunity to see how these two ancestors touched our lives. 

 

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Aug26th2012

Our Family Tree Website Gets Spruced Up

by  Phyllis Zeck

I can’t believe it, but I am fast approaching the two year mark of the launch of our family tree website.  To celebrate this milestone I decided the website needed a new look.  I hope you love the new template as much as I do!  I couldn’t have made the switch without the expertise of Jocelyn from Mozak Design in Portland Oregon.  I’m trying to learn wordpress but this switch over was too much for me.  Thank you so much Jocelyn.

Check out the navigation bar, which now sits on the right instead of the top of the screen.  I’m adding photo galleries!  I have many more photos that I’ll be adding as time permits, so check the albums out periodically. 

If you have any photos that you’d like to contribute, please email them to me.  I’d love to add them to our albums.

Facebook members – please take a moment and click on the “Follow this blog” button in the Networked Blogs box on the right side of the screen.  I really appreciate your support! 

 

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Aug11th2012

A Letter From Our Cousin

by  Phyllis Zeck

Image

Elvira Ciolli Del Principe died on December 24, 1939.  Since it was Christmas Eve Elvira wanted my grandfather Gilbert to take her to church to see the Nativity Scene.  My mother Corinne and my aunt Phyllis were with Elvira.  Grandpa was pulling the car to the front of the church when Elvira collapsed.

Elivra’s first born child Antonio died on Dec 7, 1941.  This is the morning that Japan attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor.  Antonio suffered internal injuries when he fell from a ladder a few months before his death.

Elvira is in the center in this photo.  Her arm is linked around Antonio’s.  We don’t know who the woman on Elvira’s right is.  I  suspect she felt close to Elvira, notice that her hand is on Elvira’s shoulder.  We also do not know who the person is in front of Elvira.  If you are able to help identify the two unknown people, please leave a comment or email me.

Antonio had a daughter named Elvira.  Elvira’s granddaughter Mary sent this photo to me along with the letter below.  Thank you so much for sharing Mary!  The letter is from a cousin named Leonard Del Principe dated Dec 10, 1941.  He lists his address as 1211 W. Lead Ave in Albuquerque New Mexico.  The letter is addressed to Antonio’s brother John at 2244 W. Harrison St in Chicago.  

I believe Pietro had 3 brothers: Vincenzo, Antonio, and Gerardo.  Leonardo was the son of Vincenzo.  Leonardo married Alimarinta and they had two children; Frederico born in 1907 and Lucrezia was born in 1912.  Leonardo had a brother named Giuseppe Donato.  The 1910 census show Donato living with his wife Marie Concetta Diaddezio and their 4 children as well as his brother Leonardo in Pennsylvania. In the 1940 census Leonardo, age 74, lived at 2224 Polk St in Chicago with his son Frederick age 32, Frederick’s wife Esta, and their 7 year old daughter Dolores.  

I have tried to decifer the text of the letter below.

“To John Del Principe brothers and families

Nearly two years on Dec 24, ’39 while I laid in bed I heard a rap at the door.  I said what is it?  Oh Pa, Zia Elvira is dead!  I exclaimed oh God, what Christmas greeting are those given me!  There I came into the house that should be in gay and happy, enjoying the festivity of the Baby Jesus, and the families, of old and young with heart filled with joy and happiness I found?  I found the scene all changed, the house, from gay & happiness, to a mournful and the families young and old from a happiness and contentment, to a sorrowful heart and tearing eyes, crying the death of dearest mother!  Yes Zia Elvira was dead!!

On Dec 8, 1941 the day of the immaculate conception, a rap at the door came, and the voice of my daughter said Pa, here is a telegram for you; what is it?  John says his brother Anthony died!  Oh God, I cried what Christmas greeting is this?  Is the same fatal change falling on that misfortunate family?  Oh God, yes is identical the same!

The first being the dearest Mother, now is the first link of her golden chain, that broke loose and fell dead, and cause the remaining eight brothers and families, old and young to change the festival of the coming Merry Christmas to a sorrowful house, into mourn & tears & crying the death of their dearest brother Antonio Del Prinicpe!  Yes he is passed away.  

May I hope and pray God to let enter the kingdom of Heaven and sit by his dearest Mother!  With my breaking heart and tears from my eyes I am writing yours this letter to express my deepest sympathy to the deceased family, the brothers, and all their families & relatives of my dear cousin Antonio Del Principe.  

Forgive me for not being present at the wake among yours my dearest ones to share the sorrowful time or pay a better respect than this, but hope that God will bless all of yours and give you courage and comfort.  

Your Affectionate Cousin

Leonard Del Principe”

Letter from Cousin Leonard Del Principe Front

Letter from Cousin Leonard Del Principe Back

 

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Aug1st2012

Our Family Tree is Growing

by  Phyllis Zeck

I’ve made some changes to our GEDCOM reports and have added a new page to the website where you will find the GEDCOM reports.  I’ve changed the birth year in Ancestry.com for Elvira Ciolli to 1867.  Elvira’s death record indicates her birth year is 1874.  Kathy from Gen Tracer was unable to find a birth record for her.  I’ve reviewed the census from 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930.  The information on the census records and the date that is engraved in her head stone led me to believe Elvira’s birth year is 1867.

Bigstock FAMILY Word collage on white 13243772

Also, thank you to Mary for the detailed information about Antonio’s daughter Elvira and Elvira’s descendants.  I’ve added names and birth years along with other information.  In the new GEDCOM reports you’ll see that information has been added about the ships that Elvira and Pietro were on when they arrived from Italy.  The last few pages of the reports contain my source documents if you are trying to reference something and want to know where I got my information from.

 

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Jul28th2012

Breaking Through The Brickwalls

by  Phyllis Zeck

Roy and Elvira Weber

There is a saying in the genealogy world when we have searched and searched for an item or a family member and can’t find what or who we are looking for; we have hit a brick wall.

This is what happened to me as I searched for any trace of Antonio Del Principe’s descendants.  Antonio was the oldest of the Del Principe brothers.  I am now in contact with the descendants of Giuseppe, Amelio, Serafino (John), Octavio, Paulo, and Francesco.  I just had to find the descendants of Antonio!

In May of 2011 I went to Chicago to visit my family and friends.  In between activities (when I was supposed to be relaxing), I drove my sister Lori crazy by dragging box after box out of the basement and went through them in an effort to find some of my “missing” relatives.  I was particularly driven to find a descendant of Antonio’s.  He had two daughters but I could find no trace of them.  My quest was to find Elvira and Eileen’s married names.  I looked through grandpa’s address books and through the obituaries grandpa had cut and saved.  I looked on the back of photographs for clues.  No luck!

Imagine my complete delight when one day in mid July I received an email from Mary, the granddaughter of Elvira!  Antonio had two daughters.  Elvira (Snookie) Antoinette was born in 1920 and Eileen (Turk) Lucille was born in 1921.  I thought Elvira had only one child but Mary informed me that Elvira and her husband Roy had four children: Margaret, Antoinette, Greg, and Madeleine.  Mary is the daughter of Greg.  Eileen married and had one son named Ron.

Mary and I have sent many emails flying back and forth and she has generously shared some stories and photos which I will share in future blog posts.  In the mean time, I hope you enjoy this beautiful photograph of Elvira and Roy Weber on their wedding day.

 

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