52 Ancestors, Week 6: Maria Fravolina Orsi Gallacci

 It's Week 6 of my 52 Ancestors in 2017 Challenge, and so far I'm keeping up! This week I am going to tell you what I know about Maria Fravolina Orsi, the sister of Maria Aurelia Guglielma Orsi.

Maria Fravolina Orsi was the daughter of Innocenzo Orsi and Maria Domenica di Menco. She was born February 13, 1882 in Compito Sant’ Andrea, Capannori, Lucca, Tuscany, Italy.

Fravolina arrived in the United States aboard the SS Duca degli Abbruzi on August 8, 1909 [1041], about a year after her sister Aurelia immigrated. Interestingly, they both list the same sister, Carola Orsi, as their nearest relative back in Compito Sant’ Andrea.  The ship manifest shows that when she was asked for the name of the friend of relative that she intended to join in the U.S. Fravolina gives the name Vincenzo Miciletti of Chicago, with the notation ‘promised’. I don’t know how to interpret ‘promised’. It may indicate a ‘promise’ of marriage, but it could also mean he promised to help her get started in the U.S. Whatever it means, we do know that Fravolina was married to a different man less than two years later.

 

Clip from ship manifest showin the arrival of Fravolina Orsi to the United States
8 Aug 1909

 The ship manifest shows that Fravolina was traveling to Chicago to join Vincenzo Nicoletti. 

What does 'promised' mean?

Fravolina is found in the 1910 Alton (Illinois) City Directory living at 211 W 13th in Alton. Her brother-in-law, Umberto Petrini, is found living at this same address in the 1910-1911 directory.
Fravolina married Elpidio Gallaccio/Gallaccia in St. Louis, Missouri on February 20, 1912.  At some point, Fravolina adopted the name of Flora, and Epidio became Peter Gallacci. They had at least three, and possibly four children together. I am working to confirm the parentage of the fourth child, but at this time I’m 90% convinced that he is a child of Fravolina and Elpidio.

• Emma (1914-1945)
• Vincent B (1915-1969)
• Fara (1918)
• Francesco/Frances*
  

       *parentage not yet proven

Fravolina died in St. Louis City Hospital from lobar pneumonia at age 36 on April 18, 1918, just one week after the birth of her daughter Fara. [1040] She is buried in Calvary Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri.

Sources

• GALLACCI, Vincent B, “Obituary,” Alton Evening Telegraph, Alton, Illinois, 15 Jul 1969, B4, NewspaperArchive.com, 14 Apr 2013, JPEG, Petrini binder, 115948486.pdf; GALLACCI_Vincent_obit.jpg.
• SHORT, Emma, “Death Certificate,” St. Louis City, Missouri, File #42513, 20 Dec 1945, Missouri Digital Heritage, http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/deathcertificates/, 2 April 2015.
• ORSI, Maria Anastasia Fravolina, “Birth Record,” Cappannori, Lucca, Tuscany, Italy, 13 Feb 1882, Family Search, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32554-13698-37?cc=2043811, accessed 25 Oct 2015.
• GALLACCI, Flora, "Death Certificate," File Number 15285, 18 Apr 1918, St. Louis City, Missouri,  digital image at Missouri State Archives, Missouri Secretary of State, http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/d downloaded 10 Jul 2016
• ORSI, Fravolina, “Ship Manifest,” New York, New York, 8 Aug 1909, microfilm, The Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation, http://www.libertyellisfoundation.org/ Passenger ID #101653050169, accessed 13 Nov 2016.
• ORSI, Fravolina - GALLACCIA, Elpidir, “Marriage Record,” St. Louis City Marriage Records, Vol. 76, pg 535, License No. 171023, St. Louis City, Missouri, 20 Feb 1912, Family Search, accessed 14 Nov 2016.
• GALLACCI, Fara, "Death Certificate," File Number 21659, 14 Jun 1918, St. Louis City, Missouri,  digital image at Missouri State Archives, Missouri Secretary of State, http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/ downloaded 10 Jul 2016
• GALLACCIO, Elpidio - ORSI, Fravolina, “Marriage - Church Record,” 20 Feb 1920, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, St. Louis, Missouri, “St. Louis Archdiocesan Parish Records”, St. Louis County Library, St. Louis, Missouri, Roll 50, FHL microfilm 1870931, 24 Jan 2017.