52 Ancestors in 2019 - Week 4: I'd Like To Meet - Great-Grandma Aurelia

The prompt for Week 4 is “I’d Like To Meet”. There have been many ancestors that I’d like to meet; to sit down and talk to, and ask a LOT of questions.
What were you thinking when you named three sons John?
Why is your year of birth different on you marriage record from what it was on you army enlistment?
Why did you list you uncle as your father?
And all those other mysteries a genealogists struggles with.

One person I would really like to meet is my great-grandmother, Aurelia Orsi Petrini. I’ve written about her before (here). Of course I would ask her about my grandma; Did she really dislike her? Did she really mislead Grandma when gave her the family sauce recipe? Or were some of those stories exaggerations by my grandmother?

But I’d also have other questions for her. Since I never knew my grandfather, I’d ask what he was like growing up. I’ve heard storied about him being quite the trouble-maker, but only 2nd and 3rd hand from my mother and her sisters? Was he really as difficult as the stories lead me to believe?

I’d want to ask about her experiences as a young immigrant mother. What was it like to travel by boat to America with three young children, and your husband waiting for you on the other side? Were you afraid as you stepped onto the shores of your new country? Excited? Regretful? Did you ever wish you hadn’t come? What was the best thing about coming here? And what do you most miss about Italy?

I’d want her to share the family stories—stories of growing up in a small village in Tuscany. I’d want to know about her parents; and their parents—back as far as she could tell me.

I’m trying to learn Italian, using Duolingo and Coffee Break Italian. If I could meet her, I’d ask her to spead Italian to me; to help me practice and understand. To learn of the region and the culture she grew up with.

And if I was really lucky, at the end of the day, we’d sit down to a great spaghetti dinner—one she’d let me help her with so I could learn first hand the secrets of her sauce! And of course, I’d pull out my iPhone and take a selfie with her, and I’d finally have a picture of her!

To learn more about 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow, visit her website here.

52 Ancestors in 2018 - Week 39: On The Farm

 I’ve missed a couple of weeks, but I’m back with Week 39. I’ll catch up on the others as soon as I can.
This week the magic phrase is ‘On The Farm’. I have a lot of famers in my ancestry — a lot! So rather than choosing one, I’m going to give a quick synopsis of the farming background I have.

 I have farmer’s in virtually every branch of my ancestry. I created this color-coded chart to give me a quick visual on my farming background and where the farms were located. 

 The white backgrounds are ancestors who either weren’t farmers, or I’ve not yet determined their careers. For the most part, the female ancestors are blank. In general, their occupations have been listed as ‘housewife’, however, if they were married to a farmer and lived on a farm, I’m pretty sure it would be safe to label them as ‘farmers’, too!
More recent generations, my parents and grandparents, have chosen occupations other than farming,

My mother’s paternal ancestor’s were from Italy, indicated by purple. My maternal great-grandfather did not farm once he came to the United States, but I have no doubt that he at least helped his parents with farming while he was still in Italy! Both he and his wife grew up in a very small village in Tuscany, and their parents and grandparents were all farmers!
​
My mother’s paternal grandfather was also a farmer. He lived in central Illinois when he first came to the U.S. and may have farmed there. I’ve not found evidence of this, but I do know he owned a farm in Michigan, indicated by pink. Here is a picture of him on his farm, probably during the Great Depression.

 My dad’s side of the family were also farmers. My paternal grandfather farmed with his father as a young man, but moved on to other things as industry moved into the area. However as you move back, you can see that almost all of his ancestors were farmers, with farms very close in proximity. The red, yellow, and green all indicate farms in Fosterburg Township of Madison County, Illinois. The turquoise indicates a farm in the next county, Macoupin, that abuts to Fosterburg, so it was just a few miles away. Below is a plat map of Fosterburg Township illustrating just how closely located they were. 

 The red indicates farms owned by my dad’s paternal grandfather and his brother. The yellow and green are farms owned by his maternal ancestors. And the blue? Well that came as quite a surprise to me. It turns out that those farms were owned by farmers who are probably part of my sister-in-law’s ancestry! It just shows that you never know who you will connect with!

To learn more about my 52 Ancestors in 2018 project, read my introductory blog post.

52 Ancestors in 2018 - Week 36: Work

 We celebrated Labor Day here in the U.S. this week and, appropriately, our word of the week is ‘work’. So I thought I’d share a photo of my grandfather in his place of work. ​

To be honest, I’m not sure exactly what this photo is, but to me it has always looked like a photo of Grandpa with his co-workers. It appears he is being presented an object, possibly a watch or other award. The women appear to be dressed in a style you would expect in the 40s. My grandfather died in 1948, so the 40s make sense if he is being presented an award for longevity.

I don’t know much about my grandfather’s place of work, as he died before I was born. I’ve been told he was a cap maker who cut the sections for baseball caps. I’ve also been told he died on the job, suffering a heart attack at work. A little research has confirmed some of that story. The 1930 census does confirm that William was a cloth cutter at a cap factory, but the 1940 census states that he was a can cutter at a can factory. I have to wonder if that is an error, because his obituary states that he was a member of United Cap, Hat And Millinery Workers Local 17. And my grandmother described to me many years ago how the sections of the caps were cut and pieced together!

But the death certificate also calls into question some details regarding his death. The cause of death was Chronic Cornary Sclerosis, Chronic Myocarditis — heart issues! But he was pronounced dead at the hospital. It’s possible he died at work, but was not pronounced until he reached the hospital. He could also have been brought in alive but died while there. But the details are close enough to satidfy my curiousity.

The death certificate also named his place of work; Adjustable Cap Mfg. Co. I decided to see if I could learn more about this company. I was able to learn that the company relocated from New York City to St. Louis in 1934. Here are a couple of articles I found about the relocation.

The company either had multiple locations in the city or moved more, or perhaps the offices were at a different location than the factory; the locations are within a few blocks of each other. Here are city directory listings from the 1940s. An interesting fact that I learned is that the cap company was officially named Adjustable Engineer’s Cap Corporation. and they manufactured engineers caps. Perhaps from the same pattern as a baseball cap?

 

I also learned that the company was in existance as late as 1971. A want ad appeared in the paper in of that year seeking experienced cap makers.

 

To learn more about my 52 Ancestors in 2018 project, read my introductory blog post.

52 Ancestors in 2018 - Week 2: Favorite Photo

Susie Janco - 1920
photo from the collection of Susie Petrini
digitized by KM Kolk - 2007

It’s hard for me to pick a ‘favorite’ anything. I get hung up on ‘I like this one a lot but is it REALLY better than that one? So instead of showing you a ‘favorite’ photo, I’m going to show you one I like a lot. This is a photo of my grandma, Susie Janco, posing in front of an airplane. Handwritten notes indicate this photo was taken in 1920, and other photos of Grandma in the same dress and hat, presumably taken on the same day, show her posing in what appears to be a city. As she lived in the St. Louis area around this time, I suspect this could be Forest Park.

The photo really maked me wonder about the story that goes with it. Was this the airplane of a barnstormer? Barnstorming was an early aviation practice in which a pilots would land his or her plane in random places and take passengers for a quick ride for a fee. Then they would move on to the next spot, often a farmer’s field. This was popular in the early 1920s.  This photo makes me wonder; did Grandma get on that plane? Or did she just pose next to it? If she did get in she never mentioned flying and as far as I know, she was never on a plane. And who is that in the shadows on the other side of the plane? At first I thought it was a shadow of Grandma on a backdrop, but I can see that the shoulders on the shadow are at an opposite slant. I wish I knew more about the circumstances behind this photo.

You can learn more about barnstorming in the 1920s here.
To learn more about my 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project, read my introductory blog post.

52 Ancestors, Week 9: Francesco aka Francis Gallacci

 I’m slightly late with my post this week, but here is my week 9 post for my 52 Ancestors in 2017 challenge. This week I want to talk about Francesco Gallacci, a son of Elpidio Gallacci and Fravolina Orsi. There is a little confusion about the name of his parents. I have a death record for Francis Gallacci which lists his parents as Cetechio Gallacio and Frazolina Orsi; close!

Clip from Death Certificate for Francis Gallaccia - 14 June 1919

 The birth date for Frances listed as 4 Mar 1914 on his death certificate, and I have a baptismal record for Francesco Gallacci which gives a birthdate of 3 Mar 1914 with his parents listed as Elpidio/Oppitio Gallacci and Fravolina Orsi. This record is a transcription of the original baptism register, which was proof read and correct in Jul 1979.   The proofreader made corrections and notes that the transcriber often confused ‘a’ and ‘o’. The transcriber wrote the father’s name as ‘Oppitio’ and the proofreader corrected the name to read ‘Elpidio’.  Francesco was baptized 23 May 1915 at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, the same church in which his parents were married. His Godparents were Angelo Alfieri and Rosalia Motta.

Baptism of Francesco Gallacci - 23 May 1915 - St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church

Francis died at age 5 on 29 Jul 1919 at Isolation Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. The cause of death is listed as diptheria with acute myocarditis listed as a contributory cause. He was buried in Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, as were other members of the Gallacci family.
​
As with his sister Fara, there are a few records I could search for to confirm his parents’ names. I found Francesco in the birth record index for St. Louis city, so I could request a copy of the record. I could also look for funeral home records or cemetery records, but chances are they would just duplicate the information on the death certificate. As I mentioned when I talked about Fara, I will probably delay searching for these records as Francis is not part of my direct line. However, if you are researching this line and have these records, I’d love to see them!

​Sources

• GALLACCIO, Elpidio - ORSI, Fravolina, “Marriage - Church Record,” 20 Feb 1912, 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.
• GALLACCI, Francis, “Baptism - Church Record,” 23 May 1915, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, St. Louis, Missouri, “St. Louis Archdiocesan Parish Records”, St. Louis County Library, St. Louis, Missouri, Roll 49, FHL microfilm 1870930, 24 Jan 2017.
• GALLACCI, Frances, “Death Certificate,” 24024, 29 Jul 1919, St. Louis City, Missouri, http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/deathcertificates/, downloaded 24 Nov 2016.

52 Ancestors, Week 7: Fara Gallacci

 It's already Week 7 of my 52 Ancestors in 2017 challenge! This week I want to tell you about Fara Gallacci. There isn’t much to tell as she was only two months old when she died. I only have two records for Fara; a death certificate [1043] and a burial permit notice [1061]. I’m a little uncertain of her name. In the newspaper listing of burial permits, the name is spelled as Fora. The death certificate is handwritten and appears to be written over, so the ‘a’ could be an ‘o’. There may even be an ‘l’ before the vowel, meaning her name could be ‘Fara’ or ‘Fora’ or even ‘Flora’ like her mother.

Fara was born April 11, 1918 in St. Louis, Missouri and died just two months later on June 14, 1918. The death certificate states her cause of death as “marassmus-bottle feeding”, or malnutrition. This is of interest because Flora (aka Fravolina) Gallacci, her mother, died of pneumonia just one week after the birth of Fara Gallacci [1040].

I believe Fara was the daughter of Fravolina Orsi and Elpidio Gallacci. I had to make some assumptions and connections to get to this conclusion, but I believe they are logical assumptions. The birth certificate states the mother’s name is Fravonela Orrosi. It’s easy to believe this is a misspelling or mispronunciation of Fravolina Orsi.    Knowing that Fara was bottle fed also makes sense if her mother died when the baby was only a week old, as Fravolina did.The harder discrepancy to explain is the father’s name, Tarquinio Gallacci. Obviously, Gallacci is easy, but substituting Tarquinio for Elpidio is a bit more problematic.

Though I have no direct evidence that Elpidio and Tarquinie are the same person and the father of Fara, I do have supporting evidence. Fara died at 908 High Street in St. Louis. Elpidia Gallaccio resided at 910A High Street [1045] in the 1917 St. Louis directory. Peter Gallacci resided at 1308 High Street [1047] in the 1920 directory. In addition, Ambado Petrinni is shown living at 908 High [1060] in the 1916 directory. This is almost certainly Umberto Petrini, the brother-in-law of Fravolina Orsi Gallacci. No other directory listing has been found for “Tarquinie” Gallacci and or Ambado Petrinni. The families have been shown living with or near each other at various times, so it is logical that Elpidio and Umberto would be found at the same address. Until I find a listing for ‘Tarquinie’ Gallacci, I will assume listing on Fara’s death certificate is a mistake.

There are a few records I could search for to confirm her parents’ names.

• Birth Certificate from St. Louis city
• Cemetery Record from Calvary Cemetery, St. Louis
• Burial Permit from St. Louis city
• Baptismal Record from the St. Louis Archdiocese
• Funeral Home record ​
  

I will probably delay searching for these both because Fara is not part of my direct family, and because she has no descendants to follow. At this point she is only and interesting side story for me. You can read more about the Gallacci family in this blog post. 

Here is a copy of Fara's death certificate, obtained from the Missouri State Archives online database. You can view the full-size copy on the Missouri State Archive website here.

Sources

• 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
• 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, Elipidia, “City Directories for St. Louis, Missouri,” Gould St Louis City Directory, St. Louis, Missouri, 1917, pg 799, Fold3, www.fold3.com/image/135257192, accessed 21 Nov 2016.
• GALLACCIO, Peter, “City Directories for St. Louis, Missouri,” Polk-Gould Directory Co, St. Louis, Missouri, 1920, pg 1268, Fold3, www.fold3.com/image/153624625, accessed 21 Nov 2016.
• PETRINI, Umberto (Ambado Petrinni) , “U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line],” Gould Directory Co, St. Louis, Missouri, 1916, pg 1715, HeritageQuest.com, http://interactive.ancestryheritagequest.com, Image 854 of 1512, accessed 15 Feb 2017.
• GALLACCI, Fora, “burial permit,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, Missouri, 18 Jun 1918, pg 7, ProQuest Historical Newspapers: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, accessed 10 Jun 2016.​

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.

52 Ancestors, Week 5: Ida Petrini Orsolini, also known as China

China "Ida" Petrini Orsolini
photo from the collection of Susie Petrini
digitized by KM Kolk - Jan 2017

Welcome to week 5 of my 52 Ancestors in 2017 challenge.  Today I want to tell you a little about Ida Petrini Orsolini. There is not much to tell based on fact because I know very little about her. I DO know that she is the sister-in-law mentioned in last week’s story who took pity on my Grandma and told her the ‘secret ingredient’ for the family sauce. I owe you one, Ida!

Ida came to the United State with her mother and brothers in 1907, when she was 11 years old, according to the ship manifest from Ellis Island. This would put her birthdate sometime around 1896. The 1920 census shows her living with her parents in St. Louis, Missouri and gives her age as 21.[26] This would put her birth year around 1899. I’ve not been able to find a birth record for her yet, though I still hope to do so. I will look in Capannori because to the best of my knowledge, that is the only place her parents lived until they came to the U.S.

Ida was married to Dan Orsolini, and died in Chicago, Illinois on July 5. 1928.[1022] There are no children listed in her obituary and I’ve never heard any mention of her having children. She is buried with her parents, Umberto Petrini and Aurelia Orsi, in the family plot in Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri.

That is everything I know about Ida and have documentation for. There are some family stories that I have no evidence for, but are fun to tell anyway. Though she is listed as Ida on the ship manifest and in her obituary, I’ve been told she was ‘China Petrini’ before she came to the United States. That is ‘China’, “spelled like the country, China, but pronounced like ‘Keen-uh’”.

There is also a family story that she had an affair with Rudolph Valentino, the famous Italian silent movie star. There is another story that she was poisoned by her husband, a result of his jealousy. I don’t remember being told those two facts were connected, but, maybe….  Do I think these stories are true? Well, probably not, but as former St. Louis Cardinal pitcher Joaquin Andujar would have said, “You never know!”

 

Sources

• “1920 U.S. Census,” PETRINI, Albert Family, St. Louis, Missouri, Ward 5, ED 89, 16 Jan 1920, NARA Microfilm, T625, FamilySearch, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-23020-17174-54?cc=1488411, image 22 of 24, accessed 11 Jul 2016.
• ORSOLINI, Ida, “obituary,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, Missouri, 8 Jul 1928, pg 71, Newspapers.com, accessed 12 Jul 2016.

52 Ancestors, Week 4….. Maria Aurelia Guglielma ORSI - Grandma’s Sauce!

 It’s week 4 of my 52 Ancestors in 2017 challenge.  Today I am spotlighting my great-grandmother, Maria Aurelia Guglielma ORSI. She was known simply as ‘Aurelia’ in most documents I’ve found. I didn’t realized she had ‘Maria’ and ‘Aurelia’ as part of her name until a couple of years ago when I started researching my Italian roots in earnest.

Aurelia was born in Compito Sant’ Andrea, Capannori, Lucca, Tuscany, Italy November 23, 1868. She was the daughter of Innocenzo Orsi and Maria Domenica di Menco, [633] and married Roberto Petrini on May 12, 1894.[ She immigrated to the United States with her three young children in October of 1907 to join her husband, who had come over previously.

Aurelia died in her home in St. Louis, Missouri on November 23, 1930. She is buried in the family plot in Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis.

Umberto and Aurelia had three children.

• Ida aka Chena/China (ca1899-1928)
• Frank (1901-1976
• Giovanni Olivi Adelindo aka William (1904-1948)

I don’t have a picture of Aurelia. I wish I did. Maybe a cousin somewhere has one and someday they will share it with me. I hope so!

I don’t have a photo, but I do have a story for you, shared by my grandma when I was a girl. 

Grandma made a great spaghetti sauce and we all loved it as kids. It was a recipe that was handed down to her from her mother-in-law, my great-grandma Aurelia Orsi Petrini. The story goes that Aurelia really didn’t like my grandma very much at all. She’d apparently had a ‘nice Italian girl’ picked out for my grandpa to marry. Instead he married my grandma, who was NOT an Italian girl — her family immigrated from the slovakian region of Austria-Hungary! When it came time to share the family sauce recipe with her new daughter-in-law, Aurelia did so. She cooked with her and showed her how to make it, but when all was finished, it just didn’t taste right! You see, Aurelia had decided to leave one ingredient out of the recipe. Lucky for Grandma — and for all of her grandchildren! — Aurelia’s daughter took pity on her sister-in-law and shared the ‘secret ingredient’.  I’m so glad that she did! I never was told what the missing ingredient was, but I’m sure it must have been one of the spices.

I may not have a photo of Aurelia, but I do have a photo of the sauce! Yum!!

Grandma Petrini's Spaghetti Sauce

You can view the family group sheet for the family of Umberto Petrini and Aurelia Orsi here.

Sources

• “1930 U.S. Census,” PETRINI, Albert household, St. Louis City, MO, Ward 26, ED 194, 2 Apr 1930, NARA microfilm, T626, FamilySearch, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-22813-7745-88?cc=1810731, image 1 of 44, accessed 11 Jul 2016.
• “1920 U.S. Census,” PETRINI, Albert Family, St. Louis, Missouri, Ward 5, ED 89, 16 Jan 1920, NARA Microfilm, T625, FamilySearch, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-23020-17174-54?cc=1488411, image 22 of 24, accessed 11 Jul 2016.
• PETRINI, William, “Death Certificate,” File #67924, St. Louis, Missouri, 28 July 1948, Bureau of Vital Records, St. Louis, Missouri.​
• PETRINI, Aurelia, “Death Certificate,” File #7142, St. Louis City, Missouri, 26 Feb 1930, Missouri State Archives, http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/, accessed Mar 2007.
• PETRINI, Giovani Olivio Adelindo, Birth Certificate, Capannori, Italy, 19 Feb 1904, Commune di Capannori.
• PETRINI, Roberto - ORSI, Aurelia, “Marriage Record,” Lucca, Italy, 5 Mar 1885, Family Search, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32572-1873-82?cc=2043811, 30 Mar 2015.
• ORSI, Maria Aurelia Guglielma, “Birth Record,” Lucca, Italy, 23 Nov 1868, Family Search, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32563-13413-85?cc=2043811&wc=M9SF-9DQ:n381663377, accessed 29 Dec 2013.
• 1PETRINI, Aurelia, “obituary,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, Missouri, 26 Feb 1930, pg 23, Newspapers.com, accessed 9 Jul 2016.
• 1ORSOLINI, Ida, “obituary,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, Missouri, 8 Jul 1928, pg 71, Newspapers.com, accessed 12 Jul 2016.
• PETRINI, Frank L, “obituary,” Poughkeepsie Journal, Poughkeepsie, New York, 1 Jun 1976, pg 23, Newspapers.com, 17 Jul 2016.

52 Ancestors, Week 3….. Roberto aka Umberto aka Alberto Petrini

 

Umberto Petrini - May 1930
photo from the collection of Susie Petrini
digitized by KM Kolk Feb 2017

It’s week 3 of my 52 Ancestors in 2017 challenge and this week I want to introduce you to Umberto Alberto Petrini — or is it Roberto Petrini? My great-grandfather was a man of many names! I have a birth record and a marriage record that both refer to him as ‘Roberto’ Petrini. His death record refers to him as ‘Umbeto Alberto’ Petrini, while his obituary refers to him as ‘Umberto’ Petrini, His son’s birth record from Italy records his name as ‘Amberto’ Petrini and the same son’s death certificate lists his father as ‘Albert’ Petrini, the name he is enumerated under in 1920 census the 1930 census, and the 1940 census. I never met him, but the story I’ve been told is that his name was Umberto in Italy “which is Italian for Albert” so when he got the the United States, he became ‘Albert’. I don’t know when or why he became Umberto and later Albert, but I am convinced that all of these records refer to the same man!

However you choose to refer to him, Roberto Petrini was born August 18, 1873, in the small hamlet of Compito Sant' Andrea, just outside of Capannori in the Lucca region of Tuscany, Italy. He was the son of Bartolomeo Petrini and Maria Eufrosina Pineschi. 

While still in Compito San’t Andrea he married Maria Aurelia Guglielma Orsi, the daughter of Innocenzo Orsi and Maria Domenico di Menco, on May 12, 1894, where they were both farmers.  Umberto immigrated to the United States prior to the arrival of Aurelia and their children October 1907. I have found more than one record on the Ellis Island website for an Umberto Petrini, but have not yet verified that this is my great-grandfather. It is possible he traveled back and forth between the countries more than once. I need to do more research about this.

Umberto may have been lived in Chicago at some point, and he was in Alton, Madison County, Illinios, when his family joined him, but eventually the family settled in St. Louis, Missouri, where Umberto worked as a cook in a restaurant. He is listed in the 1930 census  as the proprietor of a restaurant. I will do a separate post on this at another time when I have my information more organized. 

Umberto and Aurelia had three children.

1. Ida aka Chena/China (ca1899-1928) 
2. Frank (1901-1976) 
3. Giovanni Olivi Adelindo aka William (1904-1948)

Umberto died November 7, 1953 in St. Louis, Missouri at the age of 80. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri.

There are some questions I have that I need to research more including:

1. When did Umberto arrive in the US?
2. Where was Umberto’s restaurant in St. Louis?
3. When and why did Roberto become Alberto?

You can view the family group sheet for the family of Umberto Petrini and Aurelia Orsi here.

 

Sources

• “1930 U.S. Census,” PETRINI, Albert household, St. Louis City, MO, Ward 26, ED 194, 2 Apr 1930, NARA microfilm, T626, FamilySearch, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-22813-7745-88?cc=1810731, image 1 of 44, accessed 11 Jul 2016.
• “1920 U.S. Census,” PETRINI, Albert Family, St. Louis, Missouri, Ward 5, ED 89, 16 Jan 1920, NARA Microfilm, T625, FamilySearch, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-23020-17174-54?cc=1488411, image 22 of 24, accessed 11 Jul 2016.
• PETRINI, William, “Death Certificate,” File #67924, St. Louis, Missouri, 28 July 1948, Bureau of Vital Records, St. Louis, Missouri.​
• PETRINI, Umberto, “Death Certificate,” File #40992, St. Louis City, Missouri, 7 Nov 1953, Missouri State Archives, http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/, accessed 5 Mar 2007.
• PETRINI, Giovani Olivio Adelindo, Birth Certificate, Capannori, Italy, 19 Feb 1904, Commune di Capannori.
• PETRINI, Roberto, “Birth Record,” Lucca, Italy, 18 Aug 1873, Family Search, familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32553-2775-86?cc=2043811&wc=MCR6-468:349802601,350153701,350154001, accessed 11 Mar 2015.
• PETRINI, Roberto - ORSI, Aurelia, “Marriage Record,” Lucca, Italy, 5 Mar 1885, Family Search, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32572-1873-82?cc=2043811, 30 Mar 2015.
• PETRINI, Umberto, “obituary,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, Missouri, 10 Nov 1953, pg 37, Newspapers.com, accessed 9 Jul 2016.
• PETRINI, Frank L, “obituary,” Poughkeepsie Journal, Poughkeepsie, New York, 1 Jun 1976, pg 23, Newspapers.com, 17 Jul 2016.

52 Ancestors - Week 2...Maria Eufrosina Pineschi Petrini

This is week 2 of my 52 Ancestors in 2017 challenge. You can read more about the challenge here.
This week I am highlighting my great-great grandmother, Maria Eufrosina Pineschi Petrini.
(I need to mention here that even though I am listing my great-great granmother as Maria Eufrosina Pineschi Petrini, she never used the name Petrini as part of her name. In Italy it was common at the time, as it is today, for women to use their birthname for their entire life. I only include her husband's surname here to make it more likely that other researchers will recognize her as part of the PETRINI family.)

Eufrosina Pineshci
Photo from the collection of AM Bain
digitized by KM Kolk - 2016

 

Maria Anna Eufrosina Pineschi was the daughter of Massimiliano PINESCHI and Isabella MATTEUCCI, born and baptized on March 11, 1850 in Compito Sant’ Andrea, Capannori, Lucca, Tuscany, Italy. The birth date comes from a family tree prepared by her great-granddaughter Irene in the early 1970s. The year 1850 correlates well with the age given on Eufrosina’s marriage and death  records. I've not been able to confirm the day of birth, however it was common at that time for babies to be baptized the day of their birth. The death certificate of her oldest son Umberto states that his mother’s name was Rosena (with surname unknown). It took me more time than it should have to realize that Rosena was a shortened form of Eufrosina.

Eufrosina was a farmer and housewife in Compito Sant’ Andrea, where she probably lived her entire life. She married Bartolomeo Daniele Petrini on July 19, 1873 in Sant’ Andrea. She was the mother of at least ten children:

1. Roberto aka Umberto Alberto (1873-1953)
2. Giovanni Egisto (1876- )
3. Maria Enrichetta (1876- )
4. Maria Argentina Dina Annita (1881-)
5. Maria Armida Argentina (1883-1971)
6. Maria Amabilia (1885-1926)
7. Giovanni Alessandro (1887-1979)
8. Maria (1892-1892) (634)
9. Gemma
10. Armando

Eufrosina died at age 75 on July 13, 1925 in Sant’ Andrea, Capannori, Lucca, Italy, just a few months after her husband, Bartolomeo Petrini. Her burial site is unknown.

Questions for further research:

1. What is the exact date of Eufrosina's birth?
2. Where is Eufrosina buried?
3. Is her godmother related to our family?
   

You can view the family group sheet for the family of Bartolomeo and Eufrosina here.

 

Sources

• PETRINI, Umberto, “Death Certificate,” File #40992, St. Louis City, Missouri, 7 Nov 1953, Missouri State Archives, http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/, accessed 5 Mar 2007.
• “PETRINI Family Tree,” Irene Petrini Wichmann , Apr 1973, updated 27 July 2002.
• PETRINI, Roberto, “Birth Record,” Lucca, Italy, 18 Aug 1873, Family Search, familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32553-2775-86?cc=2043811&wc=MCR6-468:349802601,350153701,350154001, accessed 11 Mar 2015.
• PETRINI, Giovanni Alessandro, “Birth Record,” Lucca, Italy, 12 May 1887, Family Search, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99W7-KVJY?wc=MCR6-4WL%3A349802601%2C350153701%2C350154701&cc=2043811, 11 Mar 2015.
• PETRINI, Maria Amabilia, “Birth Record,” Lucca, Italy, 5 Mar 1885, Family Search, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32569-21023-28?cc=2043811&wc=MCR6-4WL:349802601,350153701,350154701, 28 Mar 2015.
• PETRINI, Maria, “Birth Record,” Lucca, Italy, 19 Jul 1892, Family Search, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32562-6908-70?cc=2043811&wc=MCR6-429:349802601,350153701,350155101, 31 Mar 2015.
• PETRINI, Maria Argentina Dina Annita, “Birth Record,” Lucca, Italy, 8 Mar 1881, Family Search, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32554-15865-32?cc=2043811&wc=MCR6-4M9:349802601,350153701,350154501, accessed 31 Mar 2015.
• PETRINI, Giovanni Egisto, “Birth Record,” Lucca, Italy, 28 Jan 1876, Family Search, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32558-15676-36?cc=2043811&wc=MCR6-438:349802601,350153701,350154201, 31 Mar 2015.
• PETRINI, Maria Enrirchetta, “Birth Record,” Lucca, Italy, 28 Jan 1876, Family Search, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32558-15456-33?cc=2043811&wc=MCR6-438:349802601,350153701,350154201 : accessed 31 March 2015, accessed 31 Mar 2015.
• PINESHCI, Eufrosina, “Death Record,” Capannori, Lucca, Italy, 14 Jul 1925, Family Search, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32572-17087-72?cc=2043811&wc=MCR6-2WL:349802601,350153701,350168401, 30 Mar 2015.
• PETRINI, Bartolomeo - PINESCHI, Eufrosina, “Marriage Record,” Lucca, Italy, 19 Jul 1873, Family Search, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32571-9416-63?cc=2043811, accessed 15 Feb 2016.
• PETRINI, Bartolomeo - PINESCHI, Eufrosina, “Marriage Allegati,” Lucca, Italy, 19 Jul 1873, Family Search, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32580-11502-19?cc=2043811, accessed 30 Oct 2016.