October 5th This Day in History

October 5, 1889 Cherubino Sgriccia was born in the town of Preci, Perugia, Italy. He was the second child of Ascanio Sgriccia, age 34, and Venanza Arcangeli, age 27. We do not much about his early years, but at 17 he left Italy and sailed to the USA following his Uncles to work in the coal mines of Pennsylvania. He arrived in New York in May of 1906.

He only stayed in the USA a couple of years and returned to Italy to serve two years in the Italian Army. During this timeframe he married Augusta Cordella. In November 1911 he returned alone to the USA and the coal mines. He therefore missed the birth of his daughter Anna on July 26, 1914. Before he could return to Italy war broke out and Cherubino was drafted into the US Army. This allowed him achieve his US Citizenship before he sailed to France as a musician in an Army Band in October 1918.

The war ended and rather than travel back to the USA, he went to Italy to rejoin his family. A trip to Rome in the summer of 1919 allowed Augusta to secure her passport to the USA. The three traveled to Clymer, PA arriving in October 1919 and lived with his brothers Mariano and Antonio.

Cherubino and Augusta had three sons: Vincenzo 14 Dec 1919, Mario 4 April 1921 and Salvatore 12 July 1924. Cherubino lived the rest of his life in Clymer. He and his brothers ran a grocery store for many years and later in life Cherubino planted and sold Christmas trees through the grocery store.

**Richard, Mark, David, Rosie, Michael, Cherubino, Thomas, Paul. Joseph and ?**

Cherubino died on 19 February 1964.

Cousins in Niagara Falls, NY

(NOTE: This is Part 3 of a 3-part story)

Did you think I forgot? Well, I almost did…

We learned about the Corsaro family in Part 1 and the Amici family in Part 2. We also learned that some of us are related to some of the members of the Amici family. So, let’s talk DNA.

It was 2012 when Ancestry.com started offering DNA tests in the USA for genealogy purposes. At the time I had no interest – my father and his parents are Italian and my mother and her parents are not Italian. So, I am 50% Italian and 50% not-Italian. Pretty simple. Then I learned that your DNA results also tell you about people that you are related to because you share some percentage of DNA. This means it is a tool to find members attached to your family tree…. relatives that you did not know about… 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th cousins…

In 2019 I discovered I shared DNA with Ronald L. Corsaro, Sr. and his mother, Geraldine (Amici) Corsaro. They were both listed as a distant 4^th – 6^th cousin. A very small 20-person tree was associated with them. This tree did not give me much information. I also sent a message to both through ancestry.com – no reply. I later learned that Ronald died in 2017. It was the mother, Geraldine, who had started building the Tree on-line – unfortunately she had died in 2019.

I started to build my own AMICI Family tree with the limited info she had left behind.

As you develop a Family Tree at Ancestry.com you find valuable information within family trees that other people have developed. When you “borrow” info from another tree the owner of the other tree sees that their tree is being used. In my case, a lady called Gina in Niagara Falls, NY contacted me to find out what my interest and/or connection was to her family tree. We exchanged a handful of data and agreed that our families are connected through the Amici Family.

This Family DNA connection is only between the “Detroit” Sgriccia cousins and the Amici family. No other “Clymer” cousins share this DNA. The common thread is the village of ROCCANOLFI and Augusta Cordella-Sgriccia. Augusta was born and raised in Roccanolfi and as were Alfredo Amici and Teodora Montani (Alfredo’s first wife). The only logical conclusion is that they were cousins – unfortunately we do not know if the cousin is Alfredo or Teodora.

So, if you meet a person named Amici (or Corsaro, or Guido, or Kifer …) he or she is probably a cousin.

You may recall the Blog I wrote: “The 1925 Sgriccia Family Reunion” and the accompanying photographs and some unknown people in that family picnic. I have since had it verified that the unknown man is Alfredo Amici and the blurred image of a little girl is Elizabeth Amici – this has been confirmed by members of the “Guido” family – descendants of Elizabeth Amici.

The man in the upper left with the hat is Alfredo Amici

This mystery will only be solved if more descendants of Alfredo and Teodora take Ancenstry.com DNA tests.

BREAKING NEWS ON A NEW DEVELOPMENT

For many, many years we have known that the name SGRICCIA in Italy is not common, but the name can be found here and there. And for all these years we had no idea IF and HOW we may be related to anyone in Italy with the name SGRICCIA. Even our cousins in Livorno and in Tarquinia are unaware of any people named SGRICCIA in Italy that they are related to.

However, last week we had a break-through. A lady named Maria Grazia Sgriccia had read my blog post where I had mentioned that I had found the grave markers of Carlo Sgriccia and Luigi Sgriccia in the cemetery in Norcia, Italy. She informs me that Luigi is her grandfather and Carlo is her great-grandfather. Luigi was born in Preci in 1897. Which indicates that Carlo was born about 1865.

Cherubino was born in 1889 and his father, Ascanio, was born in 1855. In my opinion this makes for the strong probability that Ascanio and Carlo were brothers! This would make Maria our 3^rd cousin.

Additionally, she has mentioned that her brother, Alessandro, lives in Norcia – a 30-minute drive from Preci. She is going to ask her brother to look into this connection.

This is exciting news…news I wish I had known 20 years ago before I travelled to Italy. I will write a new blog about this as I learn more and when I am able to connect-all-the-dots.

Alfredo Amici – A 1900s Girl Dad

(NOTE: This is Part 2 of a 3-part story)

Part 1 of this saga discussed the tragic death of Francesco Corsaro. We learned of his widow, Maria, who was now alone to raise 6 children. Maria Corsaro and her children had just moved back to Clymer to be near family. At the time of his death Francesco had three brothers who lived in and around Clymer – Dominic (a grocer), James and Joe (coal miners). These three households consisted of over 22 people to lend support to Maria.

On to Part 2….

Alfredo “Alfred” Amici was born in Roccanolfi, Italy on January 16, 1884. Yes – we have talked about Roccanolfi in previous posts – it is a tiny hilltop village next to and part of the commune (or municipality) of Preci in the Province of Perugia. The population of Roccanolfi today is about 17 people. In 1884 it was probably about 50 people.

Still single at 21 Alfredo followed his older brother, Lorenzo, to Pittsburgh in 1905 and joined the multitude of Italian men in the coal mines of western Pennsylvania. At some point he returned to Italy and married. In 1912 he permanently moved to the USA with his new wife: Teodora “Theodora” Montani – she was born in Roccanolfi in 1889. They headed to Connellsville, PA. In the early 1900s this tiny town was the king of coal in the USA. Connellsville had at one time more millionaires per capita than any other place in the country and possibly the world. The first members of the Sgriccia-clan all came through Connellsville (i.e. Enrico Arcangeli, Giusto, Cherubino, Mariano and Antonio Sgriccia.

In 1913 Alfredo and Teodora moved to Clymer, PA where they had three girls. Their first daughter, Duesalina ”Sue” was born in 1913. Elisena “Elizabeth was born in 1915 and Geraldine “Gerry” was born in 1917.

Alfredo’s working conditions had improved by early 1918 when he was promoted to a truck driver and Teamster for the coal company. This allowed him to buy a house on Franklin Street in Clymer.

Excitement filled the household in June of 1918 when their first son was born – Alfanoro Amici. The joy was short lived as the 1918 Pandemic Influenza travelled across the country and hit Clymer in October of 1918. Both Alfanoro and his mother took ill. Alfanoro died on October 25^th at 6:20 am and Teodora died at 1:40 pm – yes – the same day.

They are buried together at the Saint Bernard’s cemetery in Indiana, PA.

*BTW – I will pay $20 to the first person to visit this cemetery and get me better pictures* of this gravestone.

Have you guessed where this story is heading….??

Sometime before January 1920, the widower Alfredo Amici met the widow Maria Joseffia Rocco-Corsaro. They married and formed a “Brady Bunch” family in Clymer. He with 3 girls and she with 4 boys and 2 girls. They lived on Franklin Street almost next door to the Perri families and Dominic Bonarrigo. The other Corsaro families lived on the other side of them. The Sgriccia brothers and the Foresi brothers were less than a block away.

In July 1923 Alfredo and Maria had another girl – Lucy Teresa Amici.

Then much of the Corsaro-Amici clan packed up and moved to Niagara Falls, NY. We assume for better employment. Alfredo’s household consisted of 11 people – they bought a house on 17^th Street. Maria’s brother-in-law (Francesco Corsaro’s brother), Giuseppe “Joe” Corsaro, bought a house on Ashland Ave at 15^th Street.

Alfredo succeeded in the trucking industry. He eventually owned a small fleet and delivered freight all over New York and the surrounding states.

Alfredo died in 1952 and Maria died on the 1^st day of 1954. They are both buried at the St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Niagara Falls, NY. Many of their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren still live in the Niagara Falls area.

Alfredo Amici was a “girl dad”. His four girls pictured here in 2006 – L to R: Sue, Liz, Gerry, Lucy.

By now you are probably thinking that this story is a megillah – long and boring. So, at this point we will start to explain…some of us are related to Gerry Amici’s children…yes, about a fourth cousin. Which means we have the same great-great-great-grandfather in Italy. But, how? We shall explain in Part 3.

The Grandmother we never knew

Augusta Cordella was born August 3, 1889 in the small hamlet of Roccanolfi in Umbria, Italy. Her parents, Vincenzo Cordella and Rosa Piermattei, had another daughter named Paola and we believe a son named Mario. Augusta married Cherubino Sgriccia on October 30, 1913. They immigrated to the USA in 1919 and had four children. On November 3, 1940 while visiting a friend at the Buhl Hospital in Sharon, Pennsylvania Augusta collapsed and died of a massive heart attack at age 51.

Today we count 16 grandchildren, at least 20 great grandchildren and countless great-great grandchildren. None of us had the opportunity to meet this lady. All we have are a handful of photos and many of these are not dated.

The Foresi Cousins

Ermenegilda “Emma” Arcangeli is our 2nd great aunt – the older sister of our great grandmother. Emma was born in 1871 in Preci, Italy and died in 1942. She married Ottavio Foresi in about 1890. Ottavio was born in 1868 in Preci and died in 1949. They are both buried at the cemetery in Preci. The pictures below are from their gravestones.

emma ottavio pix

Ottavio

The couple had four children: Giuseppe “Joe” (1893), Romolo “Romeo” (1899), Antonio (1908) and Matilde. We do not know when Matilde was born, but she died in 1926. We wrote about Matilde in a previous posting. You can read it here.

The youngest son, Antonio Foresi, married Amelia and had at least one son. In about 1953 Antonio bought a bulk wine business in Orvieto, Italy. This business included a store front – Cantina Foresi – on the main Piazza Duomo in Orvieto. If you have visited Orvieto you will recognize the picture below and you have walked right past your cousin’s wine shop.

cantina

Today the Cantina is run by Antonio’s grandson -Alessandro Foresi. We had the unique opportunity to meet him during our 2015 trip to Italy. You can read about that encounter here. Allessandro was instrumental in helping me clarify the connection between Family Foresi and Family Sgriccia.

The two oldest sons of Ottavio and Emma – Giuseppe (Joe) and Romolo (Romeo) – ventured to the USA. Can you guess where they headed? In 1912 Joe at 18 years old sailed to New York with two others from Preci. Joe was headed to Clymer to visit a friend named Michele Bidolli. Romeo followed Joe to Clymer in 1914. Both became miners at the Russel Coal mines. In 1919 Joe was drafted into the US Army along with his cousin Cherubino Sgriccia. We found a newspaper article that implied that Joe tried to join the US Army Band that Cherubino was in, but later we learn that Joe shipped out to France with an infantry unit. He safely returned to Clymer.

In 1920 we find the Foresi brothers living in a very crowded household on Franklin Street in Clymer.

1920 census

Shortly after the census Joe married Ludovina “Jennie” Bidolli. Jennie arrived in Clymer in 1920 with her sister and mother. We assume that Joe & Jennie were childhood sweethearts because, you will recall, when Joe arrived in the USA he was on his way to visit his friend Michele Bidolli. Between 1922 and 1926, Joe & Jennie had 4 children though their daughter, Velia, died when 8 months old from Influenza.

ro ad

Not to be outdone, Romeo married Jennie’s sister Adeline Bidolli. Romeo and Adeline also had four children between 1922 and 1929.

(I just realized that Joe and Romeo’s children are first cousins TWICE – once on the paternal side of the family and once on the maternal. Their grandchildren are second cousins twice).

During the 1930s both families moved from Clymer to Detroit to work in the auto plants. By 1940 Romeo was working at Ford Motor Company in River Rouge. He and the family were living in Detroit. Meanwhile, Joe was working at Chevrolet Gear & Axle and living in Hamtramck.

All the children married and settled in different parts of the Detroit Metro area. The grandchildren have been spreading out even further and like our family many are retired.

Having lived in the Detroit area my entire life I have never met one of the Foresi cousins, primarily due to the fact that we did not know we were related. Around 2004 my wife was playing in a ladies’ golf league in the evening. I happened to see a list of the players and I immediately recognized the name Foresi. I called the lady and asked want she knew of the Foresi lineage. She said that she knew her husband’s family was originally from PA but that was about all.

Kind of funny…I meet a 3rd cousin Foresi in Italy, but the ones that had lived within a few miles I have never met.

The Foresi’s Who are Not Our Cousins

I have promised, more than once, in previous posts to tell you more about our relationship with the Foresi Families. Today is your lucky day. We will begin with the Foresi family members that are not our cousins.

Our great grandmother, Venanza Arcangeli, was from a large family. We are not sure exactly how may siblings that she had, but they (and their descendants) are cousins to la famiglia Sgriccia…that means your 2nd, 3rd and 4th cousins.

arcangeli

Venanza’s sister Ermenegilda (Emma) was 9 years younger. She married Ottavio Foresi. It is their children that are our cousins – but first – let us talk about the “other” Foresi’s that are not related to us.

Foresi father

(Remember: the charts are jpegs. You can right-click on them to save them and enlarge them for easier reading.)

The Foresi Family in Preci/Roccanolfi consisted of at least three brothers: Ottavio, Renaldo and Enrico. All three have connections to families in the USA.

Enrico Foresi was the youngest, he never came to the USA, but three of his children did. His daughter Felicitta (Phyllis) was born in Roccanolfi in 1901. In 1921 she traveled to Clymer, PA with her husband – Pietro (Peter) Falcucci. They did not live in Clymer very long – by the 1935 they were living in New Jersey.

enrico

Gravestone in Preci Cemetery

Enrico’s oldest child, Teodoro (Theodore) was born in 1895. He traveled to Clymer in 1913. He traveled with 8 other men from Preci – some heading to PA coal mines and the rest to other destinations. One was his cousin Domenico Arcangeli. Their contact in Clymer was their cousin Giuseppe Foresi (our cousin). Theodore lived on Harrison Street in 1920 as a boarder with the Galli or Galls family. By 1926 he had married Anita Landi. They had three children: Elaine, Henry and Gloria. Unfortunately, Theodore was killed by a reckless driver in 1933 while he and 19 other miners were walking home from the mine in Mentcle PA.

Enrico’s middle child, Remo (Raymond) was born in 1897. He traveled to Clymer in 1923 following his brother to the coal mines. By 1930 Remo had married Margaret and they had at least one son named Antonio. They moved to Lackawanna, PA. Remo died in Lake Ariel, PA in 1989.

Bottom line: The Enrico Foresi family branched out in the USA with family names of Mears, Falucci, Conti, Davis, Ruffner, Short and Santini. These are NOT our cousins though – close – they are cousins of our cousins.

Ottavio & Enrico had a brother named Renaldo Foresi. His story and that of his descendants is the most confusing. Since they are not actually related to us, I have not spent a great deal of time researching this family. Renaldo was born in about 1871. He married Maddalena Amici. They had three children. The oldest (Vincenzo) was the only one to travel to the USA.

In December 1920, Vincenzo (Vince or sometimes James) sailed to the US and guess where he was headed…Yep… Clymer… to see his cousin Giuseppe Foresi. By 1930 James was married to Rose Malengo and they had 3 children – Renaldo (John), Madeline and James. They lived in Pine Twp., PA – a few miles from Clymer. He died in Indiana County in 1988.

The descendants of Renaldo have branched out into many families of Foresi, Bellando, Platko and Tonelli – to name a few. Many are still in Indiana county, others have moved to Ohio and New York state.

This part of the story may have seemed a waste of time or perhaps needless, but it is important to understand that the Foresi descendants have intertwined and it has been very difficult to untangle the web. If you ever meet any of the people mentioned above you will know that they are descendants from Preci, Italy and cousins of our cousins.

Next time the Foresi’s that are related to us….

Family Tree Printouts

Confusing times we are experiencing…if you are staying at home, perhaps with children, and looking for something different to do, we may have a project for you to work on….

You can now print your own copy of the Family Tree which I have worked on for so many years. The chart is a 20 page PDF file. You can print the 20 pages and then tape them together.

Well there is one minor prep – you have to trim the right side of 19 out of 20 pages. I have printed this chart on three different HP printers and I cannot print to the edge of the paper. A gap is left on all sides. Refer to the pictures below to see that it is a very narrow gap to trim off. I use a paper-cutter – a ruler and razor knife would work. My shaking hands would never be able to cut a straight line with scissors only – though perhaps you have the talent. Below is before and after trimming.

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Once the edge is trimmed off, lay the trimmed sheet over the next page “to the right” and then I use tape to hold them together. After I have “connected” all the sheets, I turn the chart over and tape the back of each seam.

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There are two charts available. The first is the “Descendants of Antonio Sgriccia” the second one is the “Descendants of Antonio Arcangeli”. The paternal and the maternal lineages of our famiglia. If you are a “Sgriccia” then you will be in both charts (why would you read this blog if you were not…).

The “Sgriccia” chart also shows our great-great Uncle Giusto Sgriccia – brother to Ascanio and the first known person named Sgriccia to come to America. This chart also shows the cousins in the Messi family. Two sons (Agostino and Domenico) ventured to the USA in the early 1900s. When they went through the immigration process at Ellis Island they declared that they were going to Penna. to see the Uncle Giusto. They would be cousins to the “Sgriccia brothers”. How is the mystery. My guess is that their mother is sister to Ascanio Sgriccia and that she married a “Messi”. Someday I hope to prove this – just yesterday I wrote an email to Massimo Messi – he is the current sindaco (mayor) of Preci, Italy – searching for a connection.

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The “Arcangeli” chart, as I mentioned, contains the same central tree of the children and descendants of Ascanio Sgriccia and Venanza Arcangeli (you are one of those). The chart also has a small group from the Piccioni family Similar to the Messi family, two sons (Stefano and Petrangelo) ventured off to America to work in the coal mines of Penna. They claimed to be nephews of Giusto Sgriccia.

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Additionally, this chart shows the connection to our cousins in the Foresi family. (I need to write a blog on the Foresi family – the connection between us and the paths we have crossed with these third-cousins is remarkable. Plus the Foresi family is the connection to the Bidoli family also originally from Preci).

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The “Arcangeli” chart is a whopping 27 pages. The middle 17 pages are essentially a duplicate of “Sgriccia” chart. I did a “cut & paste” and did not use these pages. I then used plain paper to fill the gap. This gives you a manageable chart which is 10 pages long.

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Missing from both charts is the Amici-Corsaro-Guido family. We know these families are linked to us because of DNA data at ancestry.com. Exactly how is the question. The top of that family tree is Alfredo Amici and Teodora Montagni – both born in Preci. We do not know if the tie is to the Sgriccia or the Arcangeli family.

If you want your very own copy of the tree, send me an email and I will send back both charts. I am not posting my email address. If you do not know my email address I am confident you can ask someone near you for it.

I look forward to a barrage of corrections and additions to this information.

Say Hello to Antonio & Maria – newest members of the Sgriccia Family Tree

No – they are not newborns. Antonio & Maria are your great-great-grandparents.

Antonio Sgriccia and Maria Allevi, we have just discovered, are the parents of Ascanio and Giusto Sgriccia and probably a few more people.

family tree sept 2019

The above chart is a jpeg, so you can download and enlarge it for easier reading. This is how the oldest known levels of the SGRICCIA Family Tree look today. I am confident that all our readers can figure out your relationship to Antonio and Maria. If you cannot, please drop me a line.

We need to thank our second cousin Davide Petrini (he lives in Tarquinia, Italy) for uncovering this information. Davide is the grandson of Francesca the oldest child of Ascanio & Venanza. The graveyard in Preci suffered a lot of damage during the last earthquake and Venanza’s tombstone was damaged. He plans to have a new one built. Davide contacted me for all the info I had on Ascanio & Venanza. He was able to get more accurate information on dates and he discovered our great-great grandparents – Antonio & Maria.

We will discuss some of the names that may be strangers to you.

Giusto Sgriccia. He was Ascanio’s younger brother. He was also the first “Sgriccia” to leave Italy and venture to the coal mines of western Pennsylvania in 1903. He followed his brother-in-law Enrico Arcangeli – the brother to our great-grand mother Venanza Arcangeli. It is unclear if Giusto was ever married and we do not know if and when he returned to Italy. We firmly believe that he did return to Preci, although we have never located his grave.

Unknown Sgriccia Sister. This lady married a fellow named Messi. They had a daughter and two sons – Agostino and Domenico. Both sons traveled to the USA and the PA coal fields. On their immigration paperwork they stated that they were going to see their “uncle Giusto”. So, I figure the only way he can be their uncle is that his sister is their mother. I think both Messi boys returned to Preci in the 1900s before WWI.

Carlo & Luigi Sgriccia. I found the graves of these two fellows in Norcia – a town less that an hour from Preci. I have no proof – only a guess – that they are linked to our family tree. Someday, I may find more information to establish a true connection.

I am hoping to lean on Davide Petrini with a list of questions to take to the Preci records center and perhaps we can fill in a few more blanks in the Sgriccia Family Tree in the future.

The Helmet Story

During our 2011 trip in Italy I found this WWI helmet on the ground.

I have a feeling that the Helmet Story is different in the folklore of each of our individual families. This is the story as I knew it.

First the facts.

Cherubino was drafted into the US Army in August of 1918. He traveled to Camp Lee Virginia where he became a US Citizen and joined The US Army Bandmasters. On October 28, 1918 he shipped out on the S.S. Antigone for France. On April 11, 1919 he was discharged in France. He then traveled to Preci to be reunited with his wife and daughter.

The three headed to Rome in July 1919 to obtain a US Passport for Augusta and passage to the USA. They sailed from Napoli on September 18, 1919 on the S.S. Dante Alighieri and arrived in New York on October 2^nd. Soon thereafter they took up permanent residence in Clymer.

Now the story as I was told.

When Cherubino, still in uniform, arrived in Preci at his parent’s home he took off his helmet and placed it on a fence post and said: “I am finished. I will not wear that again”. (In Italian of course and probably with deleted expletives).

Uncle Maris Sgriccia traveled to Italy in 1938 after the death of his grandfather (Ascanio Sgriccia). Uncle Mar told me much later that when he visited the family home he saw the helmet – still on the fence post.

Years later, Uncle Henry and Uncle Vince traveled to Italy to visit family. Sometime after that trip, Uncle Vince told me that the helmet was still on the fence post. Why did no one bring it home?

Fast forward to 1999 when Brother Philip and I made our road trip to Preci (click here), we had hoped to find the helmet. Truth be told – we had no idea where to look. We did not know which house the family had lived in. I guess we just assumed a helmet on a fence post would just magically appear. Duh…

Jump to our 2011 trip when Uncle Piero showed us the house. As I walked around it and took these pictures. The rest is history. The helmet is proudly displayed in our family home in northern Michigan.

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The front of Sgriccia’s Preci house above, the rear of the house below.

And now you know “the rest of the story”. That’s how I heard it; that’s how I remember it and that is how I lived it. That’s my story and I’m sticken’ to it.

MEMORIAL DAY – Remembering Those Lost in War

In 1999 we made our second trip to Italy. Coincidentally, my brother Philip and his family were also visiting Italy. We crossed paths in Siena and spent a lovely dinner and evening together. The next day our commitments were minor. So, Phil & I decided to leave family and friends behind to venture off on a road-trip to Preci.

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I have no idea what it is that draws me to Preci. Yes, my grandfather and grandmother are from there. My father is not…neither is my mother. But, even to this day I am drawn back to visit.

(Of course, there is the WWI helmet story. But, we shall save that for a later blog.)

This adventure in 1999 was before GPS, cell phones and the Internet. We had nothing but a map. It was calculated as a 2-1/2 hour drive there and 2-1/2 hours back. The plan was to meet our travel companions on the outskirts of a tiny village south of Siena at 5:00 pm. Remarkably, we were only five minutes late.

What Philip and I were unaware of was the devastation caused by the earthquake of 1997. There were lost bridges; impassable roads, and villages that did not exist as shown on our map. One road led up to a dead-end on a hilltop. A friendly old timer emerged. Our Italian was limited to Buon Giorno, Ciao and Grazie. He knew even less in English. We finally convinced him we were headed to Preci and he pointed to another hilltop on the horizon. We thanked “Uncle Rocco Franco” and headed off to the distant hilltop.

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We finally made it. Mid-afternoon. Siesta time. Nothing to do. Nobody to see. The earthquake damage from a year earlier was everywhere. Support scaffolding…cables holding walls from collapsing.

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We took a few photos; proud we found the place. Not sure what we had hoped to find (other than the WWI helmet). Disappointed that no one recognized us as “Sgriccia brothers”.

Walking around the hilltop village, I saw a memorial on the side of the Church. I could not read it, but intuitively I knew it was a WWI memorial. WWI memorials are all over Western Europe and the USA – you probably have one in your town. Do you know where it is? (Sidebar: There are more than a dozen college football stadiums built or named as Memorial to WWI’s fallen soldiers? Plus the LA Memorial Coliseum and Chicago’s Soldier’s Field. Probably a bunch more.)

I scanned the names quickly hoping not to find the Sgriccia name. Snapped a quick photo and we were off to meet up with our travel partners about a 3 hour drive away.

wwi monument

Fast forward to about 2015…Cousin Rosemary sent me a package of family “stuff” that she was trying to disperse to family members. I have already shared a few of those artifacts with you. This past weekend I finally pulled out this one…

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mailing label

…and using Google Translate I learned that it was mailed 6 Aug 1920 from Preci, Italia to one or more of the Sgriccia Brothers in Clymer.

“Committee for Those Fallen in War

A Committee was set up in Preci to pay honor, and to engrave in marble, the glorious names of our children, who in the terrible world war, bravely fought and have sacrificed their lives and bold youth to our country.

All Precians must help with this dutiful act of veneration for the brave fellow citizens who died on the field of the war.

We are confident that all of you will want to make a large contribution because the honors of the tribute are worthy of the magnitude of the sacrifice they made.” (Kind of a robo-call via the mail).

Half of the address label is missing. We do not know which Sgriccia Brother it was addressed to. We will never know if they made a contribution.

Enlarging the photo of the memorial, I can now pay closer attention:

wwi names

There are 32 names listed under: “Dead or Missing in Combat” and 25 names of those who “Died from Illness”. No Sgriccia names, but now I recognize a Luigi Cordella, Vincenzo Piccioni and Augusto Viola – all cousins to us.

The lower portion of the marble monument reads: “Those Fallen and Missing in World War II”.

wwii names

Here we find Bruno Cordella, Alessandro Messi and Mario Viola – three more cousins.

Italy observes National Unity and Armed Forces Day on November 4, the date Austria-Hungary surrendered to the Italians in 1918. The day is accompanied by ceremonies commemorating members of the armed forces killed in action.

Buona Pasqua

Our trip to Italy in 2011 gave Nina & I an emotionally uplifting and terror filled experience – an Italian Family Easter Dinner. We were invited to join our Livorno cousins at the ancestral home of Liberata Sgriccia, the youngest of the seven Sgriccia children. This was the house where Liberata first lived after she married Armando Antonelli in about 1920. The house is in the small village of Sant’ Angelo – about 15 miles south of Preci and 15 miles north of Norcia.

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The Antonelli House in Sant’ Angelo – circa 1940. Adriana and Carlo Antonelli and their grandparents – the parents of Armando Antonelli.

At some point in time, Liberata, Armando and their children moved north to Livorno, Italy (on the northwest coast of Italy near Pisa). They had a total of six children – all still live in Livorno today. Counting the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren – I would guess that we have about 40+ “cousins” in the Livorno area. The family retained the old house in Sant’ Angelo and renovated it to be used as a summer “get away”. It contains a very large kitchen/dining room – an Italian tradition for large family gatherings. The house also has many bedrooms for numerous family members to visit.

On this Easter Sunday in 2011 we met Uncle Piero and Uncle Guido in Preci. They showed us what they believe is the original Sgriccia family home in Preci and Venanza’s grave at the cemetery.

Believed to be the Sgriccia Family house in Preci from 1880 until 1935.

Then we followed them to the house in Sant’ Angelo.

Their house is the tan house on the left with the 3 or 4 windows.

The kitchen was in full swing with Uncle Carlo roasting a pig using an open fire and the aunts preparing countless other dishes. The house was full – most of the people we had met, many more we had not. One of the funniest memories was the younger people hanging out the window trying desperately to get internet service!

My lack of skill with the Italian language coupled with 20+ people talking at once (not to mention the football match on TV) led to a nervous and sometimes total vacuum on what the heck was going on.

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On the right: Nina, Piero and Adriana

In short, the meal was great. The people better. Overall it reminded me of an American family gathering at Thanksgiving – with football on the telly. An experience we will not soon forget.

Unfortunately, the year 2016 saw one of the worst earthquakes in the area. Preci, Norcia and many other towns and villages are having a very difficult time rebuilding. The family house in Sant’ Angelo is still not usable in 2019.

earthquake 1

The front of the house is saved, but the side and rear are destroyed.

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The above two pictures thanks to Google Maps

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The rear of the house. The window on the second floor where the boys were trying to connect to the internet is gone. The kitchen exposed to the elements.

Happy Easter to all of you…and, please, turn down the TV.

Hard Work but We Get New Information

Trying to translate these old postcards and letters is driving me crazy. But, I am also uncovering new family members and a few new mysteries. Here we will show you six postcards.

Anerio card to Ann

Simple and straight forward. To Anna Sgriccia (1914-2003) from Anerio Petrini (1922-1979). “Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas. From your cousin.” Anerio is the son of Francesca; she is Cherubino’s oldest sister. I sent a copy of this card to Francesca’s grandson, my second cousin, Davide Petrini, in Tarquinia, Italy for conformation. He confirmed that this is from his father. We are guessing it was written in about 1935.

Antonio from Mother Antonio from Mother back

A very pretty and delicate holy card. “My dear son Antonio. …of taking care of your year and good time for you. Mother.” Simple: from Venanza to Antonio Sgriccia. A word of encouragement from home and his mother.

From Matilde Foresi

Here is where the confusion starts. First this card is not addressed to anyone. On the right side it reads: “Remembering affectionately and sending best wishes. Your cousin Matilde Foresi”.

The left side reads: “Greeting from all of us to all of you. The mother Matilde”.

A cousin and a mother?? First of all we have never had a Matilde Foresi in our tree. If she is Ann’s cousin then I think I know where she fits into the tree. But, not mother and cousin at the same time.

The mother of the two Foresi brothers in Clymer in the 1920s to 30s was Emma Arcangeli…for sure. Matilde must have been their sister. The next adds to the mystery…

Memorial card Matilde Foresi

This item appears to be a Memorial mass card. The church is the Parish of St. Maria in Preci. It is Sunday May 30, 1926. Five names below…including: Matilde Foresi. Her brothers were born in 1893 and 1899. I am assuming she is younger…so let’s say she was born in 1901 or 1902. She apparently died at an age of less than 25 or 26. So, this card is not contradictory, but the “cousin vs. mother” in the last card is still very confusing.

One thing these last two cards accomplish is to solidify the connection between the Sgriccia family and the Foresi family.

Ascanio postcard from Conti

Another mystery. The card is addressed from Rome to Preci. To Ascanio Sgriccia. 3 Feb 1930. But above Ascanio’s name it says: “For Anna from her grandmother”. Anna has two grandmothers: Venanza Arcangeli and Maria Rosa Piermattei (married to Vincenzo Cordella). So, signed by Maria is close – but not Conti. And who is Ersilia?

On the left side it simply says: “Rome, 3 Feb 1930. Cordial greetings.” And it is signed by Maria Conti (or perhaps Cinti) & Erselia. These are unrecognized people as how they are related to the Sgriccia Family Tree.

from Antonia Messi

A very hard postcard to interpret. The writing goes around and around…. Here is what we got… “To Anna Sgriccia” “Dear niece…your sixth year and I don’t want to miss it. Your wishes…best to your mother and father and to your little brothers (this would be Vince and Mario). …Antonio and Lucia and Mariano… Kiss the children…kisses to Vitoria (who is Vitoria? A girl.) and kisses to Midico (?). signed: “your aunt Antonia Messi”.

If this card is about 1920 it makes sense. Aunt Lucy and Uncle Marian are just married, Uncle Tony is not. The biggest news is that this is a new person…Antonia Messi.

I have often felt that the Sgriccia family is related to the Messi family. This sorta proves it. I have theorized that Ascanio had a sister (unnamed) who married a Messi in Preci. They had two boys – Domenico Messi and AgosItino Messi. Both boys traveled to the USA and worked in coal mines in PA or WVa. But, I do not think either stayed in the USA more than a few years. This new person – Antonia – would be their sister. A new connection in the overall Family Tree.

So, now you can see how difficult this is to translate and comprehend…but the rewards are the new discoveries in the family tree.

I have been asked how I find the time to do this…well, this week we have been Up North at the lake house north of Elk Rapids, Michigan. Though sunny, it is still cold and lots of snow on the ground. So, I am not able to do much outside.

Ciao – until next time. BTW – I like the way this blog is growing in content. I appreciate the positive feedback from you – dear readers. But, I would like to see more family members sign-up to receive the notifications and read the blog. The more family readers we have…the more feedback…the more we all learn. Try to get someone to sign up. Some more distant cousins. Spread the word. Thanks.

Descended from the Angels

You have all seen the TV ads for Ancestry.Com where a new member just starting their family tree discovers they are related to George Washington or descendants of the Mayflower or whatever. Well, trust me, we have them beat. We are all descendants of the Angels or more accurately the Archangels.

The Sgriccia brothers and sister who immigrated to the U.S.A. left behind two sisters and their parents. The oldest sister, Francesca, married Eliseo Petrini and eventually moved to Tarquinia, Italy – where we have cousins today. The youngest sister, Liberata, married Armando Antonelli and they moved to Livorno – where we also have cousins. We will write more about those families in the future.

The parents – Ascanio (1856 – 1938) and Venanza (1862 – 1937) stayed in Preci, Italy until they died. In December 1936 Venanza had applied for, and received, her passport. She planned to travel to America to visit her children in the spring of 1937. Unfortunately, she died suddenly January 16, 1937.

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Ascanio Sgriccia and Venanza Arcangeli

Venanza’s parents were Antonio Arcangeli and Liberata Viola. Arcangeli is Italian for Archangels. So, you thought you were cool being a Screechie, huh. Well, now you can be considered Super Cool and an Angel.

The Arcangeli’s had other daughters. This means that we have many more cousins than we had thought. One daughter married a Piccioni and one of the Piccioni sons moved to the USA. Another daughter, Ermengilda (Emma), married Ottavio Foresi. Two of their sons, Romolo (Romeo) and Giuseppe (Joe), moved to Clymer and lived with Mariano and Cherubino for awhile. Eventually the two of them moved to Detroit and raised families.

The third son, Antonio, moved to Orvieto, Italy and opened a wine bar. The Cantina Foresi (http://www.cantinaforesi.it/eng/) is in the shadow of the Orvieto Duomo. If you have been to Orvieto you have walked right passed the Cantina. Today it is owned and operated by his grandson, Allessandro Foresi. Allessandro is my third cousin. More stories on the Foresi family later.

In 1993 we made our first trip to Italy. While prepping for the trip I was hoping we could meet some of our relatives in Italy. I contacted Uncle Vince since I knew he had been there once or twice. He told me to contact his cousin Adriana Antonelli, daughter of Liberata Sgriccia. I typed a letter in English. Ran it through a translation program I found on-line (this was before Google Translate) and sent both to Italy. A couple weeks later I received a reply in English – Wow! They speak English! A few days before we left Rome for Livorno I called them to let them know which train we would be arriving on. They only spoke Italian!! Oops.

Thoughts of the Chevy Chase movie – European Vacation – and the visit he had at the wrong house in Germany began to play over and over in my mind. Long story short – at Adriana’s house on a wall in a large antique bubble glass frame I saw this picture:

A&V oval

Please imagine the above photo as oval shaped and in an antique frame. Point is: their picture though cropped was the same picture I had owned.

My fears abated. We had a marvelous 4 day visit.