Paying it Forward

There are very kind people in this world and this is a tribute to one of them. His name is Ron Maldonado and he is somehow affiliated with the Ellis Island website to track passenger lists. He went above and beyond to help me find your great grandmother Caterina Contenta's arrival to the United States.

I'd been looking for her arrival records for some time with no luck. One of the tenets of online research such as this is to keep trying the same sites even if you think you've exhausted them because new stuff goes online regularly. Although I'd been able to find her sister Anna's arrival (Aunt Lessie as she was referred to) in 1905, I'd consistently been unable to locate Caterina's.

Until a couple of weeks ago! A hit finally at the Ellis Island site but the link to the original ship manifest is most definitely not Caterina's ship. So I very gingerly and nicely emailed the Ellis Island site reporting the problem (I wouldn't have blamed them very much for simply ignoring such a petty request with all the work they have already done for people like me).

A day or two later I got a personal email back from my new friend Ron noting that he thought he'd found Caterina for me. He gave me step by step directions to find her record through another site and BINGO there she is, bless her soul (and Ron's). I am just tickled. I can't upload a .pdf file here for you but will email the file to you if you let me know.

Caterina Contenta (later Kate Messa) arrived in New York June 11 1907 about 2 years after her sister Antonia. She sailed from Naples, almost 185 miles from her home in Castellana Bari Italy, and the voyage took almost 3 weeks. As we know, she didn't really want to make this journey but did so at her sister's behest. The passenger arrival records list her age as 30 upon arrival which is a little different than the information I have so far, but age discrepancies are very common. She says she can read and write (Italian I'm sure) and intends to join her brother-in-law Luigi Lessi in Flushing.

So welcome to America although her life here would be difficult. Having Ron's help with this reconfirmed my faith in the average everyday human being out there! I hope you have a similar experience or do the same for someone else (even if you don't realize it!).

Belated March birthday shout out: Pat, Jean, Danielle and Robert!!