August 1994

I'll be taking a break from the recent historical posts about long lost ancestors and related family members.  I can almost hear the collective "whew!".  I thought it would be fun to dive back into the photo albums again and see what was going on 20 years ago this month.  Turns out there was quite a bit going on that month!

All the while that James was doing marching band and the kids were young, we'd typically take our own vacation time during the month of August, so I guess it's not too surprising to find so much for August 1994.
It was the summer that we got our new pole barn built after the old one caved in under heavy snow in a previous winter.  The clearing of the land for this new barn (we have always called it the bus garage since it was home to the marching band bus) created a large pile of debris which the fire company burned for us in spectacular fashion.  This is Amy and Brad watching that fire:

This is one of my all time favorite pictures and memories. 

The Hartman clan came for a visit that year! 

Baseball Hall of Fame

Of course, we went to a Binghamton Mets game.  This is Jeff Barry with Amy and Brad.

I think this might be at Jean's for Mallory's birthday--Drew, Marisa and Amy.  Looks like Drew is showing Marisa the clutch.

Ryan having a catch with your Dad.

Your Dad playing volleyball in someone's back yard.

Sometime that summer, Angela hosted a reunion..what a crew!

James and I went to Chicago that summer and we took Amy and Ryan to stay on Long Island.

I think this is Pat's picture from that visit!

Good ole Harry was still around.  We went to Sesame Place where James danced on stage with Burt and Ernie.  It's pretty tough when even Ernie is laughing at you.  Ryan did not like it one bit that those huge creatures whisked his father away.

 We even found time for a trip to the Syracuse Zoo.  Who knew then what the future held for this pensive little girl?

I guess we kept ourselves pretty busy but when the kids are young, you try to do all kinds of stuff.  It's pretty close to where Jake and Lindsay are right now with Emily and Joey!  The more things change, the more they stay the same.

A reminder (shameless plug) about the new public blog Gathering the Cousins.  I created it specifically as "cousin bait"--that perhaps one day an unknown relative would stumble upon it and recognize either the Irish or the Italian lines as their own.  It would be great if you'd visit the site once in a while--I think the more hits it has, the more likely it will be to show up high enough on someone's search results to be found.  To have a relative find us this way would be a serious affirmation of my efforts with blogging and family history research.

Uncle Luigi

Michael Lessie's father was Louis and Aunt Josie told the story that Louis had two sisters who schemed to have him jailed so they could take the family's land.  Further, she said Antonia married him to get him out of jail!  It's a crazy story, but one thing I have learned over all these years of research is that Aunt Josie was right on most of the time in her remembrances, so I have faith there is some truth in this.

When I started tracking Michael Lessie, one of those iconic trembling leaves popped up for Luigi Lisi's death.  I dope-slapped myself for being so stupid as to fail to translate (once again) the Americanized name to the Italian.  Once I started researching Luigi Lisi, the doors opened wide for me.  Duh. 

Double dope-slap to myself as I went back and looked at records I already have that plainly indicated that Antonia was coming to the US to be with her husband Luigi Lisi.  Double Duh.

Right on the heels of Michael's death cerrtificate, I also received this for Uncle Luigi.  It's clearly the right guy.

Initially I was excited to see his father's name Michael, which makes sense as Italians generally named their first son after the paternal grandfather.  But then I noticed Antonette Contento is listed as his mother, but she was his wife so now I'm less certain that the information is accurate. 

I did some further research and located an immigration record for a Luigi Lisi that intrigues me.  In 1900 this Luigi Lisi emigrated stating Boston as his final destination.  He is listed as a shoemaker.  Neither of these facts line up with what I think I know about Luigi.  He lists his last residence as Montalbano, which is close enough to Bari to reasonably be the Luigi we seek.  1900 is about the right date and his age at the time matches up so those are in the plus column for tentative identification as the right Luigi Lisi.  We'll probably never know for sure, and I'll just have to accept that! 

Michael Lessie the Barber

I recently obtained this death certificate for Michael Lessie, your grandmother Mary's cousin.  Michael's mother Antoinette and Mary's mother Catherine were sister.It isn't a surprise that they were very close since each only had the other from their homeland.  The Lessie family helped Catherine leave Ohio, escape her husband Jake and start a life in New York.  I believe that even before Catherine and her children made their trek to Long Island, your grandmother Mary was also helped by her Lessie cousins to sneak away and to meet Costante and then take the train to Long Island City where there were Messa family members.  I recall a story told that this escape was just ahead of the bootlegging authorities.

But Catherine was excaping for a different reason.  According to Rose Jozwicki's journal, it was Pete Lessie that came from New York and knocked on the Messa family's door in Ohio urging them to leave immediately.  This was late in 1926 and by Rose's account, life improved greatly upon joining family in New York.

So the Messa and Lessie families were pretty well settled into this new life by the time the 1930 census was taken.  Michael was the oldest of the five children remaining at home with their parents Louis and Antoinette.  Michael practiced as a barber, apparently a common occupation for your Italian immigrants. 

Michael died in a particularly difficult time for the family.  As Rose put it: " In a period of eight months three in the family were gone."  Her Uncle Louie ( I believe this is Louis Lessie) had died in Feb 1935, followed by her Aunt Lessie (Antoinette--Louis's wife) in May 1935 and then Michael Oct 1935.  The family unit was completely broken up by the time of the 1940 census.

It is interesting to note that this certificate was signed by a surgeon who apparently had not previously treated him.  It states Michael's last illness was congestive heart failure and rheumatic heart disease.  This certificate also notes that an autopsy was performed concluding the cause of death was the same.  I don't know why an autopsy was performed but perhaps it was standard procedure if a death resulted from surgery.  Michael was a young man but perhaps not very robust if he was suffering from heart disease.  His brother Thomas is listed as the nearest kin.

These are names we have heard from Aunt Josie and Aunt Rose so often that they seem living persons to me.  You all have a long history of maintaining those cousin bonds and you are very lucky to follow in your family's footsteps!

The Way We Were

We are celebrating our 29th anniversary today.  I've been thinking about how big that number feels this year.  It was probably Cheryl and Brad's wedding that got me on this track.  I expect they can't imagine themselves in 2043!  In 1985, I wasn't think that far ahead either. 

In 1985, people told me that marriage is hard work but it certainly

didn't seem like it in that "honeymoon haze" that drapes itself over newlywed couples.  In 2014, I can attest that they were right.  It's hard work.  I believe there is great balance in this world so all that hard work does bring equally great benefits.  I intended to philosophize a bit, but I"ll spare you and move right onto the highlight of the day.  Hum "The Way We Were" to yourself as you look over some memories of August 1985.

Dad with the driver (of course)

I do not know where Lindsay found this kitten.  It wasn't ours!  :)

 

Seeing the fire truck waiting for us and realizing James really did get a fire truck!  I'm in for it now.

 Boys playing in the band

After we honeymooned in Gloucester, we returned to the homestead for a few days.  This is a classic!

29 years have been mostly kind to us all and I'm not sure I've said that I'm happy to belong to your crew!