Two Mile Handicap

We learned so much from the time we spent with Angela in Uncle Johnny's house last weekend!  Of course, as so often happens, each new discovery leads to another mystery.  I learned that your grandfather James was a World War I soldier in the US Army and that his brothers John and Phillip also served.  James took many pictures during his service in Italy and they are very carefully placed and labeled in a precious album that was found in the attic.  His careful notes and thoughtful pictures paint a picture of a man who cared very much about the world around him and the people in it.  I'm certain we will learn a great deal from these records so lovingly kept.

This is from a notebook kept by James Coffarelli probably during his time of service in World War I when he was just about 21 years old!  First of all, note the address for M. Disabto whom I believe to be his oldest sister Marguerite (the only sibling born in Italy)

Perhaps this was well before he met his bride as I see several young ladies listed here along with his sister's address, but no Marguerite Manzelli!  What great handwriting he has.

Now here's a letter sent from a lawyer to someone named HA Kellum in 1886

This obviously has nothing to do with your grandfather James as it was written 12 years before he was even born.  But as it was in your uncle's treasured possessions, we can conclude it meant something to someone in the Coffarelli family over 100 years ago!

This is another item in those treasures and here we see H.A. Kellum again.  I've done a little bit of research and discovered that the Queens Amateur Athletic Club at that time was a raceground for bicycles--thus the two mile handicap.  H.A. Kellum's name appears as a participant in several such races of the time period but I have NO idea what the connection to the Coffarelli family might be.  From bicycles in the 19th century to Mustangs in the 20th!

So we have a bit of a two mile handicap of our own here to figure this out--any thoughts?

James and I decided yesterday to take a drive and visit with Angela and Bill.  Cousin Jim had mentioned in an email that they had begun working on their father's house and had found some interesting things in the attic from your grandfather James Coffarelli.  Angela was very gracious in taking us over to the house (I'd never been there) and showing some of the treasures discovered in the attic.  This is amazing stuff!  It's a wonder it stayed hidden up in that attic for all these years unknown to those closest to Uncle Johnny.   I assume that since he was the oldest child, much of this was left in his care.  There is quite a bit there related to your grandfather including his chauffeur licenses; a journal he kept while in Italy during World War I, pictures and a letter he wrote to his young son John while he was hospitalized encouraging him to be brave but not shy.  Definitely a gold mine.  I appreciate Angela's willingness to take the time and to share.

This picture is one of the pictures in Uncle Johnny's house.  Seeing it there was the final link for me in solving the mystery of this photo.  It appears to be two children celebrating First Communion.  The first time I saw this picture, it was in that big box of pictures from  your family that was in Robert's house.  That meant it could be Dalpiaz or Coffarelli related. 

Then I met your Coffarelli cousin Mike Barra who is Louise Coffarelli Barra's grandson.  Louise was next oldest sibling to your grandfather James (who was the  youngest of 9).  And he has the same picture!  So that meant this was Coffarelli related.  Mike was certain the girl in the picture was his grandmother Louise.  I supposed it was possible the boy was James, her brother but I wasn't sure if siblings would have shared First Communion at that time.  We certainly aren't used to that in the Roman Catholic Church today and I just didn't know enough about Church tradition of the time.

When we saw this picture in Uncle Johnny's stuff, it pretty much confirms for me that the boy is most likely James.  So although I am still not certain, this picture went from being largely unknown to fairly confirmed through the (sort of) random visits and picture shuffling with relatives.  Deliberate work with random luck pretty well defines family history research.

More to come.....

For the first time in 17 years, we aren't taking a "First Day of School" picture.  I honestly don't know what happened; how my life got to this stage with me barely noticing the months and years go by.  You just put your head down and do what needs to get done day to day then POOF --it's gone and you don't need to put your head down except to regain your composure when it's time to leave the dorm room.

The house is too quiet and the afternoon hours drag their way into the evening hours.  The quiet has a different tone now that Amy's starting her life as a real grown up and Ryan has started college.  It's scary and it's deep and I suspect I'll get used to it.  In the past 17 years there have been times I said to myself  "My mother told me there'd be days like this" (she didn't) and "Someday I'm going to miss this" racket chaos and confusion.  How did we get to "Someday" so fast?

Ryan wanted to come home this first weekend; he and I both knew it was too soon.  It was one of those times when you do what's incredibly hard for you for their benefit and I told him I thought it wasn't a good idea.  When we discovered he was scheduled to work the entire weekend at the Mets, a lovely door labeled "Excuse" opened right up.

Ryan is adjusting really well to college and I'd misjudged his reasons for wanting to come home.  It healed my heart to see him and hear his stories about his classes, his room and his friends.  For these few days, we each got to judge the other's state of mind and the silence slipped away.  Taking him back was a joy since I knew he was happy, ready and able to start this next phase with confidence. 

I think I can face this opening day with this visit in my memory bank.  How ironic that this weekend was so healing yet it went against every single piece of advice given to parents of college students.  Sometimes you just have to go with what's in your heart in order to mend it.

 This is especially for Linda and Jean--I'm right here with you!

Virtual Cemetery Stomping

This is the gravesite of your great great grandparents Graziano and Antonia Isoldi.  Like the Manzelli masoleum, this is also located at the Calvary Cemetery in Woodside.  I just never got a chance to get there myself.  This picture was sent to me at my request by a volunteer cemetery stomper.  For which I am very grateful.

Graziano died in 1934 while in his 80s.  Most of his life here in the US he lived at the same address in Long Island City.  His address changed in later years but he had the same neighbors so I am inclined to believe there was some sort of redistricting or some such that resulted in street name and number changes.  He listed himself as a junk dealer or rag man.  Perhaps today he'd be called a "picker"??

As far as I know, there were 4 children in this family.  The oldest, Giovanna (Anna), married Giuseppe (Joseph) Manzelli.  They are your great grandparents.  Although three names appear on this monument, cemetery records indicate 5 are buried here.  Besides Antonia and Graziano, you see Michael who also died in 1934 just a few months after his father.  I believe this to be Anna's brother.  Also buried here are 5 year old George and 4 year old Vincent.  I do not know who these children are yet but I am supposing they may be nephews to Anna.  Another mystery to delve into someday!  I don't know why they are not listed on the monument but it looks sort of new to me (at least in terms of the first death listed being in 1912) and perhaps these children were unknown to whomever purchased the monument.  I love the angel though!  It appears not to match the monument, lending some credence to the theory that the monument is more recent. 

The Isoldis remain an open book for me--lots of research potential there.  One of Marilyn's letters promised the story of the Isoldis, but she never got the chance to share it with me.  If Marilyn knew their story, perhaps someone else does as well so it remains an intriguing remainder on my list of family history to-do items.

It is very hard to believe 20 years have gone by since your mother died.  We think of her often as I am sure you do as well.  God Bless. 

Brian and Gram 1989

If it was a snake, it would have bit me

A while back I was visiting the local history museum and the staff asked me to research a piece for them to see if I could figure out what it was. 

It looked like it was probably a piece of farm equipment, but that's all I felt safe in guessing.  It's kind of hard to research "red farm equipment maybe" with any kind of efficiency or potential to hit it right on the mark.  So I let it go until I was recently reminded they were waiting for some magic from me so this item could be appropriately displayed.  This time I noticed it was called "The Clipper" and the manufacturer was also listed so off I went with my research feeling pretty confident.  Upon checking and rechecking the photos I had taken originially, I noticed for the first time that the machine TELLS us that it is a "grain and seed cleaner".

The answer was right there all along and I just hadn't seen it because I was concentrating on the whole piece instead of its parts. 

So goes family history research.  Lots and lots of times the answers are sitting right there waiting for me to find them again.  In my MESSA family folder I recently found a ship manifest from 1920 listing Francesco and Onofrio Messa which I printed out because I thought they were probably your grandfather Jake's brothers.  Notice the record says they are from Castellano which matches what Aunt Josie has told me.

This time I studied the record more carefully and noticed that it lists for "the name and complete address of the nearest relative or friend in country whence alien came" father Luigi Via Felice Cavalletti Castellano.  I believe Luigi to be the name of Jake's father and I believe he lived in Castellano.  This gives me Luigi's address which somehow makes him seem very real, especially when you look it up on Google Earth or a mapping program.  It also helps to verify that these are members of your family.  This piece of information had previously been overlooked but now seals the deal in my belief that these are relatives AND gives me a solid location for the MESSA family in Bari Italy. 

It's right there just waiting to be discovered.  Seems like a pretty good motto to live by.  Or a travel jingle.

A Little Bird Told Me...

These baby birds were nesting in a tree in our yard until recently.  I hope they left because it was time for them to leave--they look fairly big here--and not because my camera stalking chased them away.  I just think this is a very cool shot so I wanted to share it even though I do not have the same nature photo taking skills as Pat or Nick!

Yesterday I was standing on the deck talking to James who was working in the yard, so I was kind of leaning on the railing.  There was a little commotion in my peripheral vision and I turned to look straight into the face of a curious hummingbird!  She was right there so close I could touch her.  She was just suspended in the air looking straight at me as if to say "you got anything for me?".  It lasted longer than I would have expected it to before she took off leaving me feel like I'd had a special connection with nature (yea, me--a special connection with nature!).  Several days later and I still feel like I've been specially visited.

Did anyone besides me notice today is 8-9-10??  I'm glad to see Brad has made his own Shutterfly site--I'm enjoying it--thanks for sharing Brad!  James and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary last week by going to a Binghamton Mets game for a beer and a hot dog.  Well, at least there's something to be said for tradition......and James got to throw out the first pitch.  And it did NOT sail over the backstop, despite other reports.  Enjoy what remains of the summer. 

Manzelli Mausoleum

Thanks to Angela's generosity and skeleton key skills, we were able to find and get inside the Manzelli mausoleum recently.  It is, as Marilyn told me, "a very special place" and I'm very glad I was able to be part of the field trip out there for a visit. 

I remember wondering out loud about how the mausoluem came to be built as the patricarchs were barbers, junk dealers and priests.  So I went back and re-read Marilyn's letters and this is what she had to say:  "...when the ill mother came to America Fr. Pasquale took care of her at St. Joseph's Rectory in New Rochelle.  In the meantime the three brothers decided to build a family mauseleum at Calvary Cemetery where the whold family could be buried.  It is a marble chapel with 4 tombs on each side and an altar and stained glass window of St. Joseph.  Underneath the floor there are 4 tombs on each side and then 4 more fit in the middle.  Then there are 18 graves outside in the dirts.  When Marguerite died the mauseleum was finished and she was buried there.  ....When I was in Pietraroia I visited the cemetery where Andrew and his daughter Marguerite are buried.  I picked up some pebbles and brought them to the altar at Calvary."  The three brothers she refers to must be your great grandfather Joseph, his brother the barber Giacomo (who lived with Joseph and his family) and the priest Pasquale.  They certainly built a fine family remembrance. 

Some of us were wondering about some of the names listed there as they were unfamiliar, especially Delorise Manzelli

Of course I could not resist doing a little bit of research into this after I came home.  And it is developing into an intriguing story--maybe.  Delorise might be the daughter of a 4th Manzelli brother Michael (or Michelangelo).  The 1930 census lists a Michael Manzelli family in Queens with mother Amelia and children Marguerite, Deloris and sister in law Adela (Amelia's sister).  Deloris is listed as 21 years old; immigrated in 1913 and working on some sort of shoe machines (presumably in a factory).  If this is the same Delorise, I'm assuming for now that she never married.  Delorise Manzelli has some kind of tie to Sayville!  Her Social Security Death record lists Sayville as the address her last payment went to.  City directories indicate she lived in Long Island City for a time in the 1990s. 

There is also a Delorinda Manzelli arriving Ellis Island with family mother Amelia, sister Marguerite, brother Vittorio, another sister (escapes me right now) heading to 469 Hamilton St--the Manzelli homestead.  However, Delorinda is listed at 12 years old in 1911 so there's a significant age discrepancy if this is the same family. 

Long story short, it's still a mystery but the Sayville connection intrigues me.  If anyone living close to the Sayville Public Library cares to go and see if there's an obituary for Delorise Manzelli Sept 25 2004 perhaps some of the mystery can be cleared up!