Happy 60th Robert!

Sixty years ago today, the Rosenberg trial was just coming to an end; houses cost about $9000 and the Lone Ranger was popular on the radio.  And your mother was about to give birth to her first child!  I can imagine their excitement and anticipation. 

I Love Lucy hadn't been broadcast quite yet but would premier later that year.  Super glue and power steering were invented in 1951.  Robert and power steering aging together...........both seem to be doing well!  Oddly enough, Libya was in the news then too as it gains independence from (wait for it) Italy!  I'm guessing Thomas is the only one that might have known that little tidbit.

Robert and Kathleen together then and now!

Special wishes for a Happy Birthday tomorrow Robert!

March Celebrations

Happy Birthday to Pat, Jean, Amy, Danielle and Robert this month.  Everyone is busy and looking forward to spring.  Kathleen and Nick will be having company soon and enjoying spring training and racing.  Although I'm not sure I've recovered from losing an hour last weekend, daylight at dinnertime (well, almost) brings a smile to my face.  Snow is still piled high but the sun shines during the day.  These are some of the things I love about spring.

And, of course, St. Patrick's Day!  Here's your verse for this post:

As sure as the shamrocks are growing

In the land which the Irish all love,

As sure as the lakes of Killarney

Reflect the blue heavens above-

As sure as the warmhearted Irish

All pay honor to Saint Patrick too.

I'm wishing you "top o' the morning"

And happiness, always, for you.

More family to share with you!

I've made a new Isoldi acquaintance who has provided a great deal of new information about that branch of the family.  Giovanna Isoldi is your great grandmother.  She married Giuseppe (Joseph) Manzelli and was Marguerite's mother.  Angela calls her "Grandma Jenny".  A while back, I told you a bit about her father Graziano who remarried shortly after Giovanna's mother died. 

Grandma Jenny had a sister Amelia and two brothers Michael and Ralph.  My new friend (your new relative) descends from Amelia who married Eugene Russo.  He kindly shared some pictures with me that I thought you would like to see

Amelia Isoldi

Amelia Isoldi and Eugene Russo 1906 wedding

Amelia's brother Ralph married Sarah and apparently had two children.  Their other brother Michael was the youngest and married Freida.  They had four children--one of whom is apparently still alive and in his 90s.  I look forward to learning more about this branch of the family.  I see many familiar surnames in his tree:  Russo (I an almost hear Aunt Josie's voice); Recchia; and Nicastro. 

This is the first time in the history of this blog that I have introduced new family members to the Italian side of the family as well as the Irish side of the family!  I consider myself very lucky so I will share an Irish blessing with you from a book my sister gave me:

Like the warmth of the sun

And the light of the day

May the luck of the Irish

Shine bright on your way

Have a great week.

WDYTYA 2

Who Do You Think You Are (WDYTYA) recently began its second season.  This show is based on a British version of the same general idea which is to follow a celebrity on their genealogical journey.  Of course, these celebrities have every high powered archivist, historian and genealogist standing on their heads to locate those rare pieces of paper to track their family history.  They also have the resources to travel pretty much at will so the show makes the research process look SO EASY. 

Rosie O'Donnell was the most recent celebrity to take this journey.  Naturally I was even more interested than usual because the reviews indicated her Irish ancestry so I watched with special interest.  I have seen all the episodes of both seasons of this program but Rosie's episode struck me as the best of them all to date.  She seemed so genuine with honest (non celebrity) reactions to the history she found about her family and seemed to honestly gain a greater connection and understanding of her history.  She seemed to place herself in the context of the bigger picture--that Rosie lost her mother at an early age was her tragedy but her lineage suffered through each their own tragedies in order to get to the place she is today.  I was very moved by the episode.

WDYTYA (if DWTS can do it, then so can this show) is a hard sell to people.  I'm constantly asking "Did you see it?" and getting the rolled eye response.  This show has greater appeal than the celebrity angle.  Kathleen told me recently that she and Nick caught the Rosie episode and enjoyed the show.  Every episode seems to speak to greater historical themes so I think everyone can find something to enjoy in it.  Friday nights 8 PM.

I recently presented a program to the Rotary and I called it Who Do You Think You Are.  I focused on the easiest free ways people can usually find some family history documents or facts.  One of them is to search Google images.  Try searching Google images for "dalpiaz" and you'll find Brian, Tom, porn star Matt Dalpiaz AND you'll find a picture of your brother James in a Yankees hat.  My tag line for that presentation is that you should be prepared to find out that you may not know who you think you are as well as you thought!  James in a Yankee hat is a good example. 

Happy Valentine's Day

My memories of Valentine's Day mostly consist of the smell of that glue/paste stuff used in elementary classrooms; the distinct smell of construction paper (red, white and pink); and the sweet smell of those candy message hearts.  There were class lists, boxes of valentines to sort through so that your best friend got just the right Scooby Doo character.  There were stubby nosed scissors and paper doilies spread all over the table.  And if you were very lucky, you got to dip your hands in red paint to make your Mom her Valentine.

This Valentine's Day, I'll be sorting through papers all over the desk to make sure the IRS gets just the right numbers.  I'll use highlighters, paper clips, a calculator and a stapler.  There will be only the smell of hot coffee.  There's a special box of income tax papers not unlike those boxed Valentines you'd use in elementary school.  And if I'm very lucky, there will be some special numbers in the REFUND box.  Taxes can't be filed  until Valentine's Day this year due to new tax laws enacted very late. Figures it would be a Monday.


Some people complain that Valentine's Day is one of those Hallmark manufactured holidays when people need to "show" their love and make the day special.  It's going to be a special day this year, all right.  Other people complain that the whole income tax system in the United States is something like those childhood handmade valentines held together with old dry paste:  crumbly and stinky.  I don't really have a strong opinion about that one way or the other.  I'm just happy to have a sanctioned opportunity to say "I love you".

Bentivoglio anyone?

I'm cautiously optimistic that I've uncovered a new Italian family name for you!  I was seeking some ideas for this week's blog post and kind of stumbled on a great new website for Trentino births .  This discovery, in conjunction with an Odorizzi online family tree, led me to your great grandmother Barbara Odorizzi's birth record.  This record lists Gioseffa Barbera Anna Odorizzi born to Francesco and Teresa (maiden name Bentivoglio) in Tassullo Jan 6 1874.  This birth date matches the funeral card information I found at your parents' house so I feel fairly certain this reflects accurate information about her.

Further searching uncovered other children born to Francesco and Teresa in Tassullo: Augusta Dorotea (1865); Angelica Maria (1866); Davide Gulielmo (1869); Luigi Antonio (1876); Marco Francesco (1878); Carmelina Teresa Maria (1881); Assunta Rosa Maria (1884); and Giuditta Gioseffa (1887).  Teresa was a busy woman.  Aren't these cool names for anyone's family tree??

I continued my searching and found a Maria Teresa Bentivoglio born to Luigi and Dorotea (maiden name Zanini) Oct 13 1843 in Tassullo.  I'm far less certain about this new surname for your tree, but I'll keep checking! 

A big, big day for research.  Why, was there something else going on today? (Go Packers)

Share the Joy and the Sorrow

As you know, we recently stopped to visit with Aunt Rose, Uncle Lou and Diana.  Aunt Rose presented me with a copy of a journal that her Aunt Rose (Rose Messa Joswicki) wrote depicting their childhood in Ohio and early years in New York.  Here's a transcription of a portion of that journal telling the story of how your grandmother Mary Messa met Costante Dalpiaz.  Although I think I've shared this story previously (thanks to Aunt Josie), this journal entry fills in some of the interesting details.  I thought you might enjoy Rose's version of that story. 


"About this time mother was to act in a play for a good cause.  The part that she had was to be a mother of a son that went to the war.  This woman had a part in it too so three times a week all the players would meet in this woman's house and practice.  Then my older sister Mary was sixteen.  She met and fell in love with one of the young men that was in the play, was he good looking!  We could not wait for the three night to see him.  He was a very nice fellow too.  Father did not take notice of what was going on among us for we really had a jolly time.  At least they allknew their act so it was to be played on the stage of the town theatre on March 29, 1924.  The night before this fellow told my sister how much he loved her.  My sister and I was so happy and we share the secret together. Because father never allowed us to go out.  Things began to go a long pretty smooth for us.  This fellow bought an auto and it was called the Blue Bird.  Every Sunday in June, Mary and two other girl friends and I would go for a ride and we would have so much fun.  We would be back home about 4 or 5 o'clock in the evening. Our parents knew nothing about this.  Five months they were going together,  but she never saw him alone.  He would a like to take her out alone, but we wouldn't dare tell my father he was very strict. (If we did probably this would a turn out different.)  So he got discouraged and they quarrel over a little thing.  Mary was very broken hearted, and I was so sad for her for we share our joy and sorrow together although Mary had many other fellow that wanted to marry her.  Next she pick his cousin Costante Dalpiaz.  It was a courtship about five months.  They they planned on getting married.  All   this while they never went our alone.  We wanted my four cousins to be ushers but my father would not allow it.  We were very unhappy about this for we loved our cousins like brothers.  Mary was married on six of June 1925 with none of our relations present.  She had a very beautiful wedding with five ushers and five bridesmaids.  I was the maid of honor and this fellow was the best man."

If memory serves, the first guy would have been Costante's cousin Victor.  Mary and Rose shared a tight sister bond all their lives sharing the joy and the sorrow. 

The story tickles me in that I thought all those descriptors of this "fellow" applied to Costante, but not so much!  Also that she doesn't name him in this journal despite so many other very particular details.  Hmmm.  Anyway, I hope you get to share with your sister this week!