Bam! Katherine Lessie Pinto 1902-1918

Another door closes on the story of one of your ancestor's lives.  Sometimes I get on a streak where I make it my mission to "close the door" on the lives of those that have come before us.  I have many names that lack several details but one of the most significant that sometimes is lacking is a death date.  When a person lacks a death date, they appear as living in my software.  This can be a very long list and it bugs me.  So I go off on the hunt.  When I can close one of those doors, I say "Bam!" to myself. 

Katherine Lessie was the eldest daughter of Antoinette Contenta Lessie and her husband Louis (now I know Luigi).  Antoinette was your great grand aunt (sister to your great grandmother Catherine Messa).  I was working to see if I could track down a death date for Louis Lessie and ran across a possible match with someone called Luigi Lisi.  I discovered that Louis is the Americanized version of the Italian Luigi.  When I started searching for Luigi Lessie, I ran across a record for Katherine Lessie Pinto whose father was listed as Luigi Lessie and mother Antoinette from Belmont County Ohio.  Click.  (But not Bam)

Katherine Lessie Pinto died at the age of 16 of typhoid fever-- a very sad legacy. 

This is a death certificate from West Virginia and it appears that Katherine's death occurred in Wheeling West Virginia (though the certificate says Ohio).  It seems this certificate was created and signed in 1958 by the Medial Record Librarian of the Ohio Valley General Hospital.  I'm not sure of the history of this but all the information fits so I suddenly found myself with this sad story in my lap. 

This certificate provides Katherine's birth date and birth location but does not provide her husband's name.  There isn't even a spot for that, which I find very strange.  Regardless, further research found that Katherine married Frank Pinto (your aunt always told me the Pintos were related) in April of 1917.

It was a very short marriage and I'll continue to look for children just in case.  Yes, a child would only add open ended records to my list, but I like to be thorough :)  Anyhow, Bam and Bam.  Birth, marriage, spouse and death all entered into the software.  But I'm still on the hunt for Luigi Lessie.

Their loss is our gain?

Don't you sometimes think about how your parents--or even your grandparents--might have responded to some of the changes in everyday life from "the good old days"?  How do you think they would feel to learn that cursive writing hasn't been taught in recent years?  Many young people cannot write in cursive.  Perhaps that is not the end of civilization as we know it, but this also means they cannot READ it.  I have had the experience myself that a student indicated he couldn't read my writing--not because it was messy, but because it was written and not printed.  A day may come when no one will be able to read the Rose Jozwicki journal about her Messa family.  Or the US Constitution.  Cursive is not taught yet the state requires student signatures on test forms.  Go figure.

Loyalty cards are another trend that might puzzle your parents and grandparents.  How many "rewards" cards do you carry around?  Why do we need to "belong" to a corporate giant in order to save 10 cents on a loaf of bread?  If it's on sale, it should be on sale to all, right?  More often than not, internet is required to redeem these rewards--that cute little coupon doesn't even come in the mail any more.  Further examples of impending extinction:  coupons and US mail service.  It's crazy, but I feel like your Mom would have been all over those rewards and loyalty programs.  I can just picture those cards jammed into her wallet--because of course they wouldn't be on her car keys! 

I understand that these reward programs are all about getting to you...acquiring your email address is a prime goal.  Back in the day, your mailing address and phone number were prime targets.  It's evolved to the point where I'll give away my home phone number much faster these days in order to protect my cell phone number or my personal email.  Or even my Facebook profile.

Facebook.  If I could picture your Mom using the internet (and I have trouble doing that), I think she would love the connectivity Facebook provides.  But I can only imagine the trouble it would get her into with those added advertising links and posts.  I'm thinking Facebook would not be a big part of your Dad's life except through your mother's sharing.

I recall that long long phone cord at your house.  Imagine how your Mom would love that she no longer needed to be tethered while on the phone!  That's technology I imagine she would embrace.  On the other hand, back in the day when you called a home phone number to speak to someone, you knew where that person was while you were speaking to them.  You never had to ask "where are you?"  Cell phones take away that parental GPS tool for checking on the young uns.  Although there is GPS on phones........

GPS is great but I wonder if today's students have basic geographical understanding as to where they are located and how to get to another location.  GPS sends you step by step but you lose that sense of travelling north or west.  The little bitty screen doesn't allow you the past luxury of unfolding that monstrous road map and trying to finger point your intended path.  Heaven help you if you put your finger on the GPS screen.

It is a wonderful world out there and things have changed over generations perpetually.  They will continue to do so.  Perhaps someday someone will be wondering similar things about us.  Our gain is their loss.

Birthday remembrances Bob Dalpiaz

Happy Birthday to your Dad today!  Early June seems like such a nice time for a birthday--the weather is usually nice and kids are looking forward to the end of the school year.  Being heavily pregnant in the late spring seems to have it all over being heavily pregnant in the late summer!  Continuing the the them of randomness, here are some images to help celebrate your dad's birthday:

Time Magazine cover from June 4 1928

Front page of a newspaper that was probably available to the Dalpiaz clan June 4 1928. Take note of the article in the bottom left corner about how a judge decided upon custody of a toddler.

"Bobby" is about 5 here with Tommy Lessie

Your mom, dad and Aunt Mary "On the Home Front"

Apparently the Bellmore house. Notice the Dalpiaz men are the only ones in chairs.

Early 1950s

No tribute to your Dad would be complete without a reference to this!

Under the hood probably a decade later

Very proud Dad

1993 Easter

Your Dad was always very kind to me and I appreciated his humor and faith in me.  Still missed after all these years.

PS:  Just in case you weren't aware, you can click on the image for a bigger version.  This will be helpful with the newspaper articles especially.

All the News That's Fit to Print

Random stuff as meteorological summer begins.


 I've been unable to close any doors on those open dates in the family tree recently but I have found a little tidbit I thought you might enjoy.  From the Brooklyn Daily Star April 1925 (or maybe 1926--it's a little blurry):

 Although it appears there was another Peter Manzelli nearby in the same time period, this "bad boy" is definitely your mother's uncle Peter, since the home address listed in this article matches the longtime Manzelli homestead.  I guess smart-mouthing authority is a long standing tradition for young squirts like Peter.  I'm afraid it's quite possible this relative may have been something of a criminal mind in his young adulthood. 

Your grandfather James Coffarelli was involved in an accident with a fire truck rushing into service.  Once again, I could determine this is "your" James Coffarelli from the address given.  Brooklyn Standard Union Oct 1922:

I'm not certain what an "automobile truck" is but this matches up pretty well with James' occupation as a chauffeur.  Good to know no one was hurt.

On another note entirely, it was wonderful to see Aunt Rose, Diana, Linda, Jean, Mallory, Bobbie, Lindsay, Danielle, Monet, Michelle and Marisa at Cheryl's bridal shower this weekend!  Another family wedding is coming up very soon and I can't wait to add Cheryl's name to the family tree. 

Silvio and Marco Dalpiaz

The great thing about retirement is that I can (and do) spend ALL DAY LONG doing family history research.  The difficult part about retirement is that this research sends me off on tangents that get so tangled up that I have to shake my head to remember where I started.  Sometimes these tangents get so tangled that I forget to blog.  Well, I don't forget because my research is often intended to share on the newest blog post but when it gets so tangled that I forget where I started can lead to writer's block.  An example follows! :)

There is a website that contains digitzed newspaper articles largely from small town newspapers in New York State:  www.fultonhistory.com  I'm telling you, that website is a bigger time-sucker than Facebook.  Anyhow, once in a while I randomly search "Dalpiaz" to see what happens.  One of the items that comes up repeatedly are mentions to the property your father owned in the Watertown NY area when you were children.  Another name shows up in those same articles:  Marco Dalpiaz.  I thought it too much of a coincidence that Marco and your father were not related in some way.  So, I decided to track it down.  And so began the tangled road of research.

Marco Dalpiaz was politically active in his hometown of Tupper Lake, so his name appears frequently.  But this article caught my attention:

I remembered running across Silvio Dalpiaz in Lafferty Ohio in census records and newspaper articles about his death.  Marco's dad is a Dalpiaz miner from Lafferty Ohio????  He must be related.  I went  through my notes and see that Aunt Josie told me once that this Silvio was a "distant cousin" to Costante.  The story of the coal mine strike and Silvio's death is an important part of American history.

Although I cannot yet confirm for certain that this Silvio and his son Marco are relatives, I trust Aunt Josie when she says they are.  In your handy dandy handwritten Dalpiaz family tree headed up by Federico (1730), I think it likely that this Silvio is the 3rd child of Fortunato Dalpiaz and his second wife Maria Odorizzi (Fortunato son of Pietro (1815) son of Federico (1765). 

It's amazing to me that the sons of the immigrants Costante and Silvio found themselves near one another in far upstate New York.  It cannot be a coincidence that your father bought property in that part of New York State.  Furthermore, I am humbled by the facts I find about our families that place them in critical points in American history.  I'd feel better finding proof positive of this relationship but I'll settle for the good feelings the story itself generates.

Update from Erie PA

I have just returned from a quick visit to Erie to see Amy and help with some wedding planning.  I thought this would be a good time to update you all as well so you could plan appropriately.  Amy's wedding to Michael Heisler will be held in the Erie PA area in August 2015.  Although the venue has not been confirmed, she is planning to be married Sunday Aug 16 2015.  So--yes, the wedding is in Erie PA on a Sunday in August.

She is debating between two venues.  Nick's Place and the Ambassador Center.  I think you can get a hint from their names of the major differences between the two sites.  She has some tough decisions to make in this regard!!! 

Nick's Place is 15-20 minutes from Erie closer to Edinboro (a college town).  If she chooses Nick's Place, we would probably arrange for rooms at a Comfort Inn in Edinboro as well as for rooms in Erie PA for those that might prefer to be closer to the highway and city life. 

The Ambassador Center is conveniently located just off the highway in Erie and has two hotels available at the site.  If she selects the Ambassador Center, the reception would be held from 6-10 PM as per their policy. 

In either case, it is her intention to hold the ceremony at the reception venue.  We understand this is both long into the future as well as a long trip for most of you so I wanted to get the word out for you to start thinking about your plans.  If you are interested in what goes on in Erie PA, check out www.visiterie.com 

Wedding planning is stressful for all as it tends to say a great deal about the personalities of the couple while at the same time attempting to appease the interests of the families involved.  Amy told me her main focus will be on making the day wonderful for her guests.  I remain uncertain of how to behave as a future mother-in-law.  When you have children, there are some helpful guidelines provided for how to be a good parent.  Not so much in this world of in-lawing. 

Since I've begun looking at this new world as the mother of the bride, I especially feel for those of you out there who have already navigated your way through these waters.  I see you all seem happy and have good relationships with your children, so I will assume it will all be OK in the end regardless!! 

Of course, this all brings to mind our own wedding.  Now I think about what your Mom and Dad must have been feeling.  It wasn't new to them as it is for us, but each child and spouse carry their own weight with their parents and in laws.  Erie will be as foreign to most of you as Walton was for those that were able to attend--it's just a bit further down the road. 

We are looking forward to all the events surrounding Brad and Cheryl's wedding, especially to seeing all of you together again.  Congratulations to Brand and Cheryl on their new home and upcoming nuptials!

Observations of a Firstborn

What a weekend it was!  Saturday April 26 2014 was a very popular day for special events.  Hailey's prom--boy was she gorgeous!  I hope she had a memorable time.  My cousin's firstborn had her First Communion Saturday AND Colleen and Jermaine's New York reception was held in Kingston.

It was nice to see Marguerite and Gregory.  Gregory tells me he's now married!  Angela and Bill looked very relaxed and were ably assisted by Patty and Stephanie.  Cousin Jim was there with Andrew.  Jim took on the photography duties.  I met Jermaine and Jalen assisted Colleen with the "big reveal" of their new baby's gender--it's a girl!!!  They had a cake made colored to reflect the gender of their baby and Jalen cut it open for us all to see a nice bright pink color.  That was lots of fun.

I sat with Bob, Cheryl and Brad, Scott and Linda.  Linda and I talked lots about retirement and upcoming wedding plans but we also talked some about her relationship with her siblings when you were all younger and how that seemed to somewhat be dependent upon where you fell in the birth order.  Linda noted that she regrets that she missed much of Jean's and Pat's younger school year lives due to the difference in their ages. 

It's kind of funny this should come up because I'd been debating using birth order as a topic for a post.  This seems to be a nice segue!  I think every high school senior has to do some kind of major research paper and mine was about the effect of birth order on personality.  (Do you remember what yours was?)  As the high school librarian, I've seen many many senior research topics come and go, but there was always the Big Three:  abortion, death penalty and child abuse.  I would sigh inwardly when students approached looking for resources on these because, after a while, it's pretty ho-hum.  Then there would be those that chose some aspect of a current trend of the time and it would be a challenge to find enough different ways to attack the gas crisis or the shuttle explosion to satisfy the number of students interested in pursuing such. 

But sometimes there were topics that were interesting, timeless and rare.  Cryogenics is one that I remember.  I like to think birth order and personality fell into that category for the sake of the teacher that had to read the paper.  I believe that assignment achieved its purpose as I did learn a great deal about the research process with that paper.  And every now and then, I see it in the news again.  This was true recently when I came across this link on MSN about birth order.  Of course, I read it.  I especially liked that it addressed potential relationship issues when, say for example, a firstborn marries a middle child. 

I have to say it seems I am a classic firstborn.  The article says: "Oldest females, on the other hand, are more likely to be bossy, confident and aggressive than their younger sisters."  My sisters would likely agree though I don't know about the confident part.  As for the firstborn relationship with a middle child (not naming any names here) the article notes: "If you're the middle child, use your natural ability to compromise to decide what you're cool with leaving to your capable firstborn spouse, and what you'd prefer to control."  He calls it compromise.  I call it a survival technique. 

Linda's observations about feeling as though she missed out on some of her younger siblings school day lives points to another birth order phenomenon.  Family memories and stories about the same event can vary greatly depending upon point of view.  The oldest child has a range of memories and stories about a certain period on the family's life that are not the same as the younger children have.  Older children sometimes "lose out" on a set of experiences because they were away from home or dealing with their own families.  We often realize that the older children hold memories that the younger children do not but we forget the younger children have memories the older children cannot have either.  In life, there seems to be great balance and this is a good example.

So preserve those memories by sharing them with those you love.