Hello readers.
So sorry for the lack of posts. I took some time off from researching, as I have a tendency to do when I get overwhelmed.
Sometimes, especially when there is a lot going on in my life, I start getting lost in my research and panicked by the sheer volumes of information I have to sift through to find a simple fact. Sometimes I search for hours for one single census record, only to turn up empty-handed. At those times, I hate to admit, the temptation to just give up is overwhelming.
So what motivated my return? I tuned in to "Who Do You Think You Are?". Can I just say, I love this show? It is so interesting and inspirational to see people searching for their roots. Yes, they're famous. And yes, they have resources I could only dream of accessing. But still, there is something about seeing someone make genealogical discoveries that reminds me of how much I love searching for my roots.
So, I'm back. Research updates to follow!
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
A sort of a family scallywag
Of course, I cannot talk about Salvatore Russo without also talking about his father, Benedetto. From the stories I've been told, some might have thought of Benedetto as a bit of a jerk.
Benedetto was born in Italy in 1878. I was able to determine his name from some of the primary sources that I have from Salvatore, but beyond that, I didn't know much about him at all.
The family story, as told to me by my grandfather, is that Benedetto married a woman, Ninfa Laura, in Sicily. Together they had at least three children, Salvatore (my great grandfather), Guiseppe, and Carmela.
Now, I'm not sure how Benedetto and Ninfa got together in the first place, but one thing seems pretty certain - they weren't very much in love, at least later in life. My grandfather told me that he thought he recalled a story that Ninfa cheated on Benedetto and had at least one child with another man - a man with the last name Simeone (the son's name was Catullo Simeone). Perhaps in retaliation, or maybe just because he wasn't such a great character himself, Benedetto left his family in 1905 to pursue a new life in America.
Benedetto was born in Italy in 1878. I was able to determine his name from some of the primary sources that I have from Salvatore, but beyond that, I didn't know much about him at all.
The family story, as told to me by my grandfather, is that Benedetto married a woman, Ninfa Laura, in Sicily. Together they had at least three children, Salvatore (my great grandfather), Guiseppe, and Carmela.
Now, I'm not sure how Benedetto and Ninfa got together in the first place, but one thing seems pretty certain - they weren't very much in love, at least later in life. My grandfather told me that he thought he recalled a story that Ninfa cheated on Benedetto and had at least one child with another man - a man with the last name Simeone (the son's name was Catullo Simeone). Perhaps in retaliation, or maybe just because he wasn't such a great character himself, Benedetto left his family in 1905 to pursue a new life in America.
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| Bendetto boarded the Prinz Oskar in Palermo on 27 Feb 1905 |
He was received at Ellis Island on 16 March 1905. At some point after his arrival, he met and married a woman named Philomena. The 1920 census shows a happily wedded "Benny" and Philomena Russo living with four children (Lucy, Peter, Frank, and Mary) on Jefferson Street in Brooklyn.
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| Okay, so this image is really small and cramped... But maybe with super-human eyes, you can find Ben and his family! |
Whatever Benedetto's reasons for leaving his family in Italy, he at least kept in touch, and his children must not have held hard feelings; Salvatore listed his father as his "sponsor" of sorts on his immigration record in 1921, and evidence shows that he must have followed through. Note the next entry below Benedetto's family on the census - look familiar? Yep - that's the same "Lena" (Antonina) Campisi who would later become Salvatore Russo's wife.
As always, I am left with some new missions for my research. I would like to know more about Benedetto. I plan to search New York City death records to try to determine a date/place for his death and/or burial. In addition, a more lofty goal is to locate records from his time in Gioiosa Marea, Italy. I have (so far) not been able to find a way to access or request vital records for his hometown, but I plan to keep looking and, as soon as I find a way, I plan to make a formal request for his birth certificate and marriage record. I would also like to eventually determine where in Gioiosa Marea he lived and, following, what church he attended. Through the church, I hope that I will be able to determine more information regarding his childhood, schooling, family, etc.
This is where genealogy gets frustrating for me. When we're talking small towns, different languages, and having to cross oceans to break barriers, things get challenging. Even if I was able to travel to Gioiosa Marea now, I would not know what to look for or even where to go. My path to discover more about Benedetto and, consequently, his wife, Ninfa Laura, lies overseas. I hope the internet can help me pave some of the way!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
The importance of continuous revisiting
I feel a special fondness for Salvatore Russo that can only be explained by sharing a story with you. Salvatore is the only family member in my tree for whom I have extensive primary source information.
I still remember the first time I "met" Salvatore. I had been bothering my grandparents and various other relatives for months, seeking information about my family history. Where are the pictures? I kept asking. There must be more than this! What about birth certificates???
Finally, one afternoon, I asked my grandpa the right question.
"I just wish I had a passport or something."
"Passport? I got all that stuff." He answered matter of factly, as though I hadn't been screaming for weeks about the fact that I didn't have enough family heirlooms and documents from which to branch my search.
"You do!?" I exclaimed, disbelievingly.
"Yeah. I got it all downstairs. I'll get it for you."
I waited patiently for the next time grandpa decided to go to the basement. As soon as I heard his familiar heavy footfalls on the hollow, creaking steps, I ran after him.
"Grandpa - do you know where all that stuff you said you had down here is?"
I couldn't believe my eyes as he headed straight for his file cabinet and removed a folder, opening it to reveal a gold mine of papers, yellowed with age and falling apart.
"Grandpa, why didn't you tell me about these before?!" My eyes widened as my fingers, shaking with the heart-fluttering excitement that comes with the feeling that you're making a brand-new discovery. "This stuff is so awesome!"
"I didn't know that was what you wanted." He seemed to shrug as disappeared into one of the dark corners of the basement. Moments later I heard him tinkering around with some of the nuts and bolts he kept hidden back there.
My grandfather was never as close to me as he was to my sister. But in that moment, I felt like we were closer than ever. He had this information, these priceless pieces of his father's past, and he turned them over unquestioningly to a decidedly green twelve-year-old wannabe genealogist. I felt so special that day, and I don't think he ever really understood how happy I was to be able to share those "secrets" with him.
My post detailing what I know about my great grandfather inspired me to utilize a new research method: person-by-person detailed exploration, starting with good ole Sal.
So, I made a list of all of the events in Salvatore's life that I thought would be important. These included: birth, immigration, naturalization, marriage, and death. I then went through and made notes about everything that I thought I knew. Finally, I attempted to source all of that info. In a spectacular turn of events, I learned that I had primary source information for every one of those facts.
In the end, my notes looked something like this:
I recommend the dry-erase board method for this - it allows for easy revision and creates a large sight display for quick reference.
My decision to revisit Salvatore's records turned out to have awesome results. Looking back through my sources, I recalled a shipping document written in French that, as far as my elementary understanding of French could tell me, indicated something about Salvatore's passage from Europe to the US. I was always intrigued by this document in particular, as I know that Salvatore is Italian and had always figured that he would have left from Italy. So why then, was one of his travel documents in French?
With the help of an online translator (I used one from appliedlanguage.com), I learned the meaning of this document.
The secret to online translators, I have found, is to keep an open mind, and, rather than translating all content at once, pull grouped words or sentences. For example, with this document, I started by simply translating "Compagnie General Transatlantique" and went on from there.
From this document, I learned that my great grandfather did not depart from Italy and head straight to New York. He actually left Europe from a port at Le Havre, France. I also learned an exact date for his departure: 18 Dec 1920, and was also able to derive the name of the ship he boarded, the Rochambeau.
I had searched for Salvatore on Ancestry.com several times, turning up several close possibilities but no absolutes. Fortunately, I was able to use this new information from the cruise line receipt to conduct a search focused only on passengers on the Rochambeau in 1920. Though slightly more tedious, this search returned excellent results: I found Savator Russo, from Gioiva, Italy (misprint, much?) in just the right spot! The typos explained why my previous attempts had proven futile. Now, I have a photo of the ship he traveled on, along with an accurate image of the manifest. From this, I discovered that Salvatore claimed he would be staying with his brother, Benedetto, and I even found an address!
I wouldn't have any of this new information had I not started this blog and decided to revisit the records I have for Salvatore Russo. Today's lesson? You never know everything. Take time every now and then to look at old information with new, fresh eyes. You might be surprised what you discover.
Happy researching!
~A~
I still remember the first time I "met" Salvatore. I had been bothering my grandparents and various other relatives for months, seeking information about my family history. Where are the pictures? I kept asking. There must be more than this! What about birth certificates???
Finally, one afternoon, I asked my grandpa the right question.
"I just wish I had a passport or something."
"Passport? I got all that stuff." He answered matter of factly, as though I hadn't been screaming for weeks about the fact that I didn't have enough family heirlooms and documents from which to branch my search.
"You do!?" I exclaimed, disbelievingly.
"Yeah. I got it all downstairs. I'll get it for you."
I waited patiently for the next time grandpa decided to go to the basement. As soon as I heard his familiar heavy footfalls on the hollow, creaking steps, I ran after him.
"Grandpa - do you know where all that stuff you said you had down here is?"
I couldn't believe my eyes as he headed straight for his file cabinet and removed a folder, opening it to reveal a gold mine of papers, yellowed with age and falling apart.
"Grandpa, why didn't you tell me about these before?!" My eyes widened as my fingers, shaking with the heart-fluttering excitement that comes with the feeling that you're making a brand-new discovery. "This stuff is so awesome!"
"I didn't know that was what you wanted." He seemed to shrug as disappeared into one of the dark corners of the basement. Moments later I heard him tinkering around with some of the nuts and bolts he kept hidden back there.
My grandfather was never as close to me as he was to my sister. But in that moment, I felt like we were closer than ever. He had this information, these priceless pieces of his father's past, and he turned them over unquestioningly to a decidedly green twelve-year-old wannabe genealogist. I felt so special that day, and I don't think he ever really understood how happy I was to be able to share those "secrets" with him.
My post detailing what I know about my great grandfather inspired me to utilize a new research method: person-by-person detailed exploration, starting with good ole Sal.
So, I made a list of all of the events in Salvatore's life that I thought would be important. These included: birth, immigration, naturalization, marriage, and death. I then went through and made notes about everything that I thought I knew. Finally, I attempted to source all of that info. In a spectacular turn of events, I learned that I had primary source information for every one of those facts.
In the end, my notes looked something like this:
I recommend the dry-erase board method for this - it allows for easy revision and creates a large sight display for quick reference.
My decision to revisit Salvatore's records turned out to have awesome results. Looking back through my sources, I recalled a shipping document written in French that, as far as my elementary understanding of French could tell me, indicated something about Salvatore's passage from Europe to the US. I was always intrigued by this document in particular, as I know that Salvatore is Italian and had always figured that he would have left from Italy. So why then, was one of his travel documents in French?
With the help of an online translator (I used one from appliedlanguage.com), I learned the meaning of this document.
The secret to online translators, I have found, is to keep an open mind, and, rather than translating all content at once, pull grouped words or sentences. For example, with this document, I started by simply translating "Compagnie General Transatlantique" and went on from there.
From this document, I learned that my great grandfather did not depart from Italy and head straight to New York. He actually left Europe from a port at Le Havre, France. I also learned an exact date for his departure: 18 Dec 1920, and was also able to derive the name of the ship he boarded, the Rochambeau.
I had searched for Salvatore on Ancestry.com several times, turning up several close possibilities but no absolutes. Fortunately, I was able to use this new information from the cruise line receipt to conduct a search focused only on passengers on the Rochambeau in 1920. Though slightly more tedious, this search returned excellent results: I found Savator Russo, from Gioiva, Italy (misprint, much?) in just the right spot! The typos explained why my previous attempts had proven futile. Now, I have a photo of the ship he traveled on, along with an accurate image of the manifest. From this, I discovered that Salvatore claimed he would be staying with his brother, Benedetto, and I even found an address!
I wouldn't have any of this new information had I not started this blog and decided to revisit the records I have for Salvatore Russo. Today's lesson? You never know everything. Take time every now and then to look at old information with new, fresh eyes. You might be surprised what you discover.
Happy researching!
~A~
Monday, February 6, 2012
Meet the Russos
I think I should start off with by giving you a general overview of what I'm working with.
I'm interested in every aspect of my family history - both my mother's side and my father's, which are extremely different in nature. My father's family is from the South, with the majority of the information regarding them originating in South Carolina. My mom's family has lived in New York for about three generations - three of her four grandparents came to the US from Italy, and the fourth was born in Brooklyn to Italian immigrant parents.
The surname of my mother's paternal line is Russo. Here is what I know (or think I know) so far:
.jpg)
1) Salvatore Russo was born to Benedetto Russo and a woman, we think her name was Ninfa Laura or Laura Ninfa - something like that - on 18 Feb 1904 in Giosa Marea, Provincia di Messina, Sicily.
2) He came to the United States as a young child or a teen, with no financial help from his father.
3) At some point, he met a woman, Antonina Campisi, most likely when they lived in the same tenement. They were married in 1925.
4) They had two children in Brooklyn, NY.
5) Salvatore's life was cut short when he died in 1931, from illness.
So, those are the facts. But what do I really know about Salvatore?
I imagine that he was something like my grandfather, innovative and determined. Had he not fallen ill, he would have lived a happy, active life, dedicated to his family. He had to have been exceptionally brave, to travel here to the US on his own at a young age. I wonder about his motivation - what brought him here? Was he looking to fulfill his own "American dream"?
More to come regarding the Russos!
I'm interested in every aspect of my family history - both my mother's side and my father's, which are extremely different in nature. My father's family is from the South, with the majority of the information regarding them originating in South Carolina. My mom's family has lived in New York for about three generations - three of her four grandparents came to the US from Italy, and the fourth was born in Brooklyn to Italian immigrant parents.
The surname of my mother's paternal line is Russo. Here is what I know (or think I know) so far:
.jpg)
2) He came to the United States as a young child or a teen, with no financial help from his father.
3) At some point, he met a woman, Antonina Campisi, most likely when they lived in the same tenement. They were married in 1925.
4) They had two children in Brooklyn, NY.
5) Salvatore's life was cut short when he died in 1931, from illness.
So, those are the facts. But what do I really know about Salvatore?
I imagine that he was something like my grandfather, innovative and determined. Had he not fallen ill, he would have lived a happy, active life, dedicated to his family. He had to have been exceptionally brave, to travel here to the US on his own at a young age. I wonder about his motivation - what brought him here? Was he looking to fulfill his own "American dream"?
More to come regarding the Russos!
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Hello all!
 |
"And when we're nothing more than memories,
Love will live on
In pictures on mantles
Eternal candles
Sparks that rekindle yesterday..."
~Trace Adkins, Pictures On Mantles
Here in the South, roots run deep. For as long as I can remember, thoughts of my family history, where I come from and what has happened that has allowed my family to assume its current shape have kept me digging through boxes in the basement of my grandparents' house and nagging my dad about the importance of remembering family stories that he can't seem to recall.
Love will live on
In pictures on mantles
Eternal candles
Sparks that rekindle yesterday..."
~Trace Adkins, Pictures On Mantles
Here in the South, roots run deep. For as long as I can remember, thoughts of my family history, where I come from and what has happened that has allowed my family to assume its current shape have kept me digging through boxes in the basement of my grandparents' house and nagging my dad about the importance of remembering family stories that he can't seem to recall.
I have made some minor attempts to research my family history in the past. I have had tremendous success in some ways, but the disconnect and disorganization I have brought upon myself have caused me to still consider my endeavors to be "minor." Genealogy is my favorite hobby but also, I am ashamed to say, the one that I neglect the most. I come and go from the world of ancestral research with ease, losing inspiration when I reach a hurdle almost as quickly as I found it in the first place.
That is why I have decided to start this blog. It's purpose is not only to record my own research, triumphs and challenges together, but also to provide what I hope will be helpful information for others taking the same journey that I have found myself traveling. I hope to provide some guidance, reviews of relevant tools and resources, as well as the occasional entertaining anecdote for your reading pleasure.
Please feel free to leave comments to let me know what information you find most helpful in the future!
Happy researching,
~A~
Please feel free to leave comments to let me know what information you find most helpful in the future!
Happy researching,
~A~
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