Friday, February 29, 2008

Fabulous Friday's Forever Family Featuring...

my great grandmother Rosaria Morlani Giannetti!! One of my most treasured and cherished possession is her 1919 passport and other immigration records. I'm so fortunate my mom gave that to me.


I had it for a long time before I even figured out what wonderful information was on it! Not being able to read Italian I didn't even recognize her parents names for years and years. Rosaria Morlani was born in Terracina Italy on June 30 1865 to Vincenzo Morlani and Giacinta L'Aurora.
Rosaria immigrated to the US in 1919 where she reunited with her husband, Silviano Giannetti who arrived 6 years previously. They settled in Somerville, Massachusetts. Her traveling companion was her daughter Josephine Solferina who was 16 years old at the time. Her other two children Virginia, my grandmother, and John were already settled in Canada at this time.


I was able to get a copy of the ship manifest that she travel on from the National Archives. She came through Boston Harbor.

Below is a copy of a paper from her parish in Terracina. I believe it's in Latin, but I don't know what is says. I wrote to this parish several years ago to get information but never got a reply. Maybe it's time to try again.
Grandma Rosaria died before I was born, so I don't know much about her. She looks sad in her passport picture. She was fifty-four years old when it was taken, a little younger than my current age. But to me she looks much older. I wonder if she was happy coming to America. I think it would be easier to change countries for younger people. But she could be closer to her children so that was good. In the 1930 census she was living with her daughter Josephine's family. There were four little grandchildren running around!! Hopefully that made her smile!!!

6 comments:

Katie said...

I was so exciting to see Rosaria Morlani's picture when I came to the web page. The passport always puts a smile on my face. Speaking of smiling faces, I have never noticed before, but it looks like they are smiling in their photographs. I thought people never smiled in old pictures. Maybe now they can smile because we have found them and their families and they have had their work done. :)

Catherine said...

Before leaving, this morning, I look at your blog.
A treasure!
You know in France we study Latin.
I don't get enough time but I will try to give you a translation, when my daughter will find her latin dictionary. It speaks of a marriage on 1889, I think. It's from the parish of San John Batist in Terracina.
"See you" in one week. Thanks for sharing.

Laurel said...

Cindy, What a treasure! I do hope you can get it translated. I wish I had a German exchange student here right now. Most of them study latin. I will think hard and try to find someone. I love how you are showcasing your ancestors.

SuperCoolMom said...

That is so awesome! I'm loving your geneology posts - what a great idea!

Catherine said...

Hello, Cindy, I'm back. I'll try to help your research with my "far" studies of latin. It's a handwriting copy of an official act of marriage in the parish register of San Giovanni in Terracina.

line 1: I, undersigned testify in the books of marriage

line 2 : of the parish I have the following extract(quote)

line 3 (here he noted the real act he found with the quotation marks) :Year of our Lord 1889 of 27 february

lines 4/5/6 : it is noted that they published the banns twice in february during the solemn Mess of the people

lines 7/8 : nobody divulge an opposition neither an obstacle to contract marriage (in France in very old documents we also get the same usual formula)I undersigned Albinus Coccia officer

line 9 : member of San Isannis after having interrogating

line 10 : received (had) mutual verbally consent of the present people

line 11 !? fold page
line 12 : I unite/link by wedding Silvianum Giannetti
line 13 : whom? Antonii (maybe Sylvianus is the son of Antonio Giannetti, according to my advice)
Parish of San Caesar and Rosaria Morlani

line 14 : whom Vincentii (the same, I think she is Vincenzio Morlani's daughter) of the Parish of San Isanis. "testes" = witnesses
"puere" =children, "francise...."I can't read the end of the word = maybe Francisco?
line 15 : Giorgi ... Vincenzo and Vincenzo Peppe son of Mauro . The last word of this line, I can't read it.
line 16 : dorum?
line 17 : This is done by Parish Priest (we got the same word in french "curé" = Curatus, officer Coccia
line 18 : made in Terracina October the 2d 1917.
That's the best I can do, but I get an Italian friend , I will submit this act, maybe she would be helpfull.
I think this document was important to justify her parental link with Sylviano Giannetti, her husband. With it she was allowed to enter in US Territory.
With this document you understand Sylviano is the son of Antonio Giannetti and Rosaria is the daughter of Vincenzio Morlani.
Goodbye, Cindy. Hope I could help you.

Cindy Price said...

Catherine, thank you so much!! I never knew that date of the marriage of Rosaria and Silviano. So this is extremely exciting to me!! Yes, Silviano's fathers was Antonio and Rosaria father was Vincenzo!! I had no idea this was a marriage document!! What a treasure! How can I thank you!!

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