52Ancestors Week 22: At the Cemetery

From Amy Johnson Crow:

Week 22:

The theme for Week 22 is "At the Cemetery." I have a feeling that you might enjoy cemeteries just as much as I do! What discoveries have you made at the cemetery? Do you have a favorite ancestral cemetery or tombstone? What cemetery do you want to visit?

Updating a few things before we get started with this week's theme:

The 2019 Ferraiolo garden is just about planted! We have the usual cucumbers, basil, zucchini, green beans, peppers, potatoes and tomatoes. New for this year is broccoli and eggplant. I'm thinking my father might try making eggplant Parmesan. He used store bought eggplant a while ago and they turned out good. Can't go wrong with eggplant parm.

Ferraiolo grave

This week's theme is "At the Cemetery" and as luck would have it, we spruced up the grave sites for both of my grandfathers for Memorial day. The picture to your left is for my grandpa Marco, his parents, my grandmother Olympia and his step-mother Fortuna. A little bit later in the blog, I'll post the one for my grandpa Hamel. After we did our spring cleaning, we sent copies of the pictures to my great-aunt. She's in her 90s and isn't able to travel. She wanted to see the grave for her family and of course we obliged.

The cemetery in the picture is St. Patrick's Cemetery in Haverhill, Massachusetts and I've made some interesting discoveries there. Not only are my grandparents and great-grandparents on the Ferraiolo side here. But, my great-grandparents on the Carrabis side are buried here as well.

You would think that the grave would be next to my grandparents'. After all they are family. Nope. They're just down the "road" from where the Ferraiolo grave is located.

Growing up I always knew where they were buried. My father always made it a point to hang a wreath on the grave every Christmas and say a prayer. He visited and we kept up the upkeep.

Hamel grave

Once I started doing genealogy, I've found more and more of my relatives buried in Haverhill on both sides of the family. It was a surprise. Well, sort of. I mean. I knew they lived in Haverhill. I just didn't know if they were buried there. And they're in places like St. Joseph's Cemetery, Linwood and Walnut. Like my mom and probably any genealogist says "Just because you die in a certain place doesn't mean you're buried there."

Talk about a segue. I was surprised to learn a few weeks ago that my great-grandmother, Clara Laplante was buried in St. Mary's Cemetery in Newburyport. My grandfather's mother was born in the city and moved to nearby Lawrence, Mass. She wasn't buried with her ex-husband in Amesbury. Grave seen to your right is my grandparents' on my mother's side's grave in St Joseph's. Clare had to have been buried somewhere else and after my parents and I cleaned up the graves, she asked me if I could find out where she was buried. Of course I accepted. Why not? I was curious, too. We knew she died in Lawrence and my mother had a feeling she was buried in Newburyport.

So, I ended up asking for help in Dr. Bettinger's Genealogy Squad group and someone gave me the obituary for my great-grandmother. She was definitely buried in St. Mary's Cemetery in Newburyport! That actually makes a lot of sense. My mother said it was the only Catholic cemetery in the city, a lot of French-Canadian immigrants were buried there and it's where her parents, Joseph and Georgianna are buried. 

Georgianna's parents, John Ross and Marguerite Metivier are buried there as well. A third cousin took a picture of their grave as they are our common ancestors. Her line came from Georgianna's sister, Anna. Mine came from Georgianna. I asked her if she could help me find Joseph, Clara and Georgianna. They SHOULD be nearby. I have a hunch that they are. We know Clara is buried there. I just need to contact the cemetery office. Can't very well call the cemetery itself. No one's gonna answer! *badumdish!* Sorry. That's my mom's joke. Not mine. =)

I'm not sure if I have a favorite tombstone. But, I do like the ones I showed in this blog. However, a runner up would have to be the tombstone for my 2x great-grandparents in Italy, Antonio Tedesco and Domenica Gullo. Cemeteries in Italy tend to have something unique than most cemeteries in the United States. For one thing, they have pictures of the deceased on them. That's the picture I used for their Wikitree profiles. A second cousin in San Pietro a Maida took a picture for me as I told her I was researching the Tedesco family. It was a rare treat to see their picture and I thank my cousin for them. 

I would love to visit the cemetery in San Pietro a Maida to see if I could find more relatives of mine. When my great-aunt visited the town in the '70s, she took a few pictures of the Ferraiolo line. I have yet to see those pictures to be honest. I hope she has them somewhere. It'd save me a trip to Europe. =) Kidding. I would totally go anyway. I just want to see what family I can find there. It would be amazing.

Back home, though. I want to go to Walnut Cemetery in Haverhill. My great-aunt on my mother's side graciously asked me if I wanted to check out where the Legaults and Felkers were buried. I said of course. So, later this spring I'll be going there to check things out. I'll be sure to record everything and take pictures. I hope I get to do it, soon. It should be a lot of fun and who knows? I might discover a few more interesting things.

One of the things I want to discover is where my 2x great-grandfather, Antoine is buried. He's not with his wife in St. Joseph's. I'm betting he's in Walnut with the other Legaults. Well, there's only one way to find out! Here's hoping I can find them and get more amazing pictures!

P.S. Totally updated my grandparents' Find a Graves: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/73192889/marco-james-ferraiolo

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/129782690/robert-e_-hamel

52 Ancestors Week 21: Military

From Amy Johnson Crow: 

Week 21:

The theme for Week 21 is "Military." Who fought in the military? Who worked to stay out of the military? What discoveries have you made using military records?

"Each bond you buy is a bullet in your best guy's gun!"--Captain America

Talk about your coincidences. Last week, my father showed me a letter my great-aunt received from my grandfather. More on that in a little bit.

Military, huh? Well, my family has no shortage of veterans. I can tell you that much. I have almost a dozen soldiers of the American Revolution in the tree, three Union soldiers and several veterans of World War I. Talking about all of them will take forever.  So, let's talk about my grandfathers, shall we? Yes. Yes, we shall.

Robert Hamel:

Robert Eugene Hamel was a Sargent in the Army Air Corps during World War II. The Air Corps was the organization which eventually gave rise to the US Air Force. When I was growing up, he told me about how he was stationed in North Africa, Italy and various other places in Europe. I used to joke and say that he was basically Captain America. In a way, maybe he was. He obviously wasn't granted superhuman agility, peak human endurance and he definitely didn't punch Hitler in the jaw. Nope. There was still something else that made him kind of a superhero. At least in my eyes, anyway.

After the war, he continued to serve until retiring in the 1960s. He was decorated with the following medals: 

Good Conduct Medal with 5 Bronze Loops, American Campaign Medal, EAME Medal with silver star, the World War Two Victory Medal, the Korean Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, UN Service Medal, American Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star, the Air Force Longevity Service Award with 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Air Force Commendation Medal.

Not bad, huh? 

Grandpa Hamel was a hero to me because he was very worldly and was very respectful to everyone he met. He always had a kind word to say and was just a very nice person.

He didn't really go into too much detail about his time serving. It wasn't until his funeral in 2017 that I learned a lot more about his service than I ever thought possible. My aunt Linda put together a photo album since my grandfather LOVED photography. He took so many pictures and would often have a great story to go along with them. Usually they were stories about his mother, growing up in Newburyport and many other stories. When I got to the funeral home, I found many of my cousins huddled around this black photo album my aunt had separate from other pictures he took. They were crying and told me I needed to see this album. My brother and I exchanged a look. I wondered what exactly was in there.

I looked and saw that the album was labeled "war pictures" and that there was a special tab warning people about the nature of the pictures about halfway through. I asked my aunt what she meant by the warning. Apparently, he took pictures during the war. That didn't surprise me. He had a very old camera that he used up until at least my graduation from high school in 1997. I asked why there was a tab and she said needed to warn everyone that some of the pictures were graphic. I took a look and she was right.

My grandfather took pictures of the horrors of war. This was a guy who never glamorized his service. He never had a mean word to say to anyone. He showed the destruction, the chaos and the toll war had on people. He always told me that he took pictures of the war. Just never anything this graphic. Was he trying to protect me or something? I have no idea and I suspect I never will.

In the end, my grandfather Hamel left behind ten grandchildren and several great-grandchildren who look up to and admire him for his service to America and the fact that he was just basically the typical grandfather as my brother put it in his eulogy. That's probably what I'll always remember about him. 

Marco Ferraiolo: 

Marco Ferraiolo had a different path than Grandpa Hamel. He was a Private in the 101st Airborne Paratroopers Unit in World War II and honestly I don't really remember a lot about him. He died when I was just four years old and thus I don't really remember anything about him save for the stories people have told me over the years. Grandpa Hamel always said he was a good man with a dry sense of humor and a talent for building things.

That much was true. He helped my father build his dental practice and the house I grew up in. My family always told me stories about him since he was never around. I grew up knowing much about his past thanks to everyone. He was born in San Pietro a Maida, Italy. He loved gardening. He also was one of the many Italian immigrants who fought in Italy during the war.

It wasn't until last week that I got a lot more details about his time as a paratrooper. My father asked my great-aunt, Nicole (Marco's sister) to send him letters he wrote to her along with his wings and a few other assorted odds and ends. Nicole obliged and end us a copy of one of the letters in early May. Of course, my dad read the letter and asked me if I wanted to see it.

I jumped at the chance. Why would I refuse?

Right from the start it felt surreal. I mean.... I never saw his handwriting before. It was very neat and definitely a treasure to hold onto forever.

In the letter to my great-aunt, he talked about what it was like to be a paratrooper. He talked about how several of his friends died, how to time a jump and talked about his worries with each jump. Would his second chute open? He even wondered why he was doing this. He wasn't a coward by any means. He was a nineteen year old kid expressing his concerns and fears to his older sister. Since all I had about Marco before was just stories, in a way this letter I have made him seem more real, I guess.

If all you have to go on are stories, you owe it to yourself to find out as much as you can. Letters, I think, really help. Especially if they are handwritten. Photos work, too. The one above is one of a handful of pictures I have of my grandfather on my dad's side. Side note: Apparently the poodle was a pain and only liked Grandpa Marco. At least that's what everyone has told me.

I digress. Grandpa Marco served well as a paratrooper and unlike my grandfather he didn't continue his service. Still, his actions during the war should be considered commendable. I mean, he faced his fears and STILL continued to be a paratrooper despite his concerns. That takes a lot of courage. Both of my grandfathers were courageous in their own way and both deserved the high honors they received from the military and the family itself. There's no question here.

Now, does that mean I'm going to jump out of a plane? LOL. Probably not. Though, I would imagine ski-diving to be a lot less stressful since you wouldn't be under fire.

The letter and the pictures we have will always be valued treasures in my genealogical arsenal. You can look at records until your eyes bug out and still never get the full, human experience you get from things such as letters, photographs and other artifacts our ancestors left behind.

Before I close, I'll add that many of my other relatives served. My great-grandfathers served in World War I. I even have a cousin who is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. A lot of people in my family served. I wanted to focus on just two because their stories needed to be told. Looking back at what I wrote here....maybe both of my grandfathers combined could be Captain America?

That would be cool. Either way, they're both heroes to me.

52 Ancestors Week 20: Nature

From Amy Johnson Crow: The theme for Week 20 is "Nature." Any farmers or gardeners in the family? How about someone who simply loved to be out in nature? How about an ancestor with a nature-inspired first name or surname?

It's funny how this week's theme is nature when I look out at my parents' garden and see nary a vegetable in sight. They haven't been able to plant anything at the time of this writing as the weather has been really bad here in the Merrimack valley. We had maybe one or two days of sunshine this month. In early May, we usually plant a few things. We just haven't gotten around to it because of the weather.

By now, I guess you could say that my parents are definitely gardeners! For as long as I can remember we had a garden in the backyard. It's grown in size over the years. We've had our summers where we had good crops, bad crops and even an invasion by a woodchuck. That was one interesting summer and I have stories that I don't think I can repeat on a genealogy blog! Sufficed it to say it gets very much like those Elmer Fudd vs Bugs Bunny cartoons!

My parents have grown the following veggies in this garden: 

Tomatoes
Green beans
Potatoes
Red peppers
Green peppers
Basil
Thyme
Cucumbers
Squash
Hot peppers
Zucchini 

I guess you could say that we have a veritable salad bar! All that's missing is carrots. They tried growing them. They turned out weird. Like...carrots with two long orange parts. You'd swear the soil was radioactive or something! Nah. The soil's fine. No ill effects from that. That I know of! Then again, we DO live a stone's throw away from Seabrook.

Having a garden, though, has its advantages. The tomatoes were often made into homemade sauce and it, of course, was really good. My mother was self-taught in the art of making pasta sauce. She had no help from my paternal grandmother and I like to think that Grandma Ollie enjoyed it whenever we gave her some. And trust me when I say that my grandmother was no slouch in the kitchen! Neither were her sisters for that matter. That's a story for another time!

Another advantage to having these fresh veggies was to provide fuel. In high school, I was on the cross country team. We would run long races on really hot days during the fall. So, my mother would make tomato salad for the team to snack on at parties after a meet. Tomato salad is sort of like caprese salad. But, without the cheese. The ingredients are remarkably simple: Tomatoes + Olive Oil + Basil + A little garlic= Pure. Genius. They were so loved by the cross country team, former teammates asked me years later asked me if my mother still made them. My old COACH even asked. I laughed and said that of course she does.

The Ferraiolo garden always has something good growing in it and I hope that the weather improves so that my parents can begin planting the 2019 edition of the garden. Now with raised flower beds! My dad. Always trying to improve the garden in any way he can.

I suppose my parents' green thumbs came from their parents. If memory serves, my grandfather, Marco, had a garden. And no he didn't chase me around it with an orange in his mouth! This isn't the Godfather! My great-grandfathers, Vincenzo and Giuseppe had grapevines for their gardens. My other grandfather had a garden as well. Looks like I have a long history of green thumbs. I just wish stuff *I* put in the ground grew! Kidding. I am adept at growing potatoes.

As I look back at my genealogical research, I've found a lot of farmers. Especially in Italy. When I've found birth banns or documents, I usually see "contadino" when I see the parents' profession. Contadino means "farmer" in Italian. I guess this might explain why my father has such a love of gardening. It's always good to have fresh veggies on hand and smelling the sauce simmering on the stove for hours on end is so good! The smell fills the house. There's nothing like it!

Here's hoping that the 2019 edition of the Ferraiolo garden gets started soon. The people demand fresh sauce! Pesto or otherwise!

52 Ancestors Week 19: Nurture

From Amy Johnson Crow: "The theme for Week 19 is "Nurture," a good time to highlight the kind, helpful souls in the family tree. Another way you could interpret this is an ancestor who was helped by a nurturing, encouraging person, like a teacher."

Hmmm.....This week's prompt is a little tricky. I think I can manage to write something. There's so many people I can talk about. It's hard for me to pick just ONE nurturing ancestor. My parents and grandparents have always been nurturing, supportive and everything. This one is a bit tough to write as I really don't want to leave anyone out. So, here is what I am going to do instead. This post is going to be a sequel to Week 16: Out of Place. 

During that blog, I alluded to how my great-grandfather, Austin Felker, was raised by his grandfather and topic for a Francis Ford Coppola movie, Jeremiah Felker. I didn't go into too much detail as I didn't want to make the blog overly long. 

Austin was born to Wilfred Felker and his first wife, Gertrude Frances Stevens on September 25th, 1892. Wilfred and Getrude married really young as he was twenty and she was sixteen. Not long after they were married, the two divorced. She went on to marry a guy named Walter Howard Senter and settled in Kingston, New Hampshire. Wilfred, on the other hand, stayed in Haverhill and married a woman named Mary Anna Porter Pierce.

You would think that after the divorce one of his parents would be given custody of Austin. That wasn't the case. When I looked up Austin Felker in the US census, I found him in the 1900 US census living with his grandfather. He was aged seven and his parents were nowhere to be found (In Haverhill, anyway.)  Austin was again living with Jeremiah in the 1910 census. That was the last time he was seen living with his grandfather as three years later he married Henrietta Legault.
And the rest as they say is history.

 I can only speculate what happened as I don't know all of the facts. Why was Austin living with his grandparents for ten years while his father and step-mother lived in the same town and started a new family? I've asked a few DNA matches I have who descend from Wilfred and Annie if they knew anything. They don't. I've asked my mother and she doesn't really know. I guess Austin never told her.  It's a puzzle and there's probably some drama involved here somewhere.

Still, it's great to see that Jeremiah and his wife, Elizabeth stepped up and took care of Austin in their later years. Will I ever know the reason why? I don't know. The answers may lay in the city records in Haverhill and I'd have to make a trip there to find out what happened. That would be one of the many things I'd be looking up if I ever went. I'd have to go in waves just to be sure I got everything!

It's good to know that there have always been some kind, nurturing people in the tree. I'm not sure what Wilfred's issue was. But, like my mother said. Skeletons in the closet pop out when you least expect it. I suspect I might not find out why he was living with his grandfather. But, it is fun to speculate. It all worked out in the end. However, it is a good reason to go to Haverhill!

See you next time!