52 Ancestors Week 2: Favorite Find

 Week 2's theme is "Favorite Find." This could be a discovery that you made from breaking down a brick wall or something that just made you smile. (Like on my ancestor's Civil War pension application when it asked, "Is there an official record of your marriage?" and he answered, "No, it's recorded at the courthouse." Sometimes, you just have to laugh.)

Circle of Life intensifies

    It's a new year and it's once again time to talk about one of my all time favorite finds. Ever since I restarted my genealogical adventure in 2017, I've found many things I consider to be a "favorite find". Usually they are pictures. They're like gold to me and any genealogist would treat them as such because they add a face to the name in your favorite family tree creating software. Because it's important to put pictures in a tree, I've put pictures of my ancestors all over the Internet. Can you blame me? I have like five trees! Seven if you count the ones on DNApainter and FTDNA.

Marco, Caterina and Adriana

    I've gotten many so great pictures in 2021 that it's hard to decide which one is my favorite. Perhaps I should make a top ten list? Without a doubt this one with my second great-grandparents Marco Ferraiolo and Caterina Coppola would be in my top three finds of 2021.

    My cousin Caterina was the one who gave me this picture almost a year ago in February. It wasn't long after I got it that I was introduced to the woman who was the little girl in the picture. Her name is Adriana Serrao and she currently lives in Rome. I talked with her on Facebook and she gave me some context for the photo. She was about two or three when it was taken. Using a bit of math, I was able to deduce that it was taken some time in the late 1940s or early 1950s as Marco passed away in 1958 and Caterina in 1962.

    I said it was a great picture and like any good genealogist I asked if she had more. She must have smiled because I got a ton of great photos in response to my query. Not only did she share a picture of her mother Rosa with me, she shared this great picture of my great-grandfather Vincenzo! The quality was pretty good as it was probably taken in the 1960s.

Doggo looks comfy!

    Oh, yeah. This photo was definitely taken in the early 1960s. That's my great-aunt Nicolina on the left and her daughter Cathie on the right. The hair styles screams late 1960s to me! I wish I knew who the dog was. Obviously he/she didn't mind being held by my great-grandfather. I do hope some treats were given. The dog's cute. But, not my type of breed. I like bigger dogs! So, why is this picture one of my favorite finds of 2021? Well, I mostly like it because it's a clear picture of Vincenzo in his later years. That and who doesn't like pictures of dogs? I know a few people on Wikitree who do and I should probably upload it there!

My dad's well traveled photo!

    Adriana sent me a few other pictures before sending this one on the right. My jaw instantly dropped as I recognized the photo immediately! She asked if I knew who the kid in the picture was. I said "Of course I do!" It was my father and the photo was from his graduation from Haverhill High. My fingers trembled on the keyboard before I could type. How did she get that photo?! When did she get it?! Why does she have it? So many questions filled my head. I was just about ready to call my father and tell him that a relative in Rome had his high school graduation photo! Telling him had to wait. I needed answers, first!

    I tried not to freak out when I asked her about the pictures. She said she was putting some old photos in order and she found these and wanted to share them with me. She wasn't sure who the people were. Naturally, I explained everything. I told her who was who and how they all fit in everything. I even updated her on their lives in America.

   

     I was still left with a few questions. How did she get the photograph of my father? As far as I know Haverhill High doesn't have a campus in Rome. Though, that would be cool.  The most logical explanation (which is also the most boring one) is that when Vincenzo and the rest of the family went to Italy, they visited Rosa and gave her my father's photo. It's either that or my grandpa Marco mailed the photos to Rome. Why do the most logical explanations have to be the most boring ones?! I was hoping for something like maybe they came to America and there was a huge party before I was born and pictures were exchanged. That would have been cool.

Rosa Ferraiolo (1906-1999)

    Adriana surprising me with a photo of my own father from high school was probably one of my favorite finds of 2021. Yes, I know we have a copy of the photo and his yearbook in the house. That's not the point. The point is that even back then family shared photos of their loved ones and they're going to show up in some pretty interesting places. My father's picture was in a photo album in Rome. Who knows what other pictures they have! Oh, wow. They might even have pictures of me when I was a baby! Imagine that! Grandpa Marco might have sent them a copy! You never know!

    I told my father about the photo and he laughed and confirmed that the most logical explanation was probably the correct one. I would have liked some more creative explanations to be honest but what can you do? Not much, I'm afraid!

    You also never know where photos will pop up. It's one thing seeing them show up on Ancestry as hints. It's something else entirely when a family member clear across the ocean has that photo. It's something to keep in mind when you're a descendant of a relatively recent immigrant. You may have family in Europe and they may have a picture of you or your loved ones! You never know!

See ya next time!