52 Ancestors Week 1: I'd Like to Meet

 From Amy Johnson Crow: Week 1

This week's theme is "I'd Like to Meet." Most of us have an ancestor who we'd like to meet (even if it's to ask, "What are your parents' names?") This week, write about that ancestor or why you'd want to meet him or her. Feel free to be creative!

Just a couple of great's I'd like to meet.

   

 When you ask a genealogist which ancestor they'd like to meet, you're asking a question that's as old as time. Who wouldn't want to use a time machine or even a ouija board to talk to an ancestor and find out if a certain story was true or not? Who wouldn't want to talk their Uncle Ben and find out how he came up with the phrase "with great power, there must also come great responsibility"? That's just as an example. I don't really have an Uncle Ben and my name isn't Peter. In the end, we'd have so many questions and it's hard to pick just one ancestor to talk to. Especially in my case. 

    Back in 2019, I wrote a 52Ancestors blog where the prompt asked us to write a letter from an ancestor. I chose my grandfather Marco because he died when I was four years old and there are a lot of strong feelings about that fact. In fact, I had to pause writing the blog more than a few times because I didn't expect the feels even though I should have. If you'd like to read it, check it out here. Get the tissues handy because you just might get the feels yourself.

La famiglia di Ferraiolo

    This time around I've decided to go one generation above my grandfather and focus on one of my great-grandparents. I put all of their names in a hat, shuffled them around and picked one at random because I honestly can't decide who I'd talk to first since they all have amazing stories! I'm a writer and I like good stories and my "great eight" have all some spun mighty good yarns.

    After my very scientific selection process, I picked my great-grandmother, Maria Tedesco. Maria was born in the Calabrian town of San Pietro a Maida in 1900 and she unfortunately had the shortest lifespan of all my great-grandparents. She passed away just four years before my father was born when she was forty-three years old. That's pretty young by today's standards! So, you can imagine my father would probably like to talk to her the most as well! He has said that Vincenzo's second wife, Fortuna , was a decent grandmother. However, I know he'd really would like to talk to Maria based on the stories he's heard over the years. 

    I've heard those same stories about her from my great-aunt Nicolina my whole life. Nicolina said she was very beautiful, kind and had a good heart. I think we'd have a great conversation and I have a pretty good idea of how it would go. Join me now as I attempt to conjure her spirit and present a conversation with her. Comic fans are probably going to be like "You're talking to her before Stan Lee?!" Priorities, true believers! This is one conversation I MUST have first! EXCELSIOR! Here's how things would have gone down.

    Using mystical powers to reach the other side of the pearly gates and being ever so cautious as to not summon any demons, goblins and eldrich abominations, I called forth Maria Tedesco of San Pietro a Maida/Haverhill, Massachusetts.  In a brilliant flash of light, a spectre emerged in front of me. At first she is transparent and soon she solidified like a flesh and blood human. Her skin changes from black and white to full color as if she stepped out of a photograph. Her short black hair was styled back and was slightly wavy like my own hair. She was wearing a typical 1940s era cardigan and a sensible dress. Maria dressed as though she was going to a party or something. She looked around cautiously, unaware that she had been summoned. I struggled to find the words as a lump forms in my throat. I couldn't believe that worked! I said the first thing that came to my mind.

Me: Bisonna?

Maria: Si? I mean....Yes?

Her Italian accent was thick and I smiled. I couldn't believe I was actually hearing her voice.

Me: It's me. Your great-grandson, Chris. I-I summoned you here.

Maria: That you did, Christopher. I...I can hardly believe it myself. She smiles warmly. So good to see you again.

Me: Again? What are you talking about?

Maria: You don't really think we ever really leave when we're gone, do you?  We live on inside of you and we're always watching from the great beyond. That's how I know your name. Your grandfather has been watching you as well and your great-grandfather Jimmy, Marco and I greeted Nicolina when she arrived last September. And that's just on your dad's side. We're all watching you, young man. Sorry if that sounds creepy.

Me: It's fine. Comforting, I guess. Wait a second. "Young man"? You're as old as I am.

Maria sighs and sits down.

 Maria: That's true, Christopher. I had a heart condition and--

Me: You don't have to explain. I recently found out what happened to you when I went to Haverhill city hall last year. I'm so sorry.

Maria shakes her head "yes".

Maria: It's fine. I've uhh....had a long time to come to terms with what happened to me and what I've missed. I understand you've been in contact with my sister Caterina's family back in San Pietro.

Me: You've heard? I mean....Of course you've heard. Why wouldn't you? Yes, I talk to them frequently over the Internet. It ummm....

Maria: Provides instant communication from one area of the world to another. It's astonishing technology. We only had telephones, letters and of course Jimmy made it a point to travel back and forth from Haverhill to Italy every chance he got. You truly live in a marvelous age.

Me: It can be, yeah. It has its good sides and bad sides. Talking to Caterina's grandchildren helps me to get to know the Tedesco side better. I know I have Tedesco cousins here in America. But, I've yet to find all of them. I've been working hard to try to find the connections and everything.

Maria: You're doing a fine job.  I've heard you've been trying to find information on my parents, Antonio and Domenica.  Have you had any luck?

Me: I've had some, yeah. But, I was wondering if you could tell me about your grandparents.

Maria: There's not much to tell. Their names were Tommaso Tedesco, Angela Gatto, Francesco Gullo and Caterina Butruce. All of them were born in San Pietro. You have family there that goes back centuries and centuries. I have faith that you will find so much information about them. They're all waiting to see what you find.

Antonio had all brothers. Their names were Tommaso, Marco, Pietro and Giovanni. I would say my son was named after Marco. But, Jimmy insisted on naming him after his father.  She grumbled a bit. That man was very opinionated. Still is.

Me: I know. I've learned so much doing research and Francesco's wife said to me that a part of me is in Italy and a part of them is in America with me.

Maria: Maria smiles.  It's true. It's all in your heart and in theirs.

Maria touched my face and for a fleeting moment I could feel a pulse. It was as ife she was a living, breathing person again! I sighed nervously.

Maria: Are you okay?

Me: I'm fine. I just....I didn't expect this thing to work.

Maria: Magic works in mysterious ways, Christopher. But, we should make do with what time we have left. What other questions do you have?

Me:  Right. Right. What was it like traveling on the Roma?

Maria: You mean without my husband? You can imagine I got some strange looks. I had two little kids to watch over after all and no husband in sight. Plus I was in my twenties.

Me: Did grandpa Marco run around?

Maria: Uh huh.... That boy wouldn't sit still for a second. I believe the term "flight risk" might apply.

Me: Oh, man. I can imagine. My nephew looks a lot like Marco and--

Maria: Runs around all over the place. Yes, I see a lot of Marco in Jeremy. He'll be fine in time.

Me: I know. Kid is a bundle of energy.

Maria looked at the clock and sighed.

Maria: Looks like it's time for me to go. Is there anything else you'd like to ask?

Me: I don't know. So many questions are coming to me. But, ummm....could you find Grandma Ollie, my mom's parents and everyone and tell them I miss them? Please?

Maria approached me and gives me a big hug.

Maria: Of course, Christopher. Just remember one thing.

Me: What's that?

Maria: We, your ancestors, not as far away as you might think. We live on inside of you and we're a part of you. Whereever you go, we're there with you every step of the way.  I love you. Thank you for the visit. Give my best to Jimmy.....your father and your brother, too!

Me: I will!  I love you, too.

     In a brilliant flash of light she vanished. I sit back and reflect on what just happened. The conversation was short and yet very surreal to be honest. I wondered if I should have brought up Vincenzo's infidelity. It probably wouldn't have been a good idea. I didn't want to sour the mood and she probably knew and didn't want to talk about it. Why anger a spirit, right? That's how horror movies start. I want to ASK her questions. Not grill her!

    So, that's basically how my meeting with Maria would go. I probably would just stick to the facts and we'd probably talk for a lot longer than what I had typed. I'm not sure what else we'd talk about other than the trip, living in Haverhill, Vincenzo aka Jimmy and more. I'd definitely would ask her a ton of questions about Marco and it'd be stuff Nicolina didn't know about. I'd talk to her about growing up in San Pietro, what Italian grandma recipes she had. Think of this as just a snippet of what the conversation would be about because I could seriously go on for ages.

    Maria would be a great ancestor to talk to and I really hope a conversation like that would happen.  I can only hope. I'd just need to be careful and not mention Vincenzo's infidelity lest the spectral wooden spoon comes out....

See ya next time!

Editor's note: In April of 2023, I found that Giovanni Coppola was not the brother of Paolo, Caterina and Concetta Coppola. He is likely a first cousin of the three. Look for details in a future blog post.