On November 13, 2004, PIP Chapter 22 met at the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin at 10:30 a.m.
The following members were in attendance: John Balistreri and Patricia Stein, Bonnie Dompke, Vincent and Connie D’Orazio (3418), Dani Graf, Tina Favero, Mave Freyberg, Elsie Fucile, Olga Fucile, John and Arlene Jorgensen, Jean Karls, Marne Krause, Jan Krause, George Koleas (1527), Maribeth LaMarca, Jackie Maggiore (4391), Barbara Roberts (1202 ), Eugene and Vi Townsend, Steve and Jean Scalzo, Tana and Dave Salvaggio (4835), Ann Skozynski, Joyce Weber (4438) and new members, Joe and Nancy D’Aquisto, Kurt Chandler, Fran Marino Colboth, Lisa Joecks, and Lynn Tharasher.
We discussed the return on our time at Festa. We spoke to hundreds of people and handed out over 200 blank family trees to visitors who had surnames that appeared on our list of surnames being researched by our members or the list of surnames we are researching from Palermo, Sant’ Elia, Sant’ Flavia, Solunto, Porticello or adjacent villages in Sicily . We only received twenty contacts. We will have to decide if participating in Festa Italiana is worth our investment in time and effort. In our last minutes, Bonnie Dompke, who volunteered at our display, reported her success in meeting a second cousin for whom she had been searching. Barbara Roberts (1202) reported that she had found a connection for a person with her Maglio research. Unfortunately, the e-mail of the person she was trying to help is no longer working and the individual has not re-contacted Barb.
Alternatively, we may be better served offering to make presentations to Italian Societies to explain our purpose and Italian Genealogy. Our articles in the Italian Times and the Milwaukee County Genealogical Society’s Reporter, our Minutes published in POINTers and our website continues to be successful in getting us contacts and new members.
If you have a query concerning family information you are looking for, please let me know. I will compile the information I receive and send it to the Italian Times for publication. I will also post it on the “Queries” page on our website. If you have ideas for articles for the Italian Times, please also send them to me.
Dan Niemiec (2304), PIP Chapter 27, Chicago-North, asked if we would be interested in a regional conference in September of 2005, somewhere in northern Illinois. The response was very positive. This idea is at a very early stage. Dan is trying to determine if such an idea is feasible. If so, the next step would be taking the idea to the next step of planning. Members should send me input about their interest and ideas for topics.
We received a request from Harry Johnston regarding identifying the wedding picture on the left that was taken in Milwaukee. Please contact me if you can identify the people in this picture.
Our new members were introduced. They individually explained where they were in their research and the surnames they are researching.
Fran Colboth is researching Bartolatto, Boscia, Cappadona, Cerniglia, Di Gregorio, Farina, Franco, Giardina, Gregoria, Marino, Maglio, Merlo, Olla, Piscitello, Torcivia, Turdo, Valenti all from Santo Stefano di Camastra, Messina.
Kurt Chandler is researching Randazzo and Russo from San Cipirello, Palermo.
Joe and Nancy D’Acquisto are researching D’Acquisto from Porticello, Palermo and Simone from Naples.
Lisa Joecks is researching Carini.
Lynn Thrasher is researching Angelier, Martigiglio and Iraci from Mazara del Vallo, in Sicily.
Eugene and Vi Townsend are researching Marold, Tenerlli, Santeramo, Vitucci all from Bari, Modugno, Puglia.
We discussed difficulties locating your family member when multiple names are involved. For example, I have Giovanni Francesco Salvatore Pasquale Costa in my research. He could be listed under various combinations of his name.
Joyce Weber passed a Sicilian-English Dictionary she found. The title is Sicilian-English, English-Sicilian Dictionary by Joseph F. Privitera, 2003, Hippocrene Books, Inc., 171 Madison Avenue, New York, New York, 10016, ISBN 0-7818-0984-3
Vince D’Orazio (3418) described a recent trip to Italy and his efforts to find out more about his father’s participation in WWI with the Italian Army. Vince has sent an article describing his experiences for publication in a future issue of POINTers.
Vince explained that if you travel to Italy for research, you will want to look to the Church in the area. You must be patient and courteous. The Priests are very overworked. Some are cooperative. Some are not. Nearly every town as a person who is the town historian, who may be a source of family information
Vince also explained that you can find the distribution of where you can find your surname throughout Italy at www.gens.labo.net .
Please mark your calendars for our meetings in 2005. Our meetings will be held on Saturday’s January 15, April 9, September 17 and November 12, 2005 at the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, starting at 10:30 a.m. and concluding at noon.
Our next meeting will be held on Saturday, January 15, 2005, at the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We will meet, starting at 10:30 a.m. and conclude the formal meeting at Noon. Those that wish to, will then go to the restaurant, order lunch and continue to share information and help one another or they may make plans to meet elsewhere. Everyone is welcome to attend our meetings.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact George Koleas by e-mail at GeorgeJK676@wi.rr.com or by phone at (262) 251-7216 after 7:00 p.m.
Submitted by George Koleas (1527)
