Winning The Italian Ancestor Lottery

I've had a very rewarding end to the year.

I suppose you could say I went back to my roots while digging up my roots. That is to say, I returned to where my genealogy habit hobby began.

In late summer 2010, I tried my hand at genealogy. Drawn to my earliest known immigrant ancestors, I started researching my Italian second great-grandparents Giuseppe and Maria Filomena (La Rocca) Ruoti. Born in Potenza, Italy, they immigrated separately to the United States in the late 1800s and married in Denver in 1890.

Second Great-Grandparents: Giuseppe and Maria Filomena (La Rocca) Ruoti

Even as a novice, I took the research serious. I enrolled in an Italian language course so I could read the documents, trekked out to the nearest Family History Library, and spent my weekends trawling through reels of microfilmed 19th century Italian vital records.

It was a tedious process, but I made good headway. I mapped out nearly a dozen Italian ancestors, including all of my fourth great-grandparents and two of my fifth great-grandparents.

Author researching in 2010

Then I stopped. Other family lines won my attention.

Evolving Research Landscape
Since that time, a lot has changed in the landscape of Italian genealogy. Many of those vital records that I had to order and view on microfilm are now available online. I don't have to haul myself to the nearest Family History Library. I can simply jump on the computer.

The eased access to records meant that it was time to get back into Italian genealogy and grow my family as far as the records would permit. Fortunately, the records permitted quite a bit!

My Italian Roots Run Deep
I've been doing genealogy going on seven years. It's not often that I discover a new direct ancestor. Much of the low hanging fruit has been plucked. That's why this past week of research was unusual and marvelous.

I was off work between Christmas and New Year's. No workaday world demanded my attention for an entire week. Can you imagine? Seven glorious days to indulge the all-consuming family history hobby habit.

I loaded up the records and slowly, one by one, found my long-forgotten Italian ancestors. One record led to another and revealed new ancestors along the way. Hours sped by as I stared bleary-eyed at countless indices. With each new name taking a place in my family tree, it felt like I won the lottery and a ridiculous wealth of family history.

Sure, you might say I was ancestor collecting like a newbie genealogist, but I refuse to feel guilty. After all, I have spent the better part of this year researching one ancestor; learning in fits and starts the tiniest detail (stop the presses! He owned horses!) in the hope that the slimmest shred of information may reveal the identities of his parents.

As this week wraps up, I've now located documentation confirming the names of all 16 of my Italian fifth great-grandparents - not to mention a few of my sixth and even seventh great-grandparents!

Giuseppe and Maria Filomena (La Rocca) Ruoti's Growing Family Tree

In total, I discovered the names of 22 direct ancestors this week (and there are further generations sealed in those records!). These are people whose names probably haven't been uttered in decades; whose existence has faded from all living memory.

Now, over a century after the last one passed away, their names are no longer trapped in black and white ink awaiting discovery. They patiently waited for me - someone who would not exist without any one of them - to find them and breathe them back to life. They now take their rightful place in my family tree.

Where My Ancestors Walked

"We travel, some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls." - Anaïs Nin

Sometime between 1880 and 1883, a young farmer left his Italian hometown of Potenza. Giuseppe Ruoti joined the thousands of Italians emigrating to the United States. He left behind everything he knew and everyone. He spoke no English and had little money to his name.  

In February 1890, Maria Filomena La Rocca arrived at New York City's Castle Garden. Just shy of her 15th birthday, Maria also left behind her family and Potenza's familiarity. She spoke no English, and could not read or write.

Less than a month later, Maria was in Denver and married to Giuseppe. Over the course of their nearly 30-year marriage, my 2nd great-grandparents had eleven children and built a new life for themselves in America.

Where My Ancestors Walked

After discovering that Maria and Giuseppe were from Potenza, I added it to the itinerary for my already-planned Italian vacation. I had to see their hometown. I wanted to walk in my ancestors' steps.

Potenza is the capital city of the comune (province) of Potenza and the larger Basilicata region in the south of Italy. The town's historic roots are situated on a hilltop that is now surrounded by sprawling growth below. Nestled in the Apennine Mountains, the air is crisp and the horizon peppered with green peaks and hills.

As my train from Naples snaked its way through the Apennines, I was struck by the rugged mountain scenery and lush valleys. Colorado must have reminded Giuseppe and Maria of their homeland. What a comfort it must have been.

As the train pulled into Potenza Centrale station, I was able to see the magnitude of growth. The town was now a full-fledged city with dozens of apartment buildings clustered at the base of the hill. My short visit was focused on the historic core, so I got into a taxi. 

The driver was a woman who was excited to have an American in her car. As she sped up the winding hilltop road, she chatted happily - in Italian. It was clear to me that Potenza was off the tourist beaten path and English was not as prevalent. 

Take Me To Church

The car made sharp turns down narrow alleyways that were built, I imagined, before the invention of the automobile. We stopped outside of a squat stone church. My driver jumped out of the car and opened my door. She eagerly handed me her business card. "Donna Taxi" was her company's name (literally Woman Taxi). 

As she pulled away, I walked up to the church. A light drizzle had started. 

In May 1864, Giuseppe was baptized inside Chiesa di San Michele. The Normanesque building's origins date to the 12th century. It's very likely this building hosted baptisms, marriages, and funerals for generations of my Italian ancestors.

Chiesa di San Michele - Potenza, Italy

Stepping inside, I passed an elderly gentleman pulling on his raincoat. He eyed me and nodded his head. The dark interior of the church was cut by light pouring in through a narrow window above the altar. I sat in a pew and eyed the church.

Walking up to the altar, I placed a coin in the donation box and lit a candle. A statue of Saint Michael the Archangel kept a close eye on me with his sword raised ominously overhead. 

Chiesa di San Michele altar - Potenza, Italy

I found a small baptismal font. Was this font used for Giuseppe's baptism over 150 years ago? Quite possibly. I was struck by the church's simplicity. There were no ornate Baroque garnishes in the church. The stone and lighting made it feel cozy as though I were at home.

Chiesa di San Michele baptismal font

A side aisle had a bulletin board with flyers advertising upcoming church events. I tacked a photo of Giuseppe and Maria to the board. Like a good genealogist, I wrote on the back of the picture, providing their names, that they were born in Potenza, and my name and contact information. I also noted that they lived and died in Denver, which, I later learned, is a Sister City with Potenza. Perhaps I'll hear from a distant cousin. 

Giuseppe and Maria (La Rocca) Ruoti

It's difficult to describe what it's like to walk the streets where your ancestors lived. Perhaps more profound is the awe-inspiring experience of standing inside a sacred place where the most intimate moments of their lives were celebrated. 

Maria left 125 years ago and joined Giuseppe in search of a new state and opportunities. I returned seeking a greater understanding of them and the souls that came before. Back outside the church, the drizzle had stopped and the sun's rays began piercing the clouds. It certainly didn't feel like I was alone on this journey. 

Italian Family History Road Trip Countdown

The clock is counting down. This time next week I'll be in Italy. 

No, I haven't started to pack. I'm too busy with my last-minute Italian genealogy research.

Yes, there will be plenty of time for Mediterranean beaches, Tuscan hill towns, and countless museums to past civilizations. But there will also be a bit of family history.

I cannot wait! Well, I sort of can. You see, I've been fighting a race against the clock to identify key genealogical information that will make the family history portion of the trip more rewarding.

Who's Who?

Giuseppe and Maria (La Rocca) Ruoti - born in Potenza, Italy

My great-grandmother's parents, Giuseppe and Maria (La Rocca) Ruoti, were both born in the comune of Potenza in southern Italy. 

Could I locate their birth records and identify the church where they were baptized? 

What about their parents? Could I identify the church in which my 3rd great-grandparents were married?

How cool would it be to step foot in the same church where my family history was made?

My challenge: would the documents exist to help me identify these locations? With less than a week before I depart, would I be able to gain access to these materials?

Sleuthing

I turned to FamilySearch.org, my go-to database for Italian records. Happily, they had Civil Registrations online for births, marriages, and deaths covering the years 1866-1910. 

Those records yielded Maria La Rocca's birth record (born in 1875) and death records for both of her parents. Unfortunately, this set of civil registrations didn't mention baptism or funeral locations. There were no clues to which churches hosted these solemn events, and there was no birth record in this database for Giueseppe who was born in 1864.

Another FamilySearch database caught my eye. Potenza Civil Registrations from the State Archives covering the years 1697-1923. Did you say 17th century records? Yes, please!

I clicked on the link and watched as the page loaded my worst nightmare. The clock continued to tick.

My heart sank. I'd come to the end of the research road within the comfort of my home. I would have to venture out (or, I suspect, convert to Mormonism). The hyperlink pointed me to the family history center in Washington, DC: the Daughters of the American Revolution.

I cleared my Saturday schedule to make way for hours of Italian genealogy research (does DAR allow Chianti in the research room, I wondered?). 

When I arrived at their computer labs, I was quickly disappointed to discover that their logins do not satisfy the family history center criteria necessary to gain access to Potenza's records. My heart sank, again. 

Access to the records remained just out of reach. The records were taunting me!

Where There's A Will...

Back at home, as I nursed my disappointment, it occurred to me that perhaps the records were digitized and available to Italians on an Italian website. 

A press release announcing FamilySearch's efforts to digitize millions of Italian records pointed me to the website for Italy's National Archives. I was elated (and relieved). Records could be viewed online for free. Now. At home. Grazie mille!

Back in full research mode, I started trawling through the records - glorious in all of their black and white imagery. Within an hour, I located the birth and baptism record for Giuseppe Ruoti. 

My Italian family history road trip now has a site of interest. Giuseppe was baptized in Potenza's historic chiesa San Michele, which dates back to the 12th century.

Now I'm ready for Italy. The clock can continue its countdown. Ciao!

Probate Shines Light on Family History

Ancestry.com's recent release of millions of U.S. probate records has been a boon for my family history research.

As I prepare for an upcoming trip to Italy, I wondered what the records could tell me about my Italian ancestors who settled in Colorado. I'm eager to learn as much as I can about my 2nd great-grandparents Giuseppe and Maria Rosina (La Rocca) Ruoti.

I plan to spend an afternoon wandering the streets of their hometown of Potenza. Perhaps, if I can learn the locations, I'll even be able to step inside the churches where they were baptized and prayed before sailing for America in the late 19th century.

Trawling through the records, I found the probate file for Joseph Ruota who died in Denver on August 16, 1918.

Joseph's probate record shines a light on his financial status in America, but also illustrates the challenges his widow was left to confront.

What's In A Name?
An initial challenge I frequently run into when researching my Italian ancestors who emigrated to America is pinpointing their names. Due to Anglicization, they can be difficult to identify.

Giuseppe's probate record, for example, highlights his common name discrepancies. Parts of the probate package list his surname as Ruota, but elsewhere it's spelled as Ruote or Route. Route is the iteration that was engraved on his headstone. All are different from the Italian Ruoti with which he was born, but you can certainly see the phonetic resemblance.

Joseph and Rosa Route grave (photo by author)

A Family Copes With Death
Aside from affirming the many spelling iterations of his surname, Joseph's probate record confirms his death date and that he was born in Italy. It also tells me that he was a man of modest means.

At the time of his death, we learn that he had little to no cash. In fact, the records state simply that he had no estate. His net worth was locked up entirely in his home, which was valued at $2,500. Accounting for inflation, that's equivalent to approximately $42,000 in 2015.

His widow, Maria Rosa Filomena (La Rocca) Route or Rosina, petitioned the court to sell the home. She desperately needed the money, so she could have financial means to provide for herself and her remaining dependents. It's heartbreaking to imagine the anguish she may have felt at the loss of her companion while also wondering how she would provide for herself and children.

Illiteracy
With a couple check marks, the 1920 census tells me that Rosina was unable to read or write. Joseph's 1918 probate record demonstrates her illiteracy in a more moving fashion. Newly widowed, Rosina had to make a mark where her signature was required on legal documents. It's one thing to see that in a census, but an entirely different experience to see the reality of it in her own hand.

Maria Rosina (La Rocca) Route makes her mark

In the 1910 census, Joseph was listed as able to read and write. He must have taken the responsibility of signing the family's legal documents. Now, after his death, all of that responsibility was on Rosina's shoulders. Her inability to write was in the public domain. What was that experience like for her?

A Family's Legacy
Census records are fantastic at helping to piece together families. Of course, it can be difficult once children begin moving away or daughters marry and assume new surnames. The probate record made that effort much easier.

In outlining each of his heirs, Joseph's probate record provides their addresses and married names for his daughters. As I continue to search for Ruoti, Ruota, Ruote, or Route cousins, this information provides helpful leads.

Joseph Route's heirs

Joseph's newly digitized probate record has brought his family back to light and, in a sense, to life. It's another example of the value these records hold for family historians, and reinforces the ever-expanding reach of genealogy as more archives open to digitization.

Looking For Bisnonna

In October, I will travel to Italy for a three-week jaunt down the peninsula.

I plan to visit the comune of Potenza where my great-grandmother Ancilla (Ruota or Route) Colacci's parents were born and where their parents died (or at least three of them did).

I would like to visit the Potenza cemetery where Ancilla's grandparents are buried. While I'm familiar with the European practice of eventually disinterring the dead to accommodate the newly deceased, there's typically a communal grave where the remains are deposited. I want to visit that site and see where they rest eternally.

Questions
As I book hotels and map out my itinerary, I still have important research questions to tackle before I leave.

For example, how do I locate the particular cemetery where they're buried? Do burial indexes exist? Unfortunately, burial information isn't included on the Italian civil death records.

Also, I have death records for three of Ancilla's grandparents confirming they each died in Potenza. However, I'm still looking for the death record for one of them: Ancilla's paternal grandmother Vincenzia (Raimondi) Ruoti.

Did she die in Potenza? Is she buried there, too? I need to find that record to determine what happened to her.

Ancilla's Parents
Ancilla's parents were Giuseppe Route (an Anglicized iteration of the Italian Ruoti) and Maria Filomena La Rocca. They settled in Colorado where they are buried beside each other.

Giuseppe and Maria Filomena (La Rocca) Ruota

A year ago I wrote about using their marriage records to locate where in Italy they were born, when they immigrated to the United States, and to identify their parents.

With the help of fantastic researchers on the ItalianGenealogy.com forums, we found death records for Giuseppe's father and Maria Filomena's parents. Those records indicated that they passed away in Potenza.

The remaining question about Giuseppe and Maria is when did they arrive in the U.S.? I've still not found an immigration or naturalization record for them. The 1900 and 1910 census suggest Giuseppe arrived in 1880 and 1883 respectively. Maria arrived in 1890 or 1889 according to the 1900 and 1910 censuses. Alas, this is another search (and blog post) entirely.

Maria's Parents
Maria's father was Pancrazio La Rocca. He was born in about 1829 in the comune of Tricarico to parents Rocco Vincenzo La Rocca and Maria Vincenza Mobilio. Pancrazio died in Potenza on March 7, 1887.

Pancrazio La Rocca Death in Potenza - March 7, 1887

Maria's mother was Maria Giuseppa De Melio. She was born in about 1837 in the comune of Pignola to parents Saverio De Melio and Angela Spatuzzi. Maria Giuseppa died in Potenza on March 3, 1885.

Maria Giuseppa De Melio Death in Potenza - March 3, 1885

Giuseppe's Parents

Giuseppe's father was Vincenzo Ruoti. He was born in about 1827 in the comune of Potenza to parents Rocco Felice Ruoti and Margherita D'Bello. Vincenzo died in Potenza on August 9, 1883.

Vincenzo Ruoti Death in Potenza - August 9, 1883

According to Vincenzo's death record, it appears that his wife Vincenzia Raimondi survives him. When and where did she die?

As I continue to trawl through Potenza's civil records searching for her, I'm considering the following possibilities:

• My Italian is poor and the script can, at times, be difficult to decipher. Perhaps I've overlooked her name in the indexes. 
• Perhaps she moved away from Potenza and died elsewhere, and I'm not searching records in the correct comune.
• Her death record was overlooked and not included in the index of names.
• She had multiple first names and was not indexed under Vincenzia. Although, I've been reviewing the records for any female with a surname of Raimondi.
• She did in fact pre-decease her husband Vincenzo.

The clock is ticking down and the search continues for bisnonna Vincenzia Raimondi. 

Do you have research tips for locating my bisnonna, or confirming Italian burials? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Grazie!

Genealogy Goals for 2015

The beginning of the year has been a whirlwind, and I'm only now finding time to blog.

With 2015 in full swing, I took time to review my genealogy research goals for 2014. Happily, I made great strides towards many of them. Unsurprisingly, there's a lot more work to do. Some brick walls remained standing and some answers brought new questions. Mindful of limited time and resources, I'm setting my sights on the following areas for 2015:

General Genealogy Goals

• Continue to collect and scan old family photos from relatives near and far.
• Grow the pool of family who have DNA tested.
• Build genealogy technical skills and networks by attending conferences like Roots Tech + FGS and the Global Family Reunion in New York.
• Begin writing narrative biographies for my direct ancestors.

Brick Walls

• Identify Mary Jane (Andrus) Bair's biological mother. You may recall that "Kindly Relatives" built a brick wall.
• Identify George Henry (Jucket) Hawks' biological parents. During a family history road trip in October 2014, I had an opportunity to pay my respects at his grave in Arkansas.
• Identify the parents of Thomas K. Stevens and Susan (Day) Stevens.
• Determine where and when Burr Zelah Dornon died and was buried.
• Having identified her mother in 2014, determine the whereabouts of Annie (Winkler) Wagnon's father.
• Identify the parents of Giuseppe and Maria Rosa (La Rocca) Ruota.

Paternal Lineage

I've saved the most pressing goal for last. In December 2014, DNA test results confirmed a rumored non-paternal event on my direct paternal line and provided evidence of a link to a different family surname than what was previously known. 

While serving up quite a shock, I'm eager to learn as much as I can about this family and find additional evidence - both paper trail and genetic - to help further corroborate the link.

Stay tuned for more on this recent development. 2015 is shaping up to be a year for unveiling family history truths. 

Where in Italy?

I've been trying to determine where in Italy my great-grandparents Giuseppe and Maria Rosa (La Rocca) Ruota were born. They were married and spent their lives in Denver, Colorado. However, I've been unable to locate immigration or naturalization records that could pinpoint their Italian comunes and shed light on their ancestry.

According to the 1900 US Federal census: 

• Giuseppe was born in March 1868. He later anglicized his name to Joseph Route. 
• Maria was born in May 1874. She went by Rose or Rosina Route.

According to that same census, Giuseppe arrived in the US in 1880 and Maria Rosa arrived in 1890. The 1910 US Federal census confirms an 1880 arrival for Giuseppe, but lists 1889 for Maria.

I have a copy of their March 1, 1890 Denver, Colorado church-issued marriage record. The original certificate lists the spellings of their names as Giuseppe Ruota and Maria Rosa La Rocca.

A couple years ago, I was able to visit Sacred Heart Church, which still operates in Denver. The registrar pulled out the leather-bound marriage register and found the original transcription of their marriage. The book's notation provided more details about their origins.

Sacred Heart Church

It stated that Giuseppe Ruota was the son of Vincent and of Vincentia Marsicana of Potenza, Italy. Maria Rosa La Rocca was the daughter of Pancratius (a Latin version of the Italian Pancrazio) and Maria Giuseppa de Malio of the "same locality" (presumably Potenza).

Original transcription of marriage

That notation is mighty helpful, but is it indicating that they're from the province of Potenza or is it more specific and suggesting they're also from the comune of Potenza? 

Curiously, their parentage is further confused by their death records. 

Joseph's death certificate from August 16, 1918 says his father was Vincent Route and his mother was Vincencia Raimondo. His mother's maiden name now differs from the marriage record, which indicated a maiden name of Marsicana.

Rose's death certificate from November 26, 1929 says her father was Garwood La Rocco and her mother was Josephine La Rocco. Josephine is an understandable transformation from Maria Giuseppa. However, I'm puzzled by Garwood in lieu of Pancrazio. Is this simply a case of the children not knowing for sure the father's name? Given that the marriage record was created during the lifetime of my grandparents I'm putting more credence in that document.

But why so little luck locating immigration records for either Giuseppe or Maria Rosa? I understand that Ruota may have been Ruoti and La Rocca has appeared alternately as La Rocco. Yet my search efforts using wildcards has yet to yield one of them up. Where to go from here?