Family History – The Petrini Page

Almost 20

My son will turn 20 in a few days! But his birthday is the same day that we’re moving him back into his dorm at school– and a snowstorm is expected that afternoon, so we’ll have to rush back home from campus rather than sticking around to celebrate with him. So we thought we’d startContinue reading “Almost 20”

Throwback Thursday: Steamship

I just found an image from an old postcard of the S.S. Chicago, the steamship that brought my great grandmother and three of her children to Ellis Island in 1909. Francesca Piccioli was from the Marche region of Italy, but she had been working as a wet nurse in France, which explains why she boardedContinue reading “Throwback Thursday: Steamship”

Throwback Thursday: Mister Peanut

I remember a room filled with Mister Peanut cookie jars, key rings, beer steins, and coin banks. I had thought I was remembering them in my grandparents’ basement, but my mother recently told me it could not have been there; my grandmother disliked the Mister Peanut memorabilia and would not allow more than a fewContinue reading “Throwback Thursday: Mister Peanut”

Photo Friday: Grandma Petrini

Yesterday I posted a photo of my grandfather Petrini with his army unit in World War II. Today, for Photo Friday, and in honor of all the family history research I’ve been immersed in, is a photo of my grandmother Petrini, though she wasn’t married yet in this photo, so she was still Maria PiccioliContinue reading “Photo Friday: Grandma Petrini”

Throwback Thursday: Veteran’s Day Tribute

I guess I’ve mentioned that I’ve been doing a lot of genealogy research, and have added so much to my family tree. So for Throwback Thursday, and for Veteran’s Day, I’m posting a photo of my grandfather’s army unit in World War II. I have posted this photo before, but it’s worth another look. MyContinue reading “Throwback Thursday: Veteran’s Day Tribute”

Patron Saint of Petrinis

Today is the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi. While technically I am Catholic, I’m not at all religious, so I don’t claim that the day has deep theological meaning for me. But it does have genealogical meaning: the Petrini side of my family is from Assisi. So I’m calling St. Francis’s feast dayContinue reading “Patron Saint of Petrinis”

Throwback Thursday: Sicilians in the Family

I wrote last week about a breakthrough in my genealogical research. First, I found names for three more generations back in my paternal grandmother’s line. I was still reeling from that discovery, when those names yielded more names, and suddenly I knew the name of my ninth great grandfather, born in Italy in or aroundContinue reading “Throwback Thursday: Sicilians in the Family”

Genealogical Rabbit Holes

OMG. I posted last night about how stunned I was to be able to link up with some research that other amateur genealogists had posted online, allowing me to expand one branch of my family tree back another three generations. The line I was tracing is my maternal grandmother’s family. And I was thrilled lastContinue reading “Genealogical Rabbit Holes”

Throwback Thursday: Family History Research

I’ve been doing some research lately in Ancestry.com and on various other websites, and tonight I think I struck gold. I was poking around in the family of my maternal grandmother, and suddenly there were lists of names and dates. Most of this still needs to be confirmed with other sources, but I just tentativelyContinue reading “Throwback Thursday: Family History Research”

Throwback Thursday: 1936 Wedding

August 1936. In the U.S. and around the world, the Great Depression lingered on. In Britain, Edward VIII had ascended to the throne earlier that year, but his scandalous affair with divorcee Wallis Simpson would lead to his abdication before the year was out. In Berlin, the Nazis were rapidly gaining power, and Jesse OwensContinue reading “Throwback Thursday: 1936 Wedding”