February
13 marked your grandmother Marguerite's 117th birthday so I'd like to
say Happy Birthday to her by posting a partial transcription of the
story relayed to me by Marilyn Pitelli Sheerin several years ago. The
photo is one I think many of you have seen. Marilyn got this from Aunt
Marie Manzelli Mangelli and forwarded it to me. Marilyn noted on the back that you see the Manzellis:
Anna, Marie, Giovanna, Madeline, Emily and Regina in front. I suspect
it was taken perhaps around 1940-1942.
Enjoy. I welcome your comment or thoughts on your memories of such stories. I've put some of my own notes in red.
After
their father died, Joseph, Giacomo, Pasquale and Michael decided to
leave Pietraroia Italy to come find a better life in America. They left
their mother and younger brother and thought they would send for them
later.
Giacomo was a bachelor and lived with Joseph even after her married Giovanna. Pasquale was a priest and founded Saint Joseph Church, New Rochelle NY.
When their mother became ill in Italy they sent for her. But, the younger brother Andrew was about to be married and chose to stay in Italy. He died many eyars later, but the woman he married Christina is the woman Ed and I visited in Pietraroia last July. It was a dream come true for me. She still lives across the street from the church where the Manzelli boys were baptized and Pasquale said his first mass.
Marguerite was the name of Joseph, Michael, Pasquale, Giacomo and Andrew’s mother and you can see that Joseph and Andrew named their first born daughters after their mother. And Uncle Johnny followed suit with his daughter Marguerite. It is very interesting how the family names keep popping up ie Peter, Michael, Andrew (by the way Giacomo is Italian for James!)
Anyway, back to the story-when the ill mother came to America Fr. Pasquale took care of her at St. Josephy Rectory in New Rochelle. In the meantim the three brothers decided to build a family mauseleum at Calvary Cemetery where the whole family could be buried. …..When Marguerite died the mauseleum was finished and she was buried there.
One little story I remember my mom (Aunt Anna Pitelli) always telling is when Regina’s Dad James Coffarelli was diagnosed with leukemia, he spent a long time at NY Hospital and was finally going to be released. The family planned a wonderful Welcome Home Party (my mother was 14). About 9 PM her father (Joseph) said good night to the guests and went upstairs to bed. All of a sudden they heard a thum and Joseph Manzelli collagpsed and died of a heart attack. (December 10 1933).
James Coffarelli died eventually of the leukemia (Feb 20 1934—only a couple of months later) and the story I heard was that Marguerite almost died of a broken heart about 2 years later (Jan 3 1938) leaving Johnny and Regina. She never really accepted her husband’s death. My mom also always said Marguerite played the piano, gave lessons and also played the organ in church.”
Giacomo was a bachelor and lived with Joseph even after her married Giovanna. Pasquale was a priest and founded Saint Joseph Church, New Rochelle NY.
When their mother became ill in Italy they sent for her. But, the younger brother Andrew was about to be married and chose to stay in Italy. He died many eyars later, but the woman he married Christina is the woman Ed and I visited in Pietraroia last July. It was a dream come true for me. She still lives across the street from the church where the Manzelli boys were baptized and Pasquale said his first mass.
Marguerite was the name of Joseph, Michael, Pasquale, Giacomo and Andrew’s mother and you can see that Joseph and Andrew named their first born daughters after their mother. And Uncle Johnny followed suit with his daughter Marguerite. It is very interesting how the family names keep popping up ie Peter, Michael, Andrew (by the way Giacomo is Italian for James!)
Anyway, back to the story-when the ill mother came to America Fr. Pasquale took care of her at St. Josephy Rectory in New Rochelle. In the meantim the three brothers decided to build a family mauseleum at Calvary Cemetery where the whole family could be buried. …..When Marguerite died the mauseleum was finished and she was buried there.
One little story I remember my mom (Aunt Anna Pitelli) always telling is when Regina’s Dad James Coffarelli was diagnosed with leukemia, he spent a long time at NY Hospital and was finally going to be released. The family planned a wonderful Welcome Home Party (my mother was 14). About 9 PM her father (Joseph) said good night to the guests and went upstairs to bed. All of a sudden they heard a thum and Joseph Manzelli collagpsed and died of a heart attack. (December 10 1933).
James Coffarelli died eventually of the leukemia (Feb 20 1934—only a couple of months later) and the story I heard was that Marguerite almost died of a broken heart about 2 years later (Jan 3 1938) leaving Johnny and Regina. She never really accepted her husband’s death. My mom also always said Marguerite played the piano, gave lessons and also played the organ in church.”
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