Family History Stuff

My sister Kathy emailed me this. I decided to post it. Some of it is obviously quoted from a document she must have on her computer.

The Marino's and Ranelli's

On the left is my grandfather Papa Frank Ranelli, not sure about man in center of picture, the right is Zio Onorfrio Baldone

My Father's Mother, Maria Marino Ranelli, came from a small town in Sicily called Sutera. Sutera is on a hillside near the farming village of Campofranco in Southern-Mid Sicily. My Father's Father, Francesco Ranelli was from Campofranco. The Raneli's used to spell their name with one "L" - another was added in America, I am not sure why. The Father of Maria Marino - Giovanni Marino had agreed to a marriage between his daughter and the son of Francesco Raneli. Then an argument occured between the two fathers and Giovanni called off the marriage. Young Francesco was already smitten and ready to marry so he and his friends went to Sutera and got Maria. She and Francesco were married without her father's permission - something quite rare in those days in rural, European culture. They had not been married long before they decided to leave Sicily for America. Francesco would leave first and go to New York to stay with a cousin and see.



Buteras and Giardinas.

I spoke with Mom recently and she said that they got grandmother Sara Giardina Butera's name wrong on the Ellis Island records.

Great-great grandmother Teresa had a daughter Rosalia who was 18 but the manifest also says there was another Rosalia who was 22, but this was actually Rosaria - like the Rosary and she was called Saria or Sara.

07. Teresa Varca (Giardina) 49yrs - Husband died (Maybe Charles or
Carlo)and she gathered up all her children,
including married daughter Rosalia (Rosaria called Sara) Giardina Butera and her Husband
Andrea Butera, his daughter from a previous marriage Rosalia (Lily)
Butera -6yrs and Sara and Andrea's baby boy Guiseppi -1 yr old.

08. Teresa's daughter or daughter in law, niece? Rosalia Giardina - 18
yrs - perhaps Ramiano's wife?

09. Ramiano - 16 yrs perhaps a cousin? Maybe married to the 18 yr old
Rosalia?

10. Teresa's daughter Croce - 13 yrs

11. Teresa's son Paul - 11 yrs- married step-niece Lily - one son Big
Charlie Giardina - had Rosalind Giardina Ranelli married Big Frank

12. Teresa's son Mike - 9 yrs

13. Andrew Butera 34yrs married her daughter Rosalia (Rosaria) called Sara

14. Rosalia Butera - 6 yrs - Andrew Butera's daughter from a previous
marriage - Called Lily and married step-brother Paul - one child - Big
Charlie Giardina

15. Andrew and Sara's first Son Joe 1yr


16. Teresa;s married daughter Rosalia (Rosaria)Giardina Butera - called Sara 22yrs

My Giardina Family came over on this ship which you can find at
ellisisland.org
Date: October 22, 1898
Ship of Travel: Victoria
Port of Departure: Naples
Manifest Line Number: 0008

On that ship manifest - the Victoria, arriving on October 22, 1898 were My
Great-great Grandmother Teresa Varca (Giardina) but they mispelled her
name when transfering it to text - the text document spells her maiden
name "Karea" but it is really Varca (Giardina.)


My mother says that
Teresa's husband - I am not sure of his first name, but probably Charles,
Paul or Michael - He had a grain Mill in Sicily on a river. One night
there was a storm and he knew that he should go out and grind some wheat
while the river was moving so fast. When he got there, he sliped and hit
his head on a rock and died. So the widow, Teresa Varca Giardina, gathered
up all of her children, including her oldest daughter Sara (Rosalia) and
her Husband Andrea Butera and came over on the Victoria in 1898.

On the ship manifest, ,they put down that their destination was New
Orleans so may they have gone to New Orleans after that for a while, but
evetually ended up here, in Birmingham, Alabama. They were a lot of
immigrants here from her town of Bisaquino and she probably had friends
here. She stared a pasta factory and opened a general store where she sold
all kinds of food and also the pasta she made as well as Italian products
which were probably from New Orleans. She and her Daughter Sara and Son-in-
law Andrea also bought property in Ensley and rented the small houses
that they bought - and were quite wealthy.

Check out the ship's manifest and you will see several Giardina's
(Teresa's children) and a few Butera's (Sara and Andrea's children.


The Williamsons. My English Great Grandparents. My mother's mother's parents.
From the Ellis Island records:

First Name:	Mary Elizabeth
Last Name:	Williamson
Ethnicity:	English
Last Place of Residence:	Ashington
Date of Arrival:	Mar 28, 1901

-->
Age at Arrival: 21y Gender: F Marital Status: M Ship of Travel:Teutonic Port of Departure:Liverpool

Manifest Line Number:

0011

'

First Name:	Thomas
Last Name:	Williamson
Ethnicity:	English
Last Place of Residence:	Ashington
Date of Arrival:

-->Mar 28, 1901 Age at Arrival: 24y Gender: M Marital Status: M Ship of Travel:Teutonic Port of Departure:Liverpool Manifest Line Number:0010
Thomas Williamson came to Alabama to work in the coal mines. He worked in Coal Mine number 8, behind their house.