Mt. Rainier and Lenticular Clouds - Dec. 2008 copyright: JMM

February 15, 2013

Flashback Friday

Back row l to r:    Uncles Frank, Vincent, Joe and Salvatore DiMartino.  
Front row l to r:    Aunt Teresa, my Great-Great Grandparents Angelina & Sabatino DiMartino, 
                              Great Grandmother Filomena "Fannie" Marganella

Photo taken approximately 1917, of my maternal family.  The DiMartinos settled in Connecticut, but Fannie settled in Yonkers, NY with her husband Giovanni & their children.  Fannie came over from Italy in 1911 with my Aunt Celia & grandmother Maria, who were 6 and 5, respectively, on a ship called The Berlin.  I never met any of these people.  I don't know much about them except that all but Fannie settled in Connecticut, and my great-great grandmother, Angelina, was a midwife.  I don't believe they ever learned to speak English fluently, but because their children were encourage to speak English, I was never taught to speak Italian.  I would beg my grandmother to teach it to me but she always put me off or changed the subject.

9 comments:

  1. Wonderful! All in Sunday best.

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  2. I had no idea you're part Italian! BTW...I have a picture of my ancestors from Scotland. None of them were smiling, none of your folks are smiling. I wonder why they all look so glum?

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  3. Very cool. I don't recall ever having seen any group portraits like this for my family. People did such formal sittings back then.

    Lee
    Wrote By Rote
    An A to Z Co-host blog

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  4. Anonymous4:00 AM

    None of my ancestors are smiling in their pictures either, but back then, life was GENUINELY tough, unlike now, when most people under 20 think they're in 'poverty' if they don't have the latest i-phone or 50" plasma TV ;0)

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  5. What an amazing photo to have you are so lucky.

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  6. Amazing photo. I think it is so cool that you know so much about your ancestors.

    Kathy
    http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com

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  7. Very cool photo JoJo! I don't think I knew you were Italian too! You forgot to link it up over at the Flashback Friday linky but I linked it for you :)

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  8. Cool photo! It must be nice to have pictures to remember your family history.
    Valerie
    Everyday Inspired

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  9. I found your blog prom the Pinsrosiversary page--though I can't find the failed balloon ice balls!

    I am half Italian and speak barely a word. My dad was a 2nd generation CA native, all 4 of his grandparents were from the same Comune in Liguria. His grandmother lived with them and spoke no English, and when he went to Kindergarten he had a shock--they spoke English there! So yeah--he REFUSED to teach my brother and I.

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