Left to right: Angela Maddalena Genetti, Ralph (Raffael) Recla, Peter Zambotti and Anna Maria (Mary) Genetti. About 1895. Photo contributed by Don Lingousky.
The past few weeks have been exceptionally busy with emails from new cousins who have stumble upon The Genetti Family Genealogy Project. Along with answering emails, I’ve been busy tracking down our shared ancestry so we can enter their family information on our tree.
We’d like to welcome Vicki Recla Underwood Simpson and Ralph Bones to our family genealogy project. Vicki and Ralph are first cousins from the Genetti/Recla branch. Their shared ancestors are grandparents Lawrence Leo Recla and Kathryn Piz. Lawrence was the son of Raffael Recla and Angela Maddalena Genetti of Sheppton, Pennsylvania. Vicki and Ralph have already supplied me with twenty-five descendants for our family tree. We look forward to their future contributions of photos and information about the Recla clan.
Do you remember Don Lingousky from past posts and contributions to this website? Well it turns out that Don is Vicki and Ralph’s second cousin, as well as a great researcher of his own family ancestry. Don’s grandmother, Leonela Recla, was the sister of Ralph and Vicki’s grandfather, Lawrence. Emails have already been exchanged between Recla cousins and I’m sure they will be comparing ancestral notes soon. (FYI – I am Vicki and Ralph’s third cousin because we share the same great-great-grandparents, Leone and Cattarina Genetti).
The tombstone of Col. Emil Joseph Genetti, Fort Logan National Cemetery, Denver, CO.
Also we would like to welcome Francesco Marchetti of Trentino, Italy. Francesco wrote me several weeks ago searching for information on his American cousins. His family, likes ours, is from the village of Castelfondo in northern Italy. Francesco’s 3rd great-aunt, Maria Marchetti, came to America in 1913 and married Pietro Genetti, also of Castelfondo. Their life in America and the amazing legacy that their children built deserves its own blog post! I am still researching this interesting family, but for now I can tell you that Maria and Pietro represent a new branch of our family that I have yet to add to the Genetti tree. The couple settled in Michigan, had three sons and their lives are well-documented through the Federal Census and newspaper articles. Plus I have uncovered several living descendants and hope they will eventually connect with our website, adding their own stories and photos. The great-grandchildren of Maria and Pietro, now living in various locals throughout the United States, are Francesco’s third cousins.
The story deepens because I am also from the Marchetti-Genetti families. After doing the math and counting the generations, I concluded that Francesco is my 6th cousin, once removed (Francesco is a generation younger than me). And I am also related to Maria and Pietro’s descendants – twice! Their grandchildren are my 5th cousins through the Genetti family, and my 6th cousins through the Marchetti family.
Within a few weeks, I will write the complete story of Maria, Pietro and their sons, Emil Joseph (Primo), Albert and Florian. My sincere thanks (mille grazie!) to Francesco for contacting our website and beginning the research into his fascinating family!
A final note – due to the many Genetti ancestors and their descendants who have served in the military, I have decided to compile a page honoring our family’s military history. If you would like to note family members on this page, please email photos, military history, documents, etc. to: info.genetti.family@gmail.com. I will do my best to create a suitable tribute to our family in uniform.
The Genetti Family Genealogy Project 