The Genetti Family Genealogy Project

Ancestors, Family History, Family Stories, Family Trees, Genetti Family

The Wyoming Genetti Family

by L.Roach • April 25, 2016 • 2 Comments

Angelo Genetti
1859-1946

I’ve spent the past month in the “zone”. That’s what happens when you’re deep in research, attempting to find pieces of your genealogy puzzle.

The Genetti Family tree is huge with many branches and multitudes of records to dig through. I love diving into century-old ledgers to tease out the truth! But to focus my concentration and patience on the task of research, I must block out everything else.

It takes weeks to complete an entire line, and so it was with the Wyoming Genetti Family. This branch has many descendants now living in California, Utah, Texas, Mississippi, Idaho, Wyoming and possibly still in Castelfondo, Italy. For over a year, I have attempted to tackle the extensive research required for this family, but always got sidelined with one thing or another. Last month I put my nose to the grindstone (or “mola” as it is known in Italian) and went at it nonstop.

Frank Genetti
1884-1974

The results: 102 new ancestor names with birth, marriage and death dates, 23 photos and 8 new generations added to the Genetti Family Online Tree! And I still have the current generations to document, plus two side branches to research before the Wyoming line is complete. Want to find the beginning of this family branch on our online tree? Search for Andrea Genetti 1597 – 1660 and follow his male descendants forward in time.

Angelo Genetti (1859-1946) was the patriarch of the modern Wyoming family. He was the first to travel to America in 1887, finding work in the coal mines of Rock Springs, Wyoming. Angelo stayed for five years, earning much needed money for his family back home. In 1892, he returned to Castelfondo, Tyrol. Between 1880 and 1899, Angelo and his wife,Teresa Annunziata Marchetti, had four sons and four daughters.

Enrico Genetti
1886-1941

As they grew into adults, Angelo encouraged his sons: Francesco (Frank), Enrico, Ermenegildo (Herman or Joe) and Dominico (Dominic), to seek their fortunes in America. The brothers began life as immigrants in hard-scrabble Rock Springs, living in a close-knit community of Tyroleans from the Val di Non. Soon all the brothers became United States citizens, married and began raising families on the dusty prairies of the American west.

Angelo, his wife, Teresa, and their four daughters: Maria Domenica, Anna Maria, Maria Virginia and Annunziata – all remained in Castelfondo. The girls married and had families of their own. And so Angelo’s family was split between America and Tyrol.

Herman Genetti
1893-1967

Eventually the children and grandchildren of the four brothers moved to other destinations in the United States. Today you’ll find their descendants living in such cities as Salt Lake City, Sonoma and Boise.

A big THANK YOU to Alexandra Genetti! An avid genealogist, Alexandra is married to Ken Genetti, the grandson of Enrico Genetti. I met Alexandra a number of years ago through Ancestry.com when I stumbled upon her Genetti family tree. We were soon corresponding and collaborating as “genealogy geeks” – a befitting term coined by Alexandra. Her family research and photos have proven to be an invaluable resource. Most of the information for the last three generations of this branch came from Alexandra and Ken. Many thanks to you both!

Dominic Genetti
1895-1966

FYI – Ken and I are related twice through the Genetti family: as 4th cousins, once removed and as 9th cousins, twice removed (I also think we are distantly related through the Marchetti family!). But wait – this is a story for another blog post!

As I continue to add living descendants to the Wyoming Genetti branch, I hope more cousins from this large family will email me with their own family stats. Are you a descendant of Frank, Enrico, Herman or Dominic and would like your family’s info to be included in the Genetti archive? Click on our Contact Page and send me a message. I’d love to hear from you!

Take a look at our Photograph Page – I’ve added portraits of Angelo, Teresa and their four sons to the photo archive. For more descendant portraits, check out this family in the online Genetti tree (search for Angelo Genetti). There you’ll find many portraits attached to individual descendant listings.

Watch for future posts about the Wyoming Genetti family – I have a number of interesting stories yet to share!

Family News, Genetti Family, News

See You in October!

by L.Roach • April 7, 2016 • 2 Comments

Reunion-3small It’s family reunion time! Have you saved the dates? Make sure you mark your calendar for the 2016 Genetti Family Reunion: October 7th, 8th and 9th to take place in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. Bill Genetti has once again generously volunteered to manage all of the details for our fun-filled weekend of family hobnobbing, feasting and sharing.

We will soon post a new page on our website just for Reunion 2016 to keep you up-to-date with the itinerary, lecture info, times, places and costs. An email will also be sent to all family members on our mailing list with registration information for the Reunion weekend. Not sure if you’re on the list? Go to our Contact Page and send me a message with your name and email address in the Comment section.

Raffaele and Lucia Genetti with family, 1916

Since our website launched two years ago, cousins have contacted me from all branches of our extensive family. And of course, I’m always thrilled to meet a new cousin! How exciting it would be to have members from every part of the Genetti Family attending the reunion in Hazleton! So if your clan hails from Wyoming, Illinois, Michigan, California, Texas, Utah or Italy – we look forward to meeting you in Pennsylvania! All Genetti descendants are welcome!

Not to spill the beans … but we’re working on two super-exciting activities: a workshop about DNA genealogy and a lecture on the first Genetti ancestors to settled in America (this includes all branches of the family!). Stay tune for more details as they become available.

I hope to see you in October!

Ancestors, Quote

Words of Wisdom

by L.Roach • March 29, 2016 • 0 Comments

Three Genetti Sisters: Erma, Tillie and Dora

“I am bound to them, though I cannot look into their eyes or hear their voices. I honor their history. I cherish their lives. I will tell their story. I will remember them.” ~ Author Unknown

Books, Family Stories, Genealogy Resources, Genetti Family, Immigration, Pennsylvania

Books by the Family

by L.Roach • March 24, 2016 • 1 Comment

Stanley V. Genetti
1899-1988

I have just added a new page to our Gallery section: Books by Members of the Genetti Family. This important project has been on the back-burner for at least a year and now I am finally devoting time to making it happen.

We have two family members (that I know of) who have penned memoirs: Stanley Genetti (Pennsylvania) and Herman Genetti (Wyoming). Copies of both books have been forwarded to me through different channels. They were obviously written with a great deal of love and with the intention of sharing family history. Until now, both autobiographies existed only as paper copies in the possession of a few relatives. As personal legacies offering an account of life during a bygone era, I feel the narratives are an important part of our shared ancestry. In making them available on this website, I hope others will find great joy and comfort in the stories they tell. Perhaps the bios will inspire others to write their own account of life within the Genetti clan.

I am pleased to announce that The Autobiography of Stanley Genetti is now available on our website and can be download as a PDF file. This entertaining bio is a true treasure – I have read it several times and always find a new revelation with each reading. As with most memoirs, Stanley wrote this account from memory, including family stories and lore passed down from his elders, as well as autobiographical information about life as a businessman. I appreciated Stanley’s perspective of the Genetti businesses and the role he played within the family hierarchy. Since my grandfather, Leon Genetti, was Stanley’s older brother and one of his business partners, the memoir provides a peek into my own family dynamics.

Genetti Store – Hazleton Heights, PA – 1921

Stanley self-published his book in 1981, distributing it to cousins, children and friends. As with any memoir, it’s always a good idea to check against genealogy records before using generational information as fact. At the time Stanley compiled his memories, there was no internet or the ability to fact-check against baptismal and death records. Written at the age of 82 and with both of his parents, (Damiano and Oliva) long gone, it would have been difficult to accurately record specifics about his parents’ siblings. Unfortunately several details about his aunts and uncles are not consistent with Castelfondo church records (the corrected information can be found on the Genetti online family tree). But hey – I hope I can look back on my life at 82 and remember so much! Kudos to you Stanley – your gift of memories will be treasured by future generations as a source of pride, recognizing the entrepreneurial spirit of our ancestors.

I hope you enjoy and share the legacy of story that Stanley left for us. Many thanks to his family who made this book available to me.

I am currently working on a digitize version of Herman Genetti’s book – Herman’s Howlings, and hope to have it online soon. If there are other family journals, collections of letters or biographies out there, gathering dust while stashed in a forgotten shoe box, please consider sharing these pearls of wisdom with us. If they are only available in paper form, mail me a Xeroxed copy. I will gladly spend the time to digitize it into a PDF format and post it on our website.

Thank you once again to all of our contributors. Through your efforts, we are building a genealogical endowment for future generations.

I invite you to take a few moments and visit our ever-growing Gallery Section!

Quote

Words of Wisdom

by L.Roach • March 19, 2016 • 0 Comments

Village of Castelfondo
photographed June 8, 1921

For your enjoyment, here are a few quotes I came across today:

“When a society or a civilization perishes, one condition can always be found. They forgot where they came from.” ~ Carl Sanberg

“You live as long as you are remembered.” ~ Russian Proverb

“People will not look forward to posterity who never look backward to their ancestors.” ~ Edmund Burke

Genealogy Trivia: “If you figure there’s 25 years between each generation, 500 years ago there were 1,048,576 people involved in creating you!”

“We don’t own our family history. We simply preserve it for the next generation.” ~ Rosemary Alva

“In all of us there is a hunger, marrow deep, to know our heritage – to know who we are and where we came from. Without this knowledge, there is a hollow yearning. No matter what our attainments in life, there is still a vacuum, an emptiness, and the most disquieting loneliness.” ~ Alex Haley

Thank you to Family Tree Circles for these insightful words of wisdom!

Ancestors, Quote, Tyrolean History

A Tyrolean Proverb

by L.Roach • March 9, 2016 • 1 Comment

Camillo Branz (1870-1948), Ray’s great-grandfather.

My favorite reason for doing genealogy are the people you meet along the way. Our little family website has drawn the attention of Tyrolean descendants from all over the world. Sometimes they turn out to be cousins; often they are family genealogists searching for clues to their own ancestry.

Last week I received a wonderful email from Ray Branz who shares our Tyrolean heritage. Ray explained, “Years ago I was traveling through Diamondville, WY and came across the attached story. I do not know the Bazzanella family … but … they left behind a proverb that may bring a smile.”

The name “Branz” immediately rang a bell! Jean Branz Daly is a prolific contributor to the Genetti website (and my first cousin, once removed). Jean’s mother, Erminia Genetti, married Henry Branz and they lived in Freeland, PA. I wondered if Ray was related to Jean’s father’s family.

Since Ray is also a genealogist and has detailed research about his own family tree, he wrote back immediately with the answer. Yes, we had many overlaps in our shared family histories. The Branz family was from the village of Sanzeno in the Val di Non, not far from the Genetti’s ancestral village of Castelfondo. Ray’s great-grandparents, Camillo and Maria Rosa, immigrated to Pennsylvania in the 1890’s, settling in Nuremberg, PA for a short time. They soon moved on to the coal mines of Wyoming. In 1904, the family finally putting down roots in southern Illinois. From Ray’s calculations, he and Jean were indeed distantly related as 6th cousins, once removed through the Branz family.

Since I have Genetti and Marchetti family who lived at the same time and in the same place in Pennsylvania as Ray’s great-grandparents, we are sure our ancestors knew each other. Plus different branches of the Genetti family also worked the mines in Wyoming and Illinois. Since Tyrolean immigrants who shared a common dialect (such as Nones from the Val di Non) often socialized and lived in the same communities, it’s likely that Camillo and Maria Rosa also knew the Genetti families who lived in these states. I always marvel at how truly small the world is!

Below is the original typed copy of the Tyrolean Proverb shared by Ray Branz. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Many thanks Ray. I look forward to future conversations about our shared heritage.

In closing, here’s a quote for everyone who has taken the time to write me during the past two years:

“The best part about genealogy is searching for ancestors and finding friends.” ~ Lawrence Dillard

Ancestors, Trentini, Tyrolean History

More About Ötzi, The Iceman

by L.Roach • March 8, 2016 • 0 Comments

This life size model of Otzi, created by Dutch artists Adrie and Alfons Kennis, is on display at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, Italy. Photograph by Robert Clark – National Geographic.

For all of you Ötzi fans, The Iceman has been making the news recently.

PBS just aired an informative NOVA episode, “Iceman Reborn”, filming the unique process used to create an identical replica of the Tyrolean mummy. Ötzi’s twin will be available to scientists who are unable to observe the famous ice mummy in person.

Paleo-artist, Gary Staab, worked for five months to reproduce the first of three copies utilizing cutting edge techniques in 3-D printing combined with his extraordinary talent of observation and artistic skill. I loved the program!

Read an interview with artist, Gary Staab at the Smithsonian: http://goo.gl/ZZHSOz

Or, watch the PBS NOVA episode at: http://www.pbs.org/video/2365669542/

In other Ötzi news – The Iceman Speaks! Well … not quite. Scientists are in the process of recreating Ötzi’s vocal tract, including his vocal cords and mouth. The experiment will then combine the replica with software that will approximate what Ötzi’s voice sounded like 5,300 years ago.

Of course scientists have no idea what language was spoken by the famous Tyrolean, since the earliest written inscriptions by humans appear around 1500 BC. Ötzi’s birth date is between 3359 and 3105 BC. According to project coordinator, Francesco Avanzini, “We should be able to recreate the timbre of his vowel sounds and, I hope, even create simulation of consonants.” How exciting!

Click here to read the article “Can mummies talk? Scientists find out” by The Christian Science Monitor.

See more photos of Ötzi, published in the March 2016 issue of National Geographic, click here.

Want to get up-close and personal with The Iceman, then hop on over to Ötzi’s home at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology: http://www.iceman.it/en

Cousins, Family News, Genetti Family, News, Pennsylvania

Genetti Family Reunion!

by L.Roach • February 28, 2016 • 2 Comments

Damiano Genett and his four sons

Mark your calendars and save the date!

I just received confirmation from Bill Genetti – we will be having a Genetti Family Reunion this year! The weekend is October 7-9, to be held at the Genetti Ballrooms in Hazleton, PA. All Genetti descendants are welcome!

Festivities will include a Friday night pizza party, Saturday afternoon program, Saturday evening cocktail hour/dinner with a guest speaker, and Sunday farewell gathering. Watch this website for details and booking information as it is made available.

Raffaele and Lucia Genetti with family, 1916

We are hoping for a large turnout of cousins from all branches of the family. Whether your name is Genetti, Lingousky, Recla, Bott, Reich or Zambotti – from the United States or Italy – you are invited as long as you are a Genetti descendant. And please feel free to share this post with other cousins.

Come to Pennsylvania in October! Meet new cousins, share stories and learn about your family ancestry!

News

I Have Returned

by L.Roach • February 23, 2016 • 3 Comments

Louise and Michael at Stonehenge

It’s been awhile since my last blog post. My husband and I have been traveling for the past month, exploring the tiny island country of Malta with a stop-over in the UK. The trip was packed with history and culture! During our adventure we managed to see six UNESCO World Heritage Sites in two countries: Westminster Abbey, Stonehenge, the Tower of London, City of Valletta – Malta, Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, and the Megalithic Temples of Malta.

Salisbury Cathedral

While in England we witnessed a beautiful sunset in front of Buckingham Palace, took a boat ride down the Thames, climbed the steeple of Salisbury Cathedral, saw the tombs of British monarchy at Westminster Abbey and Windsor Castle, hiked the grounds around Stonehenge, and even saw an original copy of the Magna Carta.

A short plane ride from London, we spent three weeks in Malta – an exotic, ancient land. The country contains the oldest stone structures in the world! There are Roman ruins, the grotto of Saint Paul, early Christian catacombs, medieval walled cities, extravagant cathedrals and, of course, the Knights of Malta.

St. John’s Co-Cathedral of the
Knights of Malta

The city of Valletta, Malta

Also known as the Knights Hospitallers and the Order of St. John, the Knights of Malta actually have a connection to our family village of Castelfondo, Trentino. Throughout the centuries, the noble family of Thun, owners of the 12th century Castello di Castelfondo located on a hill above the town, have had several family members inducted into the Knights of Malta. There was even a Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta from the Thun family who hailed from Trento and the Val di Non, Galeas von Thun und Hohenstein (1850-1931). It was exciting to visit their ornately decorated churches, walk the battlements around the Knights’ fortified city of Valletta and be transported back in time.

It’s wonderful to explore the world, but also comforting to return home. When I’m gone, I miss the thrill of the genealogy hunt, searching archives for our ancestors and bringing their stories to life in my blog posts.

While I was away, we had another leaf added to our family tree! Jameson Michael Quinn is the great-great-great grandson of Angela Maddalena Genetti and Raffael Recla. Congratulations to the family and thank you to Jameson’s grandmother, Vicki Simpson Underwood, for keeping me up-to-date with her branch of the family. Vicki is my 3rd cousin – we share 2nd great-grandparents Leone and Cattarina Genetti.

And a shout out to a new cousin, Donna Recla Lemke, another 3rd cousin from the same Genetti line (and Vicki’s 1st cousin). Donna is now in the process of sending me information so we can update her branch of the tree too. While adding Donna’s info, I found out we grew up just miles from each other in the Buffalo/Western New York area. What a small world!

As I added little Jameson to our archive, I ran a few calculations. I believe we are now in the 18th generation of our Genetti line beginning with Pietro (1461) who is the first person on the family tree. Pietro was born approximately 100 years before baptismal records were documented. However, there is evidence in the historical record that our family began much earlier in 1265, long before documentation was being kept for anyone other than nobility or popes. If we assume there is an average of three generations born during each century, that would calculate to six generations of undocumented ancestors just in our direct branch alone. That adds up to 24 generations of the Genetti family spanning seven and a half centuries. Of course, those early six generations also had multiple descendants, creating a broader family base and several lines separate from ours. I know of at least three different branches that are not a part of our original tree, but who are most likely related to us prior to the establishment of baptismal records.

In a future blog post we’ll talk about the roots of the Genetti tree planted in 1265.

Ciao for now!

Ancestors, Quote, Tyrolean History

Tyrolean Wisdom Stories #4

by L.Roach • February 11, 2016 • 0 Comments

San Nicolo Church, Castelfondo, late 1800’s

Proverbs from Trentino:

Dialect: Tutti li cimi scorla.

Translation: All genius are somewhat disturbed.

Dialect: Chi zappa, zacca e chi mette giù, tol su.

Translation: The one that hoes, eats; the one that sow, reaps.

Proverbs courtesy of Filo Magazine: A Journal for Tyrolean Americans.

Visit Filo for a fascinating glimpse into our ancestral arts, culture, cuisine, history and much, much more!

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