Cousins, Family News, Genetti Family, News

Finding Family News and Interesting Cousins with Google Alerts

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You’re probably wondering how I find family news to post on our genealogy website. With thousands of Genetti descendants living throughout the United States, Europe, South America and Australia – it’s not easy. Sometimes family members send me email updates, other times I see newsy posts on FaceBook from relatives I have “friended”. Another technique I like to use for “staying in the know” and discovering new Genetti cousins is Google Alerts. Through my Google account, I’ve set up an “Alert” for the word “Genetti”. When Google searches the web and finds current news or relevant publications containing the word “Genetti” in the text, I receive an email with a link to the online story. If I think the information is newsworthy and it also pertains to a Genetti descendant, I’ll pass it on to you in the form of a blog post.

TinyHouses

Photo from CDAPress.com

That’s how I found this interesting article, “Tiny Houses, Big Plans” about LightWorks, a community-based company created by Frank Genetti. The Google Alert for this article showed up a few days ago in my email inbox. I won’t go into details, since you can read the article for yourself, but here’s the gist of it: Frank Genetti has a plan to help the homeless and change the world – one tiny house at a time. I love this concept and the mission he has created for addressing positive, self-sustaining and lasting social change. That’s why I’m sharing it with you today as a blog post. Without going into my own personal philosophy, I believe it’s important to give back to the community and Frank is doing just that.

But before I could post this article, I needed to find out – who is Frank Genetti and is he related to our family? I had not heard of this gentleman, so it was necessary to find a few clues before beginning the investigative process.

The article states: “A former golden boy running back at Cal-Berkeley who then went into business and lived the high life in California, Genetti eventually came back to earth. With a thud. Personal and family issues nearly consumed him. Cancer coursing through his body almost killed him. But through it all, he’s emerged a deeply spiritual man whose focus is squarely on others.” Wow – that was an amazing, short description that told me a lot about Frank. But was he actually related to the Genetti clan from Castelfondo, Italy?

The Genetti Family Tree

The Genetti Family Tree

I knew exactly who to contact. Five years ago I met a fellow genealogist through Ancestry.com named Alexandra Genetti. Her husband, Michael, is a descendant of the Genetti family who originally emigrated  from Castelfondo to Wyoming. His family then moved on to California. If you look at the original family tree pictured here, you’ll find the branch of the Wyoming Genettis in the lower right corner. I knew Alexandra was an amazing genealogist who had thoroughly researched her husband’s family and had shared information with me in the past. If Frank was related to the California Genettis, Alexandra would know. I sent her an email request for info and within a day I had my answer.

TreeCloseupYes, Frank Genetti was related to the Wyoming/California branch of the Genettis. His grandfather was Francesco Giacinto Genetti, brother to Michael’s grandfather, Enrico Genetti. Their family patriarch was Angelo Genetti (1859 – 1946 ) born in Castelfondo, Austria (Italy). Frank and Michael share great-grandparents, Angelo and Teresa Marchetti, making them 2nd cousins.

Unfortunately, I have yet to research this branch of the Genettis and their information still needs to be added to our online family tree. They trace their roots back to the very first main branches, where our tree splits between two brothers: Pietro (born 1594) and Andrea (born 1597). My ancestors originate through Pietro’s branch and the Wyoming Genetti clan are descendants of Andrea Genetti. I certainly have it on my to-do list to tackle this large section of our tree! Particularly since I have also found at least two intermarriages between this branch of the family and mine. (Many thanks to Alexandra for her meticulous research.)

And so we would like to welcome cousin Frank Genetti and applaud your vision for creating a better world! I hope we hear from you soon, along with more information about your uplifting endeavors.

To read the article “Tiny House, Big Plans” – click here!

Remember to “like” our family page on FaceBook – click here!

Learn more about Alexandra Genetti: artist, author and expert on the Tarot – click here!

And if you are a Genetti descendant and would like to friend me, I can be found on FaceBook under the name “Louise Genetti Roach”.

You can order your own copy of the original Genetti Family Tree at our online shop – click here!

Ancestors, Cousins, Family History, Family Stories, Family Trees, Related Surnames

A Surprising Discovery!

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The Genetti Family Tree

The Genetti Family Tree

About a week ago, I broke through a genealogy brick wall that had blocked my research for some time on a particular branch of my direct line. The results were a surprising discovery that shocked even me! Here’s the story.

For the past few months I’ve spent a lot of time researching the Genetti family that settled in Illinois. This branch of the tree has many unusual stories with plot twists that have captured my interest. The descendants I’ve worked with are distant cousins that I’m related to twice since one set of their Genetti great-grandparents were fourth cousins. Usually I’ve found our kindred relationship to be eighth cousins through Cipriano Genetti (1811-1890) and fifth cousins, once or twice removed through his wife Catterina Genetti (1812-1875). When you look at our family tree pictured above, their family is located on the far left bottom corner and my family occupies the far right branches located half way up from the bottom right corner.

As I sat at my desk last week, researching ancestors and checking against the tree hanging on the wall before me, something caught my eye and clicked in my brain.

Oliva 1920s-b

Oliva Zambotti Genetti
1861-1938

To understand my discovery, we need to switch gears and talk about my great-grandmother, Oliva Zambotti. She married Damiano Genetti in 1886. I had worked on the Zambotti genealogy stretching back to the early 1700’s, but always hit a wall when it came to Oliva’s grandmother, Barbara Genetti (my 3rd great-grandmother) who married Alessandro Zambotti. Yes her maiden name was also Genetti! Up until this point, I had found no information on Barbara’s parents, Giovanni Battista Genetti (1767-1811) and Maria Domenica Corazza (1776-1854). Nor was I able to go back any further in this ancestral line. I assumed they were from the Genetti family with roots in the villages of Fondo or Dambel – a distant relation to the Castelfondo Genettis, with our common ancestor existing sometime before the mid-1500s.

As I studied the family tree that afternoon, I realized I had been looking for Barbara’s parents in the wrong place. There before me I saw their names. Giovanni Battista Genetti and Maria Dominica Corazza (my 4th great-grandparents) were ancestors of the Illinois Genetti family and on their branch of the tree! I had been researching Giovanni and Maria all along for their descendants and never made the connection. That means my 4th great-grandparents through my Zambotti great-grandmother were also the 4th great-grandparents for many of the Illinois Genetti descendants – they were the same people! My great-grandmother, Oliva, was first cousins, once removed with their Illinois patriarch in America, Vigilio Genetti. Oliva’s grandmother, Barbara Genetti Zambotti, was Vigilio’s aunt!

This changed everything! I was shocked at first, as I never considered that my Zambotti line had a Genetti ancestor from the 1700’s (although there have been four Genetti-Zambotti marriages in my family since 1886, including my great-grandparents).

Since Barbara Genetti’s parents (with their very long genealogy) were already part of my online family tree, I simple plugged in my great-grandmother Oliva’s connection and she instantly had Genetti ancestors going back to the 1400’s – sharing five ancestors from 1650 to 1491 with her husband Damiano. This means that my great-grandparents are 5th cousins, once removed – and Oliva is actually 6th cousins with her own children!

Getting back to the Illinois clan, I am related to Vigilio’s descendants through both of my great-grandparents – and through four common ancestors – Pietro Genetti 1650-1706, Giovanni Battista Genetti 1746-1807, Giovanni Battista Genetti 1767-1854 and Domenica Corazza 1776-1854. For many of Vigilio’s descendants, I am their 5th cousin (3 times!) as well as their 8th cousin. I wonder what our DNA results would look like? What kind of match could be determined by having so many common relatives? If anyone from the Illinois Genetti family would like to have their DNA tested through Ancestry.com (where my DNA results are based), let me know. I’m sure it would be absolutely fascinated to see the results!

If you are interested in purchasing a fine art print of the Genetti Family Tree, stop by our Shop for details on how to order your own piece of our ancestry. Click here!

 

 

Ancestors, Cousins, DNA, Family History, Family Stories, Genetti Family, Related Surnames

New Photos Added

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ErminiaReclaFamily

Erminia and Emmanuel Recla with their family. Children are Ralph, Elaine (in lap), Catherine (standing), Esther, Marie and Emma.
Spokane, WA – 1914.

Thank you to Mary Russell for sending me two family photos. Mary is the great-granddaughter of Erminia Enrica Genetti Recla.

The youngest child of Leone and Cattarina Genetti, Erminia was born in Castelfondo, Austria (Italy) in the year 1876. She arrived in America in 1890 at the age of 13. The ship’s passenger list shows that she traveled with her big brother Damiano, who escorted her across the ocean and then returned to his family in Castelfondo.

MaryHarryPettis

Marie Recla and her husband Harry Pettis – early 1920’s.

Since most of Erminia’s large family was already living in Pennsylvania, she was not alone. Her older sister Angela, had married a young man by the name of Raphael Recla in 1887. Angela must have introduced her little sister to Raphael’s brother, because a few years later in 1893 Erminia married Emmanuel Recla. The couple set-up housekeeping in Shepton, PA near Angela and Raphael, where their first two children were born. By 1897 they were living in Michigan and five more children followed. The family moved again around 1907 to Spokane, Washington and four more children were added to the large family. Of Erminia and Emmanuel’s eleven children, eight survived to adulthood.

Erminia passed away in 1972 at the ripe old age of 95. She was laid to rest next to Emmanuel (who passed away in 1939) in Holy Cross Cemetery – Spokane, WA. Erminia was the last surviving sibling of her family.

The interesting part of this story is that I met Mary Russell, Erminia’s great-granddaughter, through Ancestry.com when our DNA results came up as a match. Mary’s test results matched mine as “extremely high probability for 3rd or 4th cousins”. And sure enough, our “shared ancestor hint” correctly predicted that we shared common 2nd great-grandparents, Leone and Cattarina Genetti. Our great-grandparents, Erminia and Damiano, were siblings. This made Mary and I third cousins. I’m so glad that science brought us together and I have yet another lovely person to call cousin!

And one more twist to the story – I recently worked on an ancestral genealogy for Don Lingousky, the great-grandson of Angela Genetti Recla (see blog post from March 26, 2015). Don had emailed me directly, providing information and photos for our family tree. Since Don and Mary shared both a Genetti and a Recla ancestor (two Genetti sisters marrying two Recla brothers) and they were both interested in their family’s genealogy, it was only natural that they should meet. After several emails between the three of us, Don and Mary are now working on their Recla ancestry together. As it turns out – Don, Mary and I are all third cousins through the Genetti family. Don and Mary are also third cousins through the Recla family – therefore they are twice related. I bet they share a very interesting DNA match!

Make sure to visit our ever-growing Photograph page in the Gallery section of The Genetti Family Genealogy Project. You might also enjoy reading about the Genetti clan on our Family Stories page.

Ancestors, Cousins, Family History, Genetti Family

New Photos and People on the Tree!

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angela genetti photo

Angela Maddalena Genetti Recla 1865-1937

The past two weeks have brought many new acquaintances and surprises to my genealogy research. I’ve compared DNA findings on Ancestry.com, discovered new facts about family stories, shared tips with those of you doing your own ancestor research and worked on several personal genealogies for Genetti cousins. There is so much to share that I need several blog posts to cover all of our exciting genealogy news!

Today I would like to thank Don Lingousky and his wife Joyce for their wonderful contribution to The Genetti Family Genealogy Project. Don is the great-grandson of Angela Maddalena Genetti, daughter of Leone and Cattarina Genetti, sister of Damiano and Rafaele Genetti.

Born the 25th of December, 1865 in Castelfondo, Trentino, Austria (Italy), Angela emigrated to Pennsylvania as a young woman and in 1887 married a fellow Tyrolean, Raphael Recla. They had six children (two died in childhood), before Raphael tragically passed away in 1896 at the young age of 32.

leonela recla

Leonela Erminia Recla Lingousky 1890-1979

Obviously a strong woman, Angela became the head of the household, raising her remaining children on her own. According to Angela’s great-grandson, Don, she also adopted a young boy named Henry Parisi from St. Joseph’s Foundling Home (Pennsylvania) around 1906. Angela said she had prayed for a favor and promised to adopt a child if what she prayed for came true. Henry became part of her family and is noted in the 1910 and 1920 Census. Angela’s middle child, Leonela Erminia pictured in this lovely portrait, married Bernard Thomas Lingousky in 1913. Leonela and Bernard are Don’s grandparents.

The email that Don sent me two weeks ago contained information on many of his family members along with beautiful old portraits. I was thrilled! Don and his wife Joyce were already working on their family genealogy when they found our website. Don and I share the same 2nd great-grandparents, Leone and Cattarina Genetti, making us third cousins. Since our ancestors overlap, I was able to provide my personal genealogy to Don, as well as add his information to our growing family tree. Thanks to the Lingouskys we have added 8 new portraits to our Photograph page and twenty-six new people to the online family tree!

And we have another surprise portrait that will be added in a future blog post of a missing ancestor! Don inherited several photos from his Aunt Bernardine (Leonela and Bernard’s daughter) – one of which “knocked my socks off”! I’m still researching this ancestor, but will bring you the details soon.

To see all of Don’s family portraits, visit the Photograph Page. You can also trace Angela Genetti Recla’s ancestry on our digital Family Tree.

Thanks again Don and Joyce! I wish you many happy and successful hours researching your rich Tyrolean heritage.

 

Family News, Genetti Family, News, Pennsylvania

Vice President at Genetti Manor, PA

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Photo from PA homepage.

Photo from PA homepage.

This interesting bit of news came through my Google Alerts yesterday. Vice President Joe Biden (a Scranton, PA native), was invited to speak at the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick dinner held at the Genetti Manor in Dickson City, PA on the evening of March 17th. The Genetti Manor is owned and run by Gus Genetti.

Click here to see the local news broadcast of this event.

Family News, Genetti Family

New Genetti Descendant!

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BrodyBozek2015A new descendant has been added to the Genetti Family Tree! Congratulations to Frank and Elizabeth Bozek on the birth of their baby boy, Brody Nicholas. Born a week ago, Brody is the grandson of Valeria Genetti Bozek. He is also the great-grandson of Gus Genetti of Scranton, Pennsylvania and part of the fourth-generation of Americans in his family. Welcome Brody!

Ancestors, Family History, Genetti Family, Photos

New Photo in Gallery

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VigilioAndMariaThank you to Brian Genetti, a descendant of William Vigilio Genetti, for sending me a wonderful photograph of his great great grandparents! During the past year I’ve received many requests from this branch of our family who settled in Illinois. All have contributed information to our growing family tree. The photograph of William Vigilio Genetti with his first wife Maria Dolzadelli may be their wedding portrait, probably photographed sometime in the 1880’s. According to census records they had six children. Maria passed away in 1907 and Vigilio later remarried. He and his second wife, Margaretha, had three more children. Today there are many descendants of this family living in the United States.

Stop by the Photograph Gallery at the Genetti Family Genealogy Project to see this photo and many others. Click here!

Castelfondo, Italy, Cousins, Family History, Genetti Family, Photos

New Photos!

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Lanci-5

Group photo taken in the meadows above Castelfondo.

Yay! Three new photos have been added to our Photograph page under the Gallery Section of the website. What a treat as these are from our Italian family in Trentino. Check them out, click here!

If you have family photos you would like to share on The Genetti Family Genealogy Project website, we would love to hear from you. Please email photos along with a description to: info.genetti.family(at)gmail.com.

 

Resources, Tyrolean History

The Tyrol Guide

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Tyrolean Folk Costumes

Traditional Tryolean Folk Costumes
photo by Elzbieta Fazel, copyrighted

I just stumbled upon an interesting website/blog about Tyrolean culture. For those history buffs who would like to know more about our cultural roots, I found this to be a very informative site. It has a rather long official title: Tyrol Guide: History, Culture, Religion, Photos, Folklore and Present Day, but don’t let that put you off. You’ll find this website charmingly captivating.

The author of the blog, Elzbieta Fazel, lives in Telfs in the Austrian Tyrol. Not only a blogger, she is also an accomplished photographer. Many of Elzbieta’s posts are illustrated with beautiful images of Tyrol, which can be purchased through various sites as fine art prints. I hope Elzbieta doesn’t mind – I have included one of her lovely images here for you to enjoy. At the end of this post are links to Elzbieta’s portfolio where you can view more of her work and perhaps select a print or greeting card.

Although most of the information presented by the Tyrol Guide website covers the history and culture of Austrian Tyrol (north of the Brenner Pass), I’m sure you will still find it fascinating since this was also our history prior to 1918. Before World War I the lands of Italian-speaking Tyrol (our homeland) located south of the Brenner Pass, belonged to Austria. After the war, this region became the northern Italian province of Trentino. So to read the history of Austrian Tyrol is also a peak into our cultural past. In the right sidebar of the website you’ll find a Brief History of Tyrol, an abbreviated version of events that formed the region’s interesting and sometimes confusing past. It’s worth reading!

For easy reference, the site’s web address has been added to our Link section found in the right hand column section of The Genetti Family website. You can also access the Tyrol Guide at: www.tyrol-guide.com.

To enjoy more photographs by Elzbieta Fazel go to:

Pictures of Tyrol

Redbubble: The Portfolio of Elzbieta Fazel

 

Ancestors, Castelfondo, Italy, Cousins, Family History, Family Trees, Genetti Family

A New Cousin

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Vigilio Genetti, born 1852 in Castelfondo. Died 1932 in Collinsville, IL.

Baptismal record from San Nicolo Church:
Vigilio Genetti, born 1852 in Castelfondo, Austria.
Died 1932 in Collinsville, IL.

The Illinois Genetti Clan has proven to be very inquisitive and helpful concerning our shared ancestors. A few weeks ago I received an email from Brian Genetti with info about his family line. It turns out Brian is also a descendant of Vigilio Genetti who settled in Collinsville, Illinois around 1890. Why I say “also” is that I have had three other descendants of Vigilio contact me during the past year (Tom, Gary and Andrew). Each has contributed a bit more of our ancestral puzzle and allowed me to research further into their branch of the family tree. As a result of Brian’s info, I was able to add ten more descendants to our online tree and continue to extend Vigilio’s legacy in America. Brian says he also has photos of Vigilio Genetti tucked away somewhere. When he finds them we’ll add those pics to our photo archive page too.

Of course, I had to work out all of the cousin relationships. Here’s what I came up with:

– Brian is 1st cousin, twice removed from Tom.

– Brian is 1st cousin, once removed from Gary.

– Brian is a 3rd cousin of Andrew.

And Brian is my 5th cousin, once removed AND my 8th cousin once removed! Yes, my family twig is related to Brian twice!

Do you have descendants you would like included on our family tree? I believe we have only about a third of our ancestors documented so far. Feel free to email me with your information. If I can find documentation on the ancestor, I will add he/she to the Genetti Family online tree.

Many thanks to the Illinois Genetti Family for their participation.