Category: Cousins

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

Branches of the Genetti Tree

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As many living descendants of the Genetti family are second-, third-, and fourth-generation Americans who have moved from the original states where our forebearers settled, you may not know which branch of the family tree you belong to.

First, it is important to remember that the Genetti family traces its roots back to the village of Castelfondo, Italy, as early as 1265. Our first ancestors were a father named Giovanni (Johan in German) and his sons. According to the ancient text of the Codex Cles from 1307 and a later German journal, Neues Jahrbuch, published in 1899, the family was granted the title of “freeman” by the ruling Tyrolean Prince-Bishop. This established the family surname and the beginning of the Genetti tree. However, since official church documentation of births, marriages, and deaths was not part of Catholic practice until the last half of the 1400s, the Genetti family had 200 years of growth. As a result, the family split into several different branches. Today, there are at least four or five distinctly different Genetti family lines living in Italy, other European countries, the United States, and South America. Most of the Genetti family ancestors who immigrated to the United States belong to our specific branch of the larger ancient tree, which traces its first documented ancestor to Pietro Genetti of Melango, born sometime in the mid-1400s. (FYI: Melango is the ancient name for Castelfondo.)

The journey to the Americas began in 1867 with the arrival of Costantino (August) Genetti  (1842–1914). Costantino  was the first documented immigrant from our family tree to leave Castelfondo, settling and raising his family in Collinsville, Illinois. Other family members soon joined their older brother in Illinois, working in the miners or becoming farmers. During the following decades, Genetti cousins from different branches established their own families, businesses, and culture in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, Wyoming, and Argentina.

The color-coded tree accompanying this blog post illustrates our original immigrant ancestors and the locations where they settled. Note the maps on the right side: the states colored in Turquoise represent Genetti families from other lineages, distantly related prior to the mid-1400s and therefore not on our specific tree. The states in Yellow (New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut) indicate a Genetti family not related to ours at all; their family originated in a different part of Italy and changed their surname from Genitti to Genetti upon arrival. You can read about them in my 2015 blog post, “A Case of Mistaken Identity!”.

Who were our first ancestors to settle in each state?

  • Pennsylvania: Cosma Damiano Genetti arrived in 1877 with two sisters, Angela Maddalena and Anna Maria. He married and began his family, returning to Castelfondo in 1888 where he and his growing family lived until he once again embarked for Pennsylvania in 1902. In 1887, Damiano’s parents, Leone and Cattarina, made the journey with their 20 year old son Angelo Raffaele. By 1906, Damiano brought over his entire family of four sons and five daughters, and established his family meat business in Hazleton. Over the years he traveled back and forth from Hazleton, PA to Castelfondo several times. On one shipboard trip he accompanied his youngest sister Erminia Enrica across the ocean in 1890. Eventually Damiano return in his later years to his beloved Alpine village while the rest of his family remained in Hazleton. He died there in 1944. Notable arrivals to Pennsylvania from other branches of the Genetti tree included brothers Fortunato Valentino (arrived 1898) and Narciso (arrived 1899), as well as Dionigio and Faustino Genetti, who settled in Nuremberg and Black Creek in the early 1920s.
  • Illinois: Costantino (August) Isidoro Francesco Genetti arrived in 1867. He was followed by brothers Nicolo Cipriano in 1872 and Vigilio (William) in 1888. Two sisters, Rachele Arcangela and Domenica Geltrude, also joined their brothers in Illinois. Nicolo Cipriano returned to Castelfondo after working several years in the mines. But brother Vigilio remained, married twice and raised a large blended family. Their father, Cipriano, eventually arrived shortly before his death in 1890. Many descendants of this family still reside in Collinsville, Illinois and neighboring communities.
  • Wyoming: Angelo Genetti first traveled to Rock Springs in 1887 to work the coal mines before returning to Tyrol in 1892. His four sons—Francesco (Frank), Enrico, Ermenegildo (Herman/Joe), and Dominico—later settled in Wyoming between 1910 and 1918. You can read an entertaining biography written by Ermenegildo (Herman) on our website about early life in southwestern Wyoming, entitled: Herman’s Howlings, click here. Distant cousins to the three earlier mentioned Genetti siblings, brothers Pietro (arrived 1900) and Lodovico Genetti (arrived 1905) traveled to Wyoming. They were actually cousins of the Michigan brothers, but decided Wyoming would be their home rather than Michigan. The brothers settled in Superior and Rock Springs where they both raised their families.
  • Michigan: Angelo Pietro Genetti settled in Bessemer in 1899, followed by brothers Camillo Gaetano Andrea (arrived 1907) and Gabriele Arcangelo (arrived 1909). By 1905 Enrico Giovanni Battista and his brother Germano Romedio, made Ironwood, Michigan their home. Enrico and Germano were 3rd cousins to Angelo, Camillo and Gabriele. Unfortunately Germano eventually decided to return to Castelfondo. Due to his young age, he was required to serve in the Austrian military forces and was immediately drafted into the army to fight in World War I. He lost his life somewhere on the Russian Front in 1917.

Today, descendants of these original Genetti ancestors are spread across the globe. Rather than just miners and farmers, they are now business owners, professionals, educators, artists, distinguished military personnel and leaders in their communities.

Conclusion

Though our ancestors left the Alpine shadows of Castelfondo over a century ago, the “freeman” spirit they carried remains the bedrock of our family today. Whether your branch took root in the coal mines of Pennsylvania, the prairies of Wyoming, or the farms of Illinois, we are all part of a 700-year-old story that continues to grow with every new generation. By documenting these names and dates, we ensure that while we may move far from our original settlements, we never lose the way back to our shared heritage.

Are you interested in having your own original Genetti Family Tree hanging on your wall? You can purchase a poster of this beautiful tree commissioned by Maria Genetti of Castelfondo in our online Genetti Family Shop, just click here. Please note: due to the small type and the many ancestors listed on the tree, we recommend to purchase the following sizes: Medium (31.2 in x 23.4 in) or Large (44.1 in x 33.1 in) as the text on smaller sized posters is unreadable.

**Commissions from the sale of items in the Genetti Family Shop support upkeep of this website and further genealogical research.

Books, Cousins, Gifts

Carol Genetti Ochadleus – Author

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Did you know we have many talented artists, authors and musicians in our family? You can find listings and links for many of them in the Business Directory page of our family website. If you’re looking for a special holiday gift this year, consider a book or a piece of art by one of our creative Genetti family members.

One such descendant is our cousin and author Carol Genetti Ochadleus. The great-granddaughter of Vigilio Genetti and Domenica Maria Dolzadelli of the Missouri/Illinois branch of the family, Carol is the author of two books – a novel and a children’s book.

Recipient of several book awards, “Death and Other Lies” is a spine-tingling who-done-it. Here is the book description: When his girlfriend disappears, a young man is willing to sacrifice everything to find her. In desperation when the police can find no proof she even exists, he follows a slim clue which takes him from the U.S. to Great Britain and Wales. After a near-fatal accident, he awakes in a Welsh hospital with no memory of who he is or why he is there and accused of being part of a heinous plot for mass murder. Entrapped in a world of spies and terrorists, he is expendable, collateral damage, simply because he fell in love with a beautiful woman.

Available at select bookstores and online at Amazon, you can purchase “Death and Other Lies” as a hardcover, paperback or eBook.

Carol’s second tome, “Grandma Bears’ Picnic” is a children’s storybook. Lovingly illustrated, the story describes: “When Grandma Bear breaks her leg, will the First Day of Summer Picnic still happen? The children must find a way to pull together to save their beloved family tradition and honor Grandma Bear all at the same time. It’s a tall order, but with their parents guidance, they find a way to save the day and have the best picnic ever!”

You can find Carol’s charming children’s book on Amazon, available in paperback or hardcover formats.

And here is Carol’s biography: Carol Ochadleus is a published, award-winning novelist and short-story author. Her novel, Death & Other Lies, (originally published by Grey Wolfe Publishing, LLC), is the first book of a Trilogy. It was re-released in 2019 by Zimbell House Publishing. The sequel is in progress. One of her favorite short stories, Colors in the Water, won inclusion in an American Anthology, Ni Bona Na Coroin. Years ago, Carol sold one of her children’s short stories to a youth magazine and her first illustrated children’s book, Grandma Bear’s Picnic was published in 2018. Carol is a retired professional fund-raiser and is active in several writer’s groups. She now devotes her time to writing, her gardens and her fourteen grandchildren. She lives in Washington Township, Michigan, with her husband Don, and English Shepherd Gracee.

Grandma Bears’ Picnic: https://tinyurl.com/GrandmaBearsPicnic
Death and Other Lies: https://tinyurl.com/DeathAndOtherLies

Cousins, Obituaries

Goodbye to Two Cousins

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Helene Lucy Smith Prehatny (1932-2025)
William Arthur McAdoo (1925-2025)

I recently learned two more Genetti descendants have passed on, both in their 90’s. It is always sad when our senior cousins are no longer with us. They are a generation closer to our ancestors and a link to the past. Each member of our family tree who lives a long, fruitful life is a library of stories and memories. When they pass on, we often loose this knowledge and ancestral connection. Here at the Genetti Family Genealogy Project we try to preserve the memory of our cousins, their experiences and their stories through our website, blog and family tree.

We say goodbye to Helene Lucy Smith Prehatny. Born in 1932 in Weston, Pennsylvania, Helene left us on June 30, 2025 at the age of 93. She was the granddaughter of Raffaele (Ralph) Genetti (1867-1949) and Lucia (Lucy) Zambotti (1865-1952). Always smiling, Helene lived an active, full life centered around family, community service and church. She attended most Genetti family reunions with her husband John, and was always a cheery presence. A great supporter of this website, Helene contributed many family photographs to our Photo Gallery, as well as a beautiful memorial tribute to her beloved grandparents and parents – “Family Memories by Helene Smith Prehatny.” She leaves behind a large extended family of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. To read Helene’s obituary, click here.

Also leaving us this past summer is William “Bill” Arthur McAdoo. Bill was born a century ago in Detroit, Michigan. He passed on just two months shy of his 100th birthday. A family man, Bill and his beloved wife Dolly, raised three children. His extended family included grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He enjoyed many hobbies and was an active member of his community. Bill was the great-grandson of Costantino (August) Genetti (1842-1914) and Rosina Wahl Hummerer Kermmeier (1842-1926). Costantino was born in our ancestral village of Castelfondo, Tyrol and was the first of the Genetti clan to immigrate to the United States, settling in Collinsville, Illinois. Later in life, the couple purchased a farm in Webster, Missouri. Bill is the grandson of Mary Catherine Genetti (1868-1946) and Antonius Mallman (1860-1905). Click here to read Bill’s obituary.

If any family members or friends of Helene Prehatny or Bill McAdoo would like to share photos or leave a tribute to their loved one on their website memorial page, please feel free to write me through the Contact page on our website. I am happy to include your memories.

Cousins, Genetti Family, Obituaries

Goodbye to Another Genetti Cousin

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Danny William Genetti recently passed away on August 15th, 2025 and was a descendant of the large Genetti clan that settled in Missouri/Illinois. He was the son of David Genetti and Nellie Kesterson and the great-grandson of Costantino (also known as August) Genetti (1842-1914) and Rosina Kermeier (1842-1926). His great-grandfather was born in Castelfondo, Tyrol and was the first Genetti to come to America in 1867. Danny has a large extended family including eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, plus many cousins who still make their home in the Missouri/Illinois area.

We send our sympathies to Danny’s family for the loss of their father, brother, and grandfather.

Please click here to read Danny’s memorial page.

Cousins, Family News, Genetti Family, Obituaries

The Passing of Margaret J. Young Lychock

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Sadly we bring you the news that another Genetti cousin has passed on. Margaret Joyce Young Lychock left this earth on January 19, 2024 after a long illness. She was the daughter of Rita Carmella Genetti (1915-1998) and Arthur Davis Young (1913-1947); and the granddaughter of Leon Genetti (1887-1962) and Angeline Marchetti (1893-1963).

Margaret grew up in Hazleton, Pennsylvania with her twin brother Arthur, but lived most of her adult life in Las Vegas, Nevada. She leaves behind a large family of three children, ten grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

A memorial page has been published for Margaret on our family website. You can find it here: https://genettifamily.com/margaret-joyce-young-lychock/

We extend our sympathies to the Lychock family and know that their mother and grandmother will be deeply missed.

If you would like to leave a memory, photo or tribute to Margaret, please send a message through our website contact page or private message me, and your memorial will be added to Margaret’s page.

Cousins, Obituaries, Pennsylvania

Goodbye to a Genetti Descendant

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We are sad to bring you the news that another Genetti cousin has passed away. Karen Zamko Walsh died on July 6th at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Cedar Crest, Pennsylvania at the age of 63. She was the daughter of John (Jack) Zamko (1933-2008) and Emma Bott (1925-2005). Karen was the granddaughter of Verecondo Bott (1884-1955) and Addolorata Erminia Genetti (1889-1971) of Hazleton, Pennsylvania.

You can read Karen’s tribute page here: https://genettifamily.com/karen-zamko-walsh/

We send our condolences to Karen’s family in this time of loss.

Cousins, Genetti Family, Obituaries

The Passing of a Descendant

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Sadly another Genetti descendant has passed on. Louise Marie Forneris Fernandez, age 86, died on January 26th in Collinsville, Illinois. She was the daughter of Rosina Amelia Genetti and Giovanni Forneris. A descendant of the Illinois Genetti branch and a second generation American, Louise was the granddaughter of Vigilio Genetti (born in Castelfondo, Austria) and his second wife, Margaretha Mueller Kittstein (born in Alsace, France).

I found Louise’s obituary to be a little piece of family history, full of personal details and obviously radiating the love she had for her large family. You can read our memorial to Louise Fernandez on our website with her full obituary, just click here.

Over the years, I have completed extensive research into the Illinois Genetti family as they have an unusual history spanning several generations. I also correspond with many descendants of the four Genetti brothers who originally came to Illinois. Louise was no exception to this complicated family ancestry and she also had a confusing immediate family history.

After her grandfather’s first wife died, Vigilio Genetti married a young widow (Louise’s grandmother) who had two sons by her first marriage. The couple soon had a second family. Vigilio had three sons and a daughter with his first wife, Domenica Maria Dolzadelli. His four children were adults by the time he married Margaretha. Being older, Vigilio and his second wife immediately began a family and had twin girls in 1916 (Louise’s mother Rosina was one of the twins) and a son in 1918. It was a true blended family of siblings and half-siblings.

When Rosina married Giovanni “John” Forneris and they had their only child, Louise, she would grow up with four half-uncles, a half-aunt, an aunt who was a twin to her mother (Margarita Maria) and her Uncle Vernon Charles (her mother’s younger brother). There were many half-cousins and three full cousins in this extended family.

As this blended family wasn’t already confusing enough, it takes another twist through the Fernandez family. In 1942, Louise’s Uncle Vernon marries Geraldine Fernandez. Sometime in the 1950’s, Louise marries Geraldine’s brother, Angel Fernandez. This means that Louise’s four children and the three children of Vernon and Geraldine are double cousins, being related through both their maternal and paternal sides. The seven cousins are first cousins through Angel Fernandez and Geraldine Fernandez Genetti and first cousins, once removed through Louise Forneris Fernandez and her Uncle Vernon Genetti.

Yes, this was a real head-scratcher and took several hours to sort out, as well as another few hours updating our family tree to reflect the intermarriage between the Genetti/Forneris/Fernandez families! It can be quite complicated as you don’t want to enter descendants twice. You can browse our newly updated tree for the Illinois Genetti family at http://genettifamily.tribalpages.com. (You need to create a free account in order to login and access the tree.) After logging in, it’s easy to find Louise Forneris Fernandez by entering her name in the search box at the top of the home page. You can then trace her ancestry as well as her husband’s connection to the Genetti family by following the line of ancestors back in time. (Currently our Genetti Family Tree has 2067 ancestor/descendant listings).

To all of Louise’s family we extend our sincerest sympathies.

If you would like to drop by Louise’s memorial page and leave a memory or a condolence to the family, please click here.

Find our tribute page for Louise Marie Forneris Fernandez on the Genetti Memorial page by clicking here.

Cousins, Obituaries, Pennsylvania

The Passing of an Elder

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Sadly we bring you the news that another elder has passed on. Albert Dominick Zambotti was the youngest child of Ottilia Genetti and Pietro Zambotti. Born in 1928, Albert left us on November 8th, just a week shy of his 94th birthday.

Born in Weston, Pennsylvania, Albert was a first generation American and the fourth child of Tillie and Peter Zambotti. His parents had immigrated from Castelfondo, Austria (now Italy) early in the 1900’s. The couple married in 1911.

We extend our sympathies to the relatives of Albert Zambotti.

To read Albert’s memorial, please click here.

Ancestors, Cousins, Family Stories, Trentini

Was Barbara Libener Inama a Native American?

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Barbara and Emanuele Inama

I am always working on various genealogy projects. Most involve DNA analysis and helping others solve family mysteries, such as unknown cousins finding their birth families. Yes, if you have completed DNA testing, I’m sure you will find a surprise cousin or two (maybe even an unknown half-sibling!) popping up in your results. Of course, due to protecting the privacy of those I work with as a search angel, I can not write about these projects.

But recently I researched a fascinating case involving misattributed ethnicity that I can share with you. Over the years I have received strange queries from cousins asking about their ancestor Barbara Libener Inama (1875-1936). Barbara is a direct descendant of the Marchetti family from Nuremberg, Pennsylvania (originally from Castelfondo). She is also indirectly related to the Genetti family through marriage. I am personally related to Barbara Libener through my grandmother, Angeline Marchetti, who was her first cousin. (That makes me a first cousin, twice removed to Barbara.)

Barbara and her husband, Emanuele Inama, moved from Pennsylvania back to his ancestral town of Sanzeno in the Val di Non sometime around 1898. There they raised their large family and lived out the rest of their lives. However, all of Barbara’s family remained in Pennsylvania, along with several of her sons. At some point, probably after Barbara’s death, a story began circulating in Italy that Barbara Libener was a full blooded Native American of the Sioux tribe. This tall tale was published decades ago in a regional Trentini magazine and it became part of the Italian family’s lore, although there was no proof supporting the fabrication. However, as far as I am aware, no American descendant of the Marchetti/Libener families had ever heard the story.

Descendants of Barbara and Emanuele, all living in Italy, kept the fantastic story alive by passing the magazine article along to American cousins researching their family genealogy. Twice I received questioning messages from cousins asking about the article of “The Indian Wife.” I simply shrugged it off and explained genealogical record and DNA evidence proved this story could not be true.

But a few months ago the story once again resurfaced through a distant cousin living in France. I have worked with this cousin during the past two years on his complicated and mysterious genealogy. We have confirmed he (we will call him D.R.) is a direct descendant of Barbara and Emanuele, they being his great-grandparents. Upon visiting Trentino this past summer to trace his roots, D.R. too was given this incredulous magazine article. He and his wife, Patricia, also questioned the authenticity of the story, as D.R. has absolutely no Native American ethnicity in his DNA results. For those not familiar with DNA testing, you inherit 50% of your DNA from each parent; 25% of your DNA from each grandparent; and 12.5% of your DNA from each great-grandparent. If the story were true, our French cousin should show at least 10% of his ethnicity to be Native American. Instead his ethnicity from two different testing sites showed 0% Indigenous American.

After learning the story of the “Indian Wife” was still very much alive, I decided it was time to uncover the truth using genealogical research and scientific evidence. As a family genealogist and someone who works with genetic genealogy, I see it as my duty to document family truths, even if it debunks ancestral stories. (And very often it does!)

The result was a paper I recently published on our family website, entitled: “The Myths and Facts about Barbara Libener Inama (1875-1936).” The paper details all of my research into Barbara Libener, including DNA evidence from several of her descendants. Through Patricia, our French cousin’s wife, it has also been forwarded to family in Italy. So far – I have not heard a response to my research. I guess we will wait and see …

To read “The Myths and Facts about Barbara Libener Inama,” click here.

I would very much like to hear opinions from other cousins regarding this piece of family lore. After reading my paper, feel free to leave a comment to this post or ask questions about my research. I am happy to discuss or explain my findings.

Cousins, Family News, Genetti Family, Obituaries

Sad News

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With much sadness I bring you the news that William (Bill) Edward Fox Genetti of Hazleton passed away this morning, May 8th, 2021. A great presence in the Pennsylvania family, Bill was a family man, business owner, genealogist and friend to many. Carrying on the family business from his father, Gus Genetti Sr., Bill was a prominent member of the Hazleton community. Over the years, he brought together many cousins and extended family by hosting reunions at his Genetti establishment.

We offer our thoughts and love to Bill’s wife Pat, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as his brother Gus and his family during this difficult time.

A memorial for Bill will be posted on our Tributes and Obituaries Page at a later date.