Category: Family Stories

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!

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!

Ancestors, Cousins, Family Stories

The Long and Winding Road of Genealogy, Part 3

by L.Roach • December 18, 2015 • 7 Comments

Continued from Part 2 …

Date: October 1906. Place: In front of the boarding house and saloon owned by Raffaele Genetti in Weston, PA. The photograph commemorates a double wedding: (5 + 6, 8 + 9). 1. Silvio Genetti, 2. Peter Zambotti, 3. St. Clair, 4. Dora Genetti Bott, 5. Richard Fedrizzi, 6. Angeline Cologna Fedrizzi, 7. Tillie Genetti Zambotti, 8. Peter Dallachiesa, 9. Virginia Fedrizzi Dallachiesa, 10. William Dona, 11. Max Martini, 12. Joseph Fedrizzi, 13. John Springhetti, 14. Josephine Dona, 15. Florence Yannes, 16. Nela Recla, 17. Angeline Marchetti Genetti

During my research of the Dallachiesa family for cousins Arleen and Melissa, I was contacted by Erin Johnston, a descendant of Giulia Anna Marchetti Ossana from Castelfondo. Erin happened upon our website while researching her own Tyrolean family line. She sent me an inquiry wondering if her great-grandmother, Giulia Anna, was related to the Marchetti family that settled in Hazleton/Black Creek, Pennsylvania.

Her email explained further: while searching through our photos, she had made an interesting discovery. Erin noticed that several people noted in the wedding photograph at the top of our Photograph Page were also listed in the 1900 Federal Census, along with her great-grandmother. According to the census, “Anna” lived at the same boarding house in Black Creek, PA with Peter Zambotti (#2 in photo), his brother Alessandro Zambotti, Peter Dallachiesa (#8 – one of the grooms in photo) and his brother Joseph Dallachiesa. Since I had spent three weeks researching all of these ancestors, Erin’s email could not have been more timely. I was sure she had stumbled upon a missing clue – but neither she nor I had any idea what that was!

To rule out the obvious, first I searched my own Marchetti tree (my grandmother was a Marchetti) and found no obvious connection between Erin’s family and mine. Next I went back to the genealogy I was working on for Arleen and Melissa – something immediately caught my eye! The parents of Clemente Dallachiesa, Arleen’s great-grandfather and Melissa’s 2nd great-grandfather, were Pietro Dallachiesa and Barbara Marchetti. (Keep in mind that Clemente’s two sons are Peter and Joseph. Both are listed in the census as living at the same address as Erin’s great-grandmother, Anna, along with Peter and Alessandro Zambotti. Plus the census states they are all close in age.). Perhaps Clemente’s mother, Barbara Marchetti, was related to Erin’s Marchetti line!

I returned to my church records to search for the family of Barbara Marchetti (1818-1895). After some digging, I found what I was looking for! Barbara had a younger brother named Giovanni Marchetti (B: 1823) who was the father of Giulia Anna. Therefore, Erin’s great-grandmother was the 1st cousin of Clemente, and the 1st cousin, once removed of his sons, Peter and Joseph Dallachiesa. And Clemente’s sister, Catterina Dallachiesa (also Anna’s 1st cousin), married Simone Zambotti. Therefore, their sons, Peter and Alessandro Zambotti, were Anna’s 1st cousins, once removed too. So it appears that a group of cousins (Dallachiesa, Zambotti and Marchetti) all came to America at about the same time, were all about the same age, and lived at the same boarding house!

To go a little further into our analysis, here is the cousin relationship between Arleen, Melissa, Erin and me:

Arleen and Melissa are 2nd cousins, once removed through the Dallachiesa family.
Arleen and Erin are 4th cousins through the Marchetti family.
Melissa and Erin are 4th cousins, once removed through the Marchetti family.
Arleen and I are 3rd cousins through the Zambotti family.
Melissa and I are 3rd cousins, once removed through the Zamobtti family.
Arleen and I are 4th cousins, through the Genetti family.
Melissa and I are 4th cousins, once removed through the Genetti family.
Erin and I are not related – at the time of this writing I have not found a connecting ancestor, but there may still be one.

Yes, I’m just as confused as you are by the over-lapping cousin relationships!

However, Erin’s insights have shed an entirely new light on the wedding photograph (see above) of 1906! I’ll explain more in my next blog post.

To be continued …

Read this entire blog series:

The Long and Winding Road of Genealogy, Part 1

The Long and Winding Road of Genealogy, Part 2

Ancestors, Cousins, Family Stories, Related Surnames

The Long and Winding Road of Genealogy, Part 1

by L.Roach • December 14, 2015 • 7 Comments

Maria and Clemente Dallachiesa and family.

Maria Zambotti and Clemente Dallachiesa, married 1875. Family portrait, circa. 1887-1888, photographed in Castelfondo.

Genealogy doesn’t always follow a straight, clear path. Sometimes you start researching one branch of the family and before you know it, you’re lost in a maze of in-laws, family cross-overs and distant cousins leading to a completely different surname! Although often confusing, it’s worth the effort to travel down side streets, for they all contain a hidden surprise!

That’s exactly what happened to me during the past month. I was contacted by three different cousins, looking for info on their ancestors. Although indirectly related to the Genetti clan, I took on the task of researching their family connections and was amazed at what I discovered!

I knew most families who came from Castelfondo, Italy (Austria) were interrelated. It’s a small village and your choice of a marriage partner was usually limited. Marriages were often arranged between families and it was common for distant cousins to marry. By the time I finished putting together the puzzle pieces of this branch (which includes the surnames of Dallachiesa, Zambotti, Marchetti, Genetti, Ianes and Turri – all from Castelfondo) I had a clearer picture of just how complicated cousin connections can be when your family originates from a small town in the Italian Alps!

Since this is a long, complicated story … I’ll break it into several blog posts. You’ll soon see why!

Fred Dallachiesa (1921-2014)

First let’s start with Arleen Dallachiesa. Arleen contacted me back in June (see past blog post). She already had a good family genealogy mapped out and was wondering about the connection of her father Fred Dallachiesa to the Genetti family, since she believed Fred and Gus Genetti Sr. were cousins. It didn’t take long to find the connection – Fred’s grandmother was Maria Zambotti Dallachiesa (1854-1906), older sister to Gus’s mother Oliva Zambotti Genetti (1861-1938). Fred and Gus were first cousins, once removed. Plus Maria and Oliva’s grandmother, who married into the Zambotti family, was Maria Barbara Genetti (1796-1844), an ancestor of the Genetti branch who immigrated to Illinois. So Arleen was related to me twice, as a 3rd cousin through the Zambotti family and a 4th cousin through the Genetti family.

Gus Genetti Sr.
(1892-1976)

I decided to add Arleen’s great-grandparents, Maria Zambotti and Clemente Dallachiesa (1844-1905) to our online tree since they were related to the Genetti family through two different branches. Arleen and I kept in-touch for several months, solving a few mysteries and swapping research.

Then a month ago, I received a request through Ancestry.com from Melissa Stidom. She was looking for information on her 2nd great-grandfather, Clemente Dallachiesa. Wow, I thought, what were the chances of two cousins (who did not know each other) contacting me through the Dallachiesa family connection! I knew that Melissa was certainly related to Arleen! After counting the generations, I concluded Arleen and Melissa were 2nd cousins, once removed. Both were related through the Dallachiesa, Zambotti and Genetti families. This was just too much of a coincidence! I knew I had to dig deeper into our shared family connections – and that’s when my research took an unusual turn down a new road of discovery!

To be continued …

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

Lots More Cousins!

by L.Roach • October 21, 2015 • 0 Comments

Dora Genetti Bott (1889-1971) being crowned the first “Polenta Queen” by The Tirolesi Alpini Club of Hazleton, PA –
Sept. 7, 1970.

There’s so much happening at The Genetti Family Genealogy Project! Lots of new connections, lots of new cousins!

Welcome to new cousin Jennifer Liptok and her family. Jennifer found me two weeks ago on Ancestry.com while she was researching her maternal roots. I maintain a private tree on that website for both sides of my family. Because it is private, the tree cannot be accessed by the general public. When Jennifer did a search on Ancestry for her Nonna’s family, a ton of suggestions pointed to my private tree. She sent a message asking if I had info or photos of her great-grandmother’s family and would I share them with her.

Lol … Jennifer certainly connected with the right person! Her bisnonna (great-grandmother) was Addorlorata Erminia Genetti Bott (1889-1971) – also known as Dora, eldest daughter of Damiano and Oliva Genetti. Dora was my grandfather’s sister and my great-aunt. That makes Jennifer my 2nd cousin, once removed. I was thrilled to meet a new cousin, and of course, pointed her directly to The Genetti Family Genealogy Project. Her great-grandmother, Dora, shows up in many photos on our website. Plus I have a good amount of information on Dora as part of my own ancestral research.

Since Jennifer’s family is a direct descendant of my family line, all of her mother’s side of the family has been documented on the private Genetti family tree that I maintain offline. I already knew the name of her sibling, parents and grandparents!

By-the-way, the names and birth dates of all living descendants are noted on the online Family Tree simply as “living”. No private information of living family members is published on our website. The master family tree that I maintain on a separate hard drive, contains vital stats for descendants of the family – both alive and deceased. I do my best to keep this up-to-date, so that our lineage will be passed down to future generations. If any family member would like a digital printout from this private tree, contact me at info.genetti.family@gmail.com and I will generate a Descendant’s Report for you. This type of report is helpful in researching your direct family line (4 or 5 generations) as well as finding your living cousins.

Thank you for contacting us Jennifer. I hope our family website helps with your ancestral research.

Watch for more cousin stories next week!

See photos of Dora Genetti Bott on our Photograph Page.

Also visit the Family Page for Damiano and Oliva Genetti to see Dora with her siblings and parents.

Ancestors, Family History, Family Stories, Family Videos

New Video Page!

by L.Roach • August 5, 2015 • 1 Comment

Lewis J. Reich and Betty (Zambotti) Reich

About a month ago I received a DVD in the mail from Conrad Reich (great-grandson of Damiano and Oliva Genetti). The package contained a home movie of his parents’ wedding. This was certainly a treasured heirloom and I was very touched that the Reich family wanted to share it with us!

I knew immediately the time had come to include video in the Gallery section of our website. And so I am pleased to announce our new Video Page is now up and running! I love old black and white films and I hope you do too! Many thanks to the children of Lewis and Betty Reich for contributing our very first video – an early home movie of their parents’ wedding dated June 3, 1935.

Elizabeth “Betty” Zambotti Reich was the daughter of Tillie Genetti and Peter Zambotti, and the granddaughter of Damiano and Oliva Genetti. According to Conrad, all of Damiano and Oliva’s children are in the movie along with Oliva. What a thrill to catch a glimpse of my own great-grandmother!

Lewis and Betty Reich on their wedding day, June 3, 1935, with their Maid-of-Honor and Best Man.

To read the story of how the video was discovered, visit the Video Page and take a stroll down memory lane.

(Special note: The original film was edited and converted into a DVD format. In the process music was also added. Unfortunately due to copyright laws, the music portion of the DVD had to be deleted.)

Do you have an old family movie converted to DVD that you would like to share? Or have you already posted a video on YouTube? If so, contact me for shipping directions or with the YouTube embed link and we will do our best to publish it on the Video Page. I will also be searching YouTube for public videos showcasing the talents and businesses of Genetti family members. Watch for future blog posts announcing new videos finds!

Our special thanks to the children of Lewis and Betty Reich (Conrad, Olivia, Ann Marie and Lewis) for sharing their family’s treasured memories.

Ancestors, Family Stories, Pennsylvania

A Recent Comment

by L.Roach • July 13, 2015 • 0 Comments

Leone and Angeline (Marchetti) Genetti. Probably photographed early 1950’s.

Last week I received a charming comment from William Santini on the Photograph Page of our Gallery Section. I was delighted that William was writing about my grandparents, Leone and Angeline Genetti! Since comments are often overlooked, I have re-posted his message below along with my response. It’s wonderful that other American Tyrolean families are stopping by The Genetti Family Genealogy Project to enjoy our shared heritage. Thank you William – your memories are much appreciated!

William Santini – July 5, 2015: “Our grandfather, Martin Santini, was close friends of Leon and Angeline Genetti. My brother Richard and I remember from the late 50’s and 60’s being with our grandparents in Hazleton, at their home for a polenta party, visiting the Genetti market, going to a coal mining area where there was a smoldering underground fire from a collapsed mine and even a trip o the Saint Lawrence with them and our grandparents. We have some photos somewhere. My grandmother was from the Fellin family, also from Hazleton. Several of the Fellin sisters married some of the Santini brothers. There was a Fellin family reunion held in the 70’s at your motel and catered by your family. Any one have some knowledge of those old days? We remember how close friends our grandparents were with Leon and his wife Angeline. Your polenta was different from what my grandparents made – you used chestnut flour as part of your mixture. I talk too much. We would love to hear from your family.”

Louise Genetti Roach – July 5, 2015: “Hi William, thank you for writing such a wonderful comment! I am the granddaughter of Leon and Angeline Genetti and also have fond memories of my Nona and Nono. Unfortunately I was just a young child when they passed away in the early 60’s. But my parents started their marriage living in the apartment above my grandparents’ home and I often spent afternoons with them until the age of five. I remember my Nona showing me how she made polenta pie in a big, black cast iron skillet and my Nono making Tyrolean sausage in the basement then hanging it on hooks in his walk-in refrigerator. We are most likely related since Angeline’s mother (my great-grandmother) was also a Fellin. I would guess that your grandmother and my grandmother were probably first or second cousins. The Genetti Hotel in Hazleton was first owned by Gus Genetti Sr., brother to Leon. His son Bill Genetti then took it over in the 70’s. Bill and I are first cousins, once removed since he is from my father’s generation. The hotel was recently sold and Bill has now retired. There are not many of the older family left – only one of Leon and Angeline’s children is still alive, my Uncle Leon who still lives in Hazleton. My grandfather had eight siblings, the last passed away in 2005 at the age of 102 (Angela Maria Genetti McNelis). There are only about ten surviving children from my father’s generation (their children). Please fell free to email me directly at info.genetti.family@gmail.com. It would be interesting to find out if we have a common Fellin ancestor. If you send me info on your Fellin lineage (names and birth dates) I might be able to find the link. I can trace the Fellin family back four generations beginning with my great-grandmother Catterina Lucia Fellin. I look forward to hearing from you.”

The Genetti Family sends their best wishes to the Santini and Fellin families! If anyone would like to contact William Santini directly, please write me and I will provide you with his email address.

Did you know that you can leave a comment at the end of every page found on The Genetti Family Genealogy Project and on individual blog posts? Just scroll to the bottom of a page and type in the box labeled “Leave a Reply”. As webmaster, your message will first be emailed to me. I check each comment to make sure it’s not “spam” and then approve it to be posted on the site. So far, our most popular page for comments is the Photograph Page.You can also share any page on a social network by using the share buttons found at the bottom of each page. Sharing can be done through WordPress, Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus.

Stop by and leave a comment on your favorite family page. Others will appreciate your insights, memories and opinions!

Ancestors, Castelfondo, Italy, Family History, Family Stories, Genetti Family, Photos, Resources

The Gallery

by L.Roach • May 21, 2015 • 0 Comments

Damiano Genetti standing in the doorway of the Genetti ancestral home in Castelfondo, Austria (Italy).

Have you visited The Gallery yet on The Genetti Family Genealogy Project? This section of our website contains a huge amount of information about our family. Here you’ll find an archive of photographs, individual family portraits, info and photos from our ancestral home of Castelfondo, a cache of family stories, pics from cemeteries where our ancestors are buried, and obituaries. The Gallery section is always growing as more cousins send in their family archives.

Stop by today for a visit! Click below to visit individual sections.

Cemeteries and Markers

Tributes

Ancestors, Cousins, Family History, Family Stories, Genetti Family, Photos

Family Memories by Don Lingousky

by L.Roach • May 8, 2015 • 0 Comments

Left to right: Angela Genetti, her husband Raffael Recla; Peter Zambotti and his wife, Anna Maria (Mary) Genetti. Angela and Mary were sisters. About 1895.

Another Memory Page has been added to our Family Stories section! Don Lingousky, the great-grandson of Angela Maddalena Genetti Recla of Sheppton, Pennsylvania has shared a treasure trove of photographs and stories about his family.

During the past few months, I’ve became acquainted with Don and his wife Joyce, via email. While conducting his own genealogy research, Don found the Genetti website and generously offered his ancestral findings for our family archives. I was thrilled to see formal portraits from the turn of the century and read personal stories about another twig of the Genetti family tree. And even more excited – this particular twig was part of my branch of the tree! Don’s great-grandmother (Angela) and my great-grandfather (Damiano), were siblings – making Don and I third cousins. We share the same great-great grandparents – Leone and Cattarina Genetti.

Angela Maddalena Genetti Recla, 1865 – 1937. Photo taken sometime before 1937.

Through our combined research, we have uncovered a number of interesting facts that shed light on our mutual ancestors. Along the way, I introduced Don to another third cousin of ours, Nancy, who I met through Ancestry.com when our DNA results matched. Don and Nancy have the added bonus of being double 3rd cousins – both of their great-grandmothers (sisters Angela and Erminia Genetti) married brothers (Raffael and Emmanuel Recla). Now we are all communicating together and sharing our research.

Pour yourself a cup of coffee, sit back in your favorite comfy chair and reminisce while you’re reading Don’s Memory Page, (click here). Allow yourself to be transported 125 years back in time to the coal mines of rural Pennsylvania. It was an era when the Genetti family immigrated to America, worked hard and brought with them the dream of becoming entrepreneurs.

After you have enjoyed Don’s family lore, why not take a stroll down your own memory lane? Dig out that dusty shoe box of photos from the back of the closet. Pick a few of your favorites and begin writing. Soon you’ll find stories flowing from forgotten corners of your memory – precious moments your brain tucked safely away, waiting for the right moment to surface. And if you are so inclined, please share your special family tales with the Genetti Family Genealogy Project. We would love to hear from you!

Click here for our Contact page!

Need help or ideas on how to write your family story? Visit the online Bookstore and check out our Family Legacy Book selections.

We would like to thank Don and Joyce Lingousky for their contribution to and continuing support of the Genetti Family Genealogy Project.

Ancestors, Cousins, Family History, Family Stories, Genetti Family

Family Memories from Jean Branz Daly

by L.Roach • April 29, 2015 • 0 Comments

Standing: Jean Branz Daly and Leona Zambotti (daughter of Tillie). Seated: Ann Genetti McNelis, Tillie Genetti Zambotti and Catherine Branz La Porte (Jean’s sister), 1977.

During the past year I’ve met many family members through email correspondence. A few weeks after our site was launched in July of 2014, I received an email from Regina Branz Daly. Jean, as she is called, introduced herself as the granddaughter of Oliva and Damiano Genetti. She was excited about the website and wanted to contribute her own memories and photos. I’m always thrilled when a cousin contacts me with information for our family website. And so began our year-long correspondence.

Jean is 84 years old and of the same generation as my father. Matter-of-fact, Jean and my father were first cousins – they were born just two days apart! She remembers playing together as children. Over the past ten months we have written back and forth, shared family stories, and have become good friends. Since Jean was my father’s 1st cousin and the common relatives we share are Oliva and Damiano Genetti (Jean’s grandparents and my great-grandparents), but I am of the next younger generation – our official relationship is “1st cousin, once removed”.

This past month I compiled all of Jean’s stories and photos, with contributions from her sister Catherine, into a Family Memory Page. You can now find this lovely personal memoir under the Gallery section of the Genetti website – click on the Family Stories link to find the page. Jean, her sister Catherine, and I look forward to our continuing correspondence. We will be adding more stories and photos in the future to their ongoing memoir.

My sincerest thanks to both of the Branz sisters for sharing their little corner of our family history. In their memories, I have found many personal connections to my Pennsylvania Tyrolean family as I’m sure you will too! Click here for a direct link to Family Memories by Regina “Jean” Branz Daly.

On a final note, if you have a parent or grandparent, take a few moments and talk with them about family history. Ask them about their childhood, their parents and the town that they grew up in. Beyond dates and stats, it is the ancestral stories that matter most. Today the sages of the Genetti family are Jean’s generation. They link the memories of past and present. Don’t let this opportunity to connect with your ancestry slip away. Ask your father or grandmother a few questions, than document your conversation with a family journal, photographs and video. Your children will cherish the legacy you have created as will future generations when they look back at the words and images of their great great grandparents.

Special Note: If you are interested in preserving families memories, I have added three new books to our online Bookstore with advise on how to create a treasured family memoir. Click here to find out more and scroll to the bottom of the page.

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