Category: Family Videos

Creative Endeavors, Part 2

by L.Roach • March 31, 2020 • 2 Comments

Today I’m doing something a little different in our Creative Endeavors series. I decided to share with you a family memory through a video blog post. Since I have a rather introverted nature, this was a bit out of my comfort zone and something new for me. But in this time of social isolation, video sharing and Zoom online meet-ups – I thought “why not”! So I set up my smart phone and gave it a try.

Do you have a family photo you would like to share along with a story about the photograph? How about your own video of some special time in your family. Maybe even a digitized home movie would be fantastic to share here on our family blog. Let me know by leaving a comment on this blog post or email your photo/video with story to info.genetti.family@gmail.com and I will feature it in an upcoming post.

I hope you enjoy my video and I look forward to sharing your memories with our family of Genetti descendants.

Be smart and stay safe!

Ancestors, Family Videos, Trentini, Tyrolean History

Speaking Nones

by L.Roach • November 2, 2019 • 0 Comments

I belong to a private Facebook group called Trentino Genealogy – La Genealogia del Trentino. There are almost 700 people in our group, all with a shared interest in Trentini (Tyrolean) ancestry. Most members are American Trentini (from USA, and some from South American countries) and a few are Italian Trentini.

Many of the Americans have ancestors from the Val di Non and share the same surnames as our grandparents and great-grandparents. I have found a surprising number of people in this group whose ancestors are from Castelfondo and nearby villages in the valley, with some being cousins.

Today one of our members, Michael Pancheri, posted two lovely videos. Michael is fluent in Italian, English and Nones. In the videos he speaks to his mother in English and she, in turn, translates the phrases into Nones. I understand a small amount of Italian, but was completely lost listening to a native speaker of Nones! Even though my Nonno spoke Nones, I was too young to remember anything of the language.

In the videos, you occasionally hear Michael and his mother chatting in Italian between translations. My ear recognized Italian immediately and I could understand some of their in-between conversation. Allora!

I hope you enjoy this little demonstration of our ancestral tongue. Our many thanks to Michael Pancheri for his gracious generosity. Grazie molto Michael!

Correction: Michael just informed me that the gentleman in the video is not him, but actually a professor from the Netherlands who is studying dying languages. He was interviewing Michael and his mother about their native language of Nones.

Ancestors, Castelfondo, Italy, Family Videos, Trentini, Tyrolean History

New Video!

by L.Roach • December 22, 2015 • 0 Comments

Photo of Castelfondo by Cristina Paternoster

I just added a new video to our Gallery Video Page. Created by Cristina Paternoster (from Castelfondo), this is a wonderful representation of modern day Commune di Castelfondo. The video clip offers beautiful views of the village, upper pastures, mountains that border the town and mountain huts known as Malgas. Cristina posted the video yesterday on the group Facebook page of: Chei da Chastelfon. I knew it would be the perfect addition to our Video page, offering a glimpse of Castelfondo to those who have never visited our ancestral home.

Thank you Cristina for sharing this video with your American cousins. Grazie mille!

If you are on Facebook, I recommend visiting the public group Chei da Chastelfon (this title is in the Nones dialect – not Italian! It translates as “People from Castelfondo.”). All photographs posted to this group page are little pieces of history and shared by Castelfondo natives. Just click the “Join Group” button and you’ll receive updates in your newsfeed when new photographs and videos are posted. Who knows, you may even spot an ancestor or two among the photos uploaded by your Italian cousins!

Family History, Family Videos, Genetti Family

Another Video in the Gallery

by L.Roach • August 10, 2015 • 0 Comments

The Genetti Hotel & Suites in Williamsport, PA

I’ve been searching YouTube for more Genetti family videos to add to our Video page in the Gallery section of the website. So far I’ve watched a number of interesting clips that include family businesses, performers and talented artists.

The next video added to our website I found posted on the Genetti Hotel Channel on YouTube. It commemorates the 90th Anniversary of the landmark Genetti Hotel & Suites in Williamsport, Pennsylvania owned by Gus and Val Genetti. I hope you enjoy it!

Click here to view.

What perfect timing – Gus Genetti was in the news on the same day I was writing this blog post! The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader published an interview with the owner of Genetti Hotel & Suites on August 9th. Stop by the newspaper’s website to read: “Behind the Business: More of life’s lessons still to learn and wisdom to impart for Gus Genetti” by Jerry Lynott.

We would love to receive more old home movies to post on our family website. Check your closets and attics! Let’s see what fun things we can discover together.

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.