Wedding Wednesday

Our Wedding:  October 15, 1988

Treasure Chest Thursday - Tiny Tea Sets

This tiny tea set has been around since my sister and I were little kids! We would go visit my grandparent's house and anytime we wanted to have a "tea party", we would find the tiny tea set. We usually just added water but as we grew up, we would make real tea.  Therefore, it is not the monetary value that matters, it is the memories that me and my sister have when we would "play" with this tea set. I ended up inheriting it because this set holds so many good memories for me.  I think of my Grandma Helen when I look at it.

I have been collecting tea pots for years!  I have received many of my tea pots as gifts from family and friends.  These are two of my smallest ones. These miniature tea sets are great for child's play and tea parties. I promise that your children and grandchildren will always remember playing "tea party" with you!

This set was given to me by my mother as a gift because my favorite bird is the red cardinal! Anytime my friends or family bring a small child over, they always find this set in my dining room and want to play with it!

Wordless Wednesday

My In-laws: Benny & Florence April 16, 1950

The Feast Of Assumption: The Tradition continues

The annual Feast of the Assumption Festival (also referred to informally as The Feast) is a four day Catholic street Festival centered around Holy Rosary Church on Mayfield Road near its intersection with Murray Hill Road in Cleveland’s  Little Italy neighborhood. Held annually since 1898, the Feast occurs around August 15th in concordance with the observance of the Assumption of Mary.  It includes a procession of a statue of the Virgin through the streets leading to the church, as well as a nightly mass.

My father's family lived in Little Italy and we celebrated the Feast every August! I have been attending the Feast every year of my life.  I am now continuing the tradition with my son, Michael who has also attended the Feast every year of his life so far. This was the 116th Annual Feast of Assumption and we had a great time! I hope this family tradition continues for many more years!

Three of my friends, me and my son Feast 2014

My best friend Patty, my cousin Michelle, the owner Nicole and me in the Smoke Shop

Me and my sister, Elena on the Holy Rosary church steps

Tombstone Tuesday

My Great Grandmother Domenica Balzano

I never met my great grandma, Domenica because she passed away in June 1949 at the age of 70. When she was born on May 28, 1879 in Gallicchio, Italy, her father, Domenico Balsanio, was 43 and her mother, Filomena Sinisgalli, was 34.  At some point, her last name went from Balsanio to Balzano! She had two brothers and two sisters.

Her entire life was dedicated to having children and making lace!

In 1892, she arrived in New York at the age of 13 according to Ellis Island records, and lived in New York city until she married...

She married her husband twice!  First at the New York City hall on August 13, 1896 and then again at the Church of Madonna on October 4, 1896.  She was 17 when she married  her husband, Domenico Pasquale Giammaria and started to have children.  Their first son, Sarafino was born in 1897 and died in 1899.  Her first daughter, Maria Palma (Aunt Mary) was born in 1900.  She went on to give birth to six more children - Filomena (Aunt Flo), Guiseppe (Uncle Joe), Rosina (Aunt Rose), Elena Luisetta (my maternal grandma Helen), Assunta (Aunt Sue), and Alberto (Uncle Al).  Therefore, she was having babies between 1897 and 1920.

I know they had moved to Cleveland about 1903-1904 because Aunt Flo was also born in Cleveland, Ohio. My Great Grandmother is buried in Lakeview Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio next to her husband.

Thankful Thursday

The one question that people always ask me, in regards to genealogy, is

How did you get started?

Today I will answer that question -

My maternal grandmother, Helen had a book in her home and it was her father's.  When I was about thirteen years old - I started to read this book and I found it very interesting (probably because it was in Italian and there was a very important list on Page 1)  It was like a register book to keep track of business receipts. My great grandfather owned a grocery store, so that made sense.
In this book, on Page 1,  written in Italian script was a list of all his children and birth dates and birth times.

We called it - "Grandpa's book" or the "Family Tree book" - It was very neat and precise... This is the "Book" that caused me to have an interest in my family heritage and it's what started it all for me! I am now the proud owner of this book! It's very old and falling apart but I am so thankful that my great grandfather, Domenico Giammaria wrote in this book and my Grandma Helen was the one child  that ended up with it!!

He continued to write about all his children's marriages and all his grandchildren too.  This is how I started my family tree, with his information. I'm sure he would be very happy to know that I continued his tradition of keeping track of his family!!