In Bronte, Provincia di Catania, Sicilia.
Bronte is a small town up the mountain from the large coastal city of Catania. And very near the volcano, Mt. Etna. This is Eastern Sicily.
Her Parents :
*Tommaso Calcagno of Randazzo, Sicilia
*Maria Gullo of Bronte, Sicilia
Her Maternal Grandparents:
*Serafino Gullo of Bronte, Sicilia
*Nunziata Luca of Bronte, Sicilia
Her paternal Grandparents:
*Vincenzo Calcagno of Randazzo, Sicilia
*Francesca Calcagno of Randazzo, Sicilia
She was the eldest of her family and she and her siblings grew up in Bronte.
Siblings :
*Vincenza (Jennie) Married name Laurie
*Gaspare, died as a young child
*Elisabetta (Bettina)Married name Gangi
*Giuseppe (Peppino)
*Serafino
*Agatina, Never married and died in her 20's
*Nunziata (Nancy) Married name Orecchia
*Serafino (Ensulo)
At the age of 18 she immigrated to the USA together with her sister Vincenza and arrived at Ellis Island on Feb. 3, 1921. The two sisters then settled in Jamestown, NY.
In Jamestown there were many family members who had arrived years before. Including their maternal grandmother Nunziata Gullo and maternal uncles, aunts and cousins.
Jamestown back in those years had plenty of jobs in their factories and Franca and her sister Jennie soon found work in a textile mill.
Franca was also a skilled seamstress and an outstanding cook.
On Oct 22, 1922 she married a distant cousin Vincenzo (James) Zerbo in Jamestown, NY. Vincenzo was also from Bronte, Sicilia.
And as was the Italian custom their children were named after their grandparents.
They had the following Children:
*Mary
*James
*Thomas
*Anthony
In the early years the family lived in Jamestown, NY, later Franca and James moved the family cross country to San Jose, CA.
There they were welcomed by Uncle Ralph and Aunt Jennie Laurie who had moved there years earlier. San Jose's climate was very much like their native Sicily and far better than the cold winters of NY.
Franca worked in the San Jose canneries for a number of years.
She enjoyed taking care of and spending time with her children and her grand-children. She was also very close with her three sisters; Jennie Laurie and Nancy Orecchia who lived in the area and Bettina Gangi who lived in Philadelphia. And her many neices and nephews.
Also, always close to her heart was her large extended family here in Calif. Penn. Jamestown, NY and back in Italy.
In 1958 Franca and James took a nice vacation back to Italy visiting family and seeing the sights of Northern Italy.
In 1959 she would pass away from a battle with cancer. She was far too young and it was a big loss for the family.
Riposa in Pace, Cara Zia Franca.
From your Nephew, Joe O.
In Bronte, Provincia di Catania, Sicilia.
Bronte is a small town up the mountain from the large coastal city of Catania. And very near the volcano, Mt. Etna. This is Eastern Sicily.
Her Parents :
*Tommaso Calcagno of Randazzo, Sicilia
*Maria Gullo of Bronte, Sicilia
Her Maternal Grandparents:
*Serafino Gullo of Bronte, Sicilia
*Nunziata Luca of Bronte, Sicilia
Her paternal Grandparents:
*Vincenzo Calcagno of Randazzo, Sicilia
*Francesca Calcagno of Randazzo, Sicilia
She was the eldest of her family and she and her siblings grew up in Bronte.
Siblings :
*Vincenza (Jennie) Married name Laurie
*Gaspare, died as a young child
*Elisabetta (Bettina)Married name Gangi
*Giuseppe (Peppino)
*Serafino
*Agatina, Never married and died in her 20's
*Nunziata (Nancy) Married name Orecchia
*Serafino (Ensulo)
At the age of 18 she immigrated to the USA together with her sister Vincenza and arrived at Ellis Island on Feb. 3, 1921. The two sisters then settled in Jamestown, NY.
In Jamestown there were many family members who had arrived years before. Including their maternal grandmother Nunziata Gullo and maternal uncles, aunts and cousins.
Jamestown back in those years had plenty of jobs in their factories and Franca and her sister Jennie soon found work in a textile mill.
Franca was also a skilled seamstress and an outstanding cook.
On Oct 22, 1922 she married a distant cousin Vincenzo (James) Zerbo in Jamestown, NY. Vincenzo was also from Bronte, Sicilia.
And as was the Italian custom their children were named after their grandparents.
They had the following Children:
*Mary
*James
*Thomas
*Anthony
In the early years the family lived in Jamestown, NY, later Franca and James moved the family cross country to San Jose, CA.
There they were welcomed by Uncle Ralph and Aunt Jennie Laurie who had moved there years earlier. San Jose's climate was very much like their native Sicily and far better than the cold winters of NY.
Franca worked in the San Jose canneries for a number of years.
She enjoyed taking care of and spending time with her children and her grand-children. She was also very close with her three sisters; Jennie Laurie and Nancy Orecchia who lived in the area and Bettina Gangi who lived in Philadelphia. And her many neices and nephews.
Also, always close to her heart was her large extended family here in Calif. Penn. Jamestown, NY and back in Italy.
In 1958 Franca and James took a nice vacation back to Italy visiting family and seeing the sights of Northern Italy.
In 1959 she would pass away from a battle with cancer. She was far too young and it was a big loss for the family.
Riposa in Pace, Cara Zia Franca.
From your Nephew, Joe O.
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