Italian ancestors

PamM · Post by **PamM** » 17 Feb 2003, 23:05

I have just begun to research my Italian family history. I know that my great-great-great grandfather, Damiano Di Gerolomo was born in Provvidenti in 1817. He had a son, Damiano (Jr.) in 1845 who had 2 sons, Pasquale and Domenic in 1875 and 1879, respectively. Domenic\'s children were born in Minnesota beginning in 1907 so Domenic must have immigrated to the U.S. sometime between 1875 and 1907 but I don\'t know exactly when. I cannot find any info on Di Gerolomo anywhere! Any help would be greatly appreciated.
<BR>
<BR>Thanks,
<BR>Pam

ptimber · Post by **ptimber** » 18 Feb 2003, 00:49

Not to worry. Go to www.genealogylookups.com and file form 81 passenger arrival record into the USA and if you go to wwwcircolocalabrese.org/resources/letters/index for form letters to Provvidenti for birth record of Damiano and Domenico and Pasquale if you wish provided that Provvidenti was part of southern Italy whereupon all civil records go back to 1809 while in the rest of Italy they date from 1869. You may wish to also request the Ufficio di Stato Civile in Provvidenti for a listing of the churches in town for records if their records only go back to 1869. You can send a return envelope with youir address and $5.00 for stamps as suggested by the Mormon church. If you wish to go to the Family History Library of the mormon church nearest your home you can ascertain if such records exist since they have all the microfilm of the civilk rercords for all of Italy. The rental for the microfilm is not expensive and all the information, if there, is available for your purview. Be ready to read victorian script in Italian and bring a magnifying glass as well. If you wish to know morfe about Provvidenti then go to www.comuni.it and insert provvidenti in the upper right and then click on the next screen and see if the town has an WWWebsite. Peter

ptimber · Post by **ptimber** » 18 Feb 2003, 01:04

Now for the good news...your surname is more likely to be DI GEROLAMO andof course, there are two Domenico Di Gerolamo in the ellis island records. Go to www.ellisisland.org for both. The birthdates are off by about 10 years each one older and one younger but my instincts can be proved by requesting his birth record at FHlibrary or Provvidenti. Second when did this surname change to Gerolomo?? Naruralization, or mere happenstance? Check this out. Also if you go to www.paginebianche.it and insert Di Gerolamo in the first line and Molise (region for provvidenti) anbd click CERCA you will get one woman who has to be related since the Di Gerolamo surname does not appear to be in the surname dictionary for Italy and, consequently,m is of local origin and in your case very local. Write to her in Italian or very very simple english sentences since english is the second language in Italy and all school kids learn it. Send her a selkf addressed envelope with a doillar for stamnps and ask her if she knows anything about the family. She probably is a daughter of someone who knows your grandfather if she is from Provvidenti (she should). Peter

ptimber · Post by **ptimber** » 18 Feb 2003, 01:35

One final thing the address for the birth records can be obtained from Ufficio di Stato civile, Comune di Provvidenti, Postale 86040, Provincia di Campopbasso, Molise region, Italy. Sorry for the delay. Peter

mucho · Post by **mucho** » 16 Jul 2003, 04:37

Actually, Peter, I've come a long way since last February!! I have rented many microfilms from my local Family History Library and discovered my great grandfather's birth certificate from Provvidenti. In addition, I have copies (from the microfilm) of 30 birth certificates that are all either Girolamo's or di Girolamo's. I copied them all becasue I figure they will fit in somehow when the puzzle is completed. I also have made contact with a probable relative up in Canada who is a di Girolamo and whose grandfather came from Provvidenti! I have you to thank for all of this as my very first post was to you - you got me started! I see that just yesterday you posted an address to which I can obtain birth certificates. My question is this: What is the advantage, if any, of obtaining birth certificates from Italy if I already have copies from the microfilm? Would the ones I obtain from Italy be more legible? I have become quite proficient in reading handwritten Italian but I still have some problems with the name of the mother as it lists her maiden/family name nad sometimes it is really hard to figure out.

Thanks so much!
Pam M.

ptimber · Post by **ptimber** » 16 Jul 2003, 14:44

Yes to request docuemnts for legibility and arhival records for your future descendents. Remember you are interested a 100 years later and think that perhaps someone in another 100 or 300 years will want to know the same thing and only has to look at your records..Make copies and send them to relatives for their records so if one set get destroyed other s will remain. Peter