Can Someone translate a letter for me?

Having problems with the Italian language? Do you need help to translate or understand an old family document? There is always someone who can help you!
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garrett_james
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Can Someone translate a letter for me?

Post by garrett_james »

I am sending a letter to family in Italy. I understand that she does read and speak English, but I would like to send the letter in Italian as well - making it easier for her to read.

Would anyone be willing to translate this letter from English to Italian for me?

I have attached the letter below, and removed my personbal info for privacy sake. I will fill in once translated.

If you are willing, please send me a PM or you can email me. You may also post a reply with the translated letter attached (on this thread).

My email is: garrettr@panhandlebank.com

If you send and email, please also PM me here on the boards. I have a spam filter at my work email that often rejects legitimate emails.

Thank you so much!
Garrett-

Letter for Translation:

Dear Francesco and Magdalena,
My name is Garrett Roush and I live in a small town in the state of Idaho -USA. I am the son of Ernest Leroy (Lee) Roush. As you may now realize I am your relative. Ernest (Lee) is the son of Grazia Grounds (Vitale) who lives in California. So I am 2nd cousin to you (Magdalena) – your aunt Grazia is my grandmother. Someone was kind enough to translate this letter into Italian for me, so it would be easier for you to read. I understand that you understand English, so I included the original letter as well.

My Grandmother said that we met when you came to California once, but I was very young, and I honestly don’t remember. I asked my grandmother for your address so I could send you a letter. I hope you do not mind that I have written you.

The reason I am contacting you is because I have become very interested in my ancestry. As you know, my grandmother is the last one still alive of the three children of Rosa and Pasquale. I want to know as much as I can about my ancestors and where I came from. I do speak with your cousin Rosa Vitale on occasion. She also lives in California with her mother. As you know her father (Uncle Nicola) died many years ago now. She is the last one with the name Vitale because she has never married.

I hope to visit the region of Potenza sometime in the future. I want to go with Grandmother Grazia so she can show me around. It would be difficult for me to see Southern Italy without her, as I speak very little Italian.
What I hope to do in the mean time is get as much information about my ancestors as I can. I know that my great grandmother (your grandmother) was named Rosa Viciconte and she was born approximately July 2nd, 1895. I would like to know as much as I can about her ancestors. But my primary interest is in the Vitale line. I know my grandmother’s father was named Pasquale Vitale and he was March 17th 1895 in San Martino. I understand that his father was Achile Vitale who was also born in San Martino. I believe your father was also named Achile. Is this correct? I am getting this information from my grandmother who is getting older and is working off memory. So, I am not sure how correct it is. But it is a starting point for me.

My ultimate goal is to back as far as there are records to find out who my ancestors were. Then I will work my way forward to find other members of the Vitale family who may be alive today and share a common ancestor.
My pursuit may seem strange, but there are a few reasons why I am so interested in my ancestry. First and foremost is my desire to know my family - especially before my grandmother passes away and there is no longer a connection.

But there is another reason for my desire to connect with the Vitale line in particular.

I am taking part in a DNA study to trace my lineage and genealogy. It is through Family Tree DNA (familytreedna.com). Bennett Greenspan is a scientist and the administrator. This DNA testing is done by a simple swab (from the inside of the mouth). No blood is needed to get DNA samples.
So far I have been tested to trace my father’s paternal line through my Y-DNA. Since only males have a Y chromosome, only males carry and pass on Y-DNA to their sons. I am waiting on results for my mitochondrial or mt-DNA test. The mt-DNA will trace my mother's maternal line. Females carry mt-DNA and hand down to sons and daughters but males do not pass on their maternal mt-DNA to their children. Only women do. What this means is that I can only trace my father’s father’s father.etc through my Y-DNA. And I can trace my mother’s mother’s mother etc through the mt-DNA she passed to me. I can trace my grandmother’s maternal line by testing her mt-DNA or having my father do an mt-DNA test. I can do this because your grandmother passes on her mt-DNA to all of her children. And my grandmother passes it to my father. He does not pass it to me. So, an mt-DNA test can be done on my father or Grandmother Grazia in order to trace the Viciconte line.

The problem is that I don’t have a male Vitale to test. Since Grazia does not carry, nor pass on her father’s Y-DNA, neither I, nor my father would be a candidate to do a Y-DNA to trace Vitale family. The only option is to go around my grandmother to her father or brothers. Unfortunately I understand that they have all passed.

Do you know of a male member of our Vitale family from a common ancestor that would be willing to take part in the study? As I said, there is no need for blood, only a swab in the cheek and I will gladly cover the cost of the kit and test.

If you do not, can you help me get records to trace the Vitale lineage back from your great grandfather Achile (or your grandfather Pasquale) back to find a brother that carried down sons (Vitale) who are living?

I would really enjoy a relationship with you and the rest of my family there.

A little about me.
I will be 40 years old this July. I have been married for 7 years now to my wife Kelly. She is unable to have children, so it’s just the two of us. We live in a small town in the Rocky Mountain Range. The town is Bonners Ferry, in the State of Idaho. I live about 30 minutes from the boarder of British Columbia, Canada. I am a banker. I do commercial and agriculture lending for a small regional bank. I grew up in California and Grandma Grazia basically raised me because my mother died in a car accident one day before my 1st birthday. My father worked and traveled on business all the time, so Grandma took care of me as a child. I moved away from California because it is very expensive to live there. I talk to Grandma every few weeks.

I have included some photos of us for you. If possible, I would love to have photos of your family and any of my ancestors that you may have photos of. Please don’t spend money on photos, photocopies are fine, and if you want, you could just scan and email them instead. But only if it is not too much trouble, I understand if you do not want to share pictures.

If you have email you can email me at:
garrettr@panhandlebank.com
Or you can send regular mail to:
Garrett Roush
(I will fill in)
(I will fill in)
(I will fill in)

My home phone is (I will fill in) and my work phone number is (I will fill in)
Of course you can always contact me through your aunt Grazia.
I hope to hear from you!
Love,
Garrett-

Ps. My Grandmother said to tell you “Nona Grazia Nipote Garrettâ€
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garrett_james
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Re: Can Someone translate a letter for me?

Post by garrett_james »

Bump. Please help..would really appreciate it!
Have a great weekend!
Garrett-
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