A mysterious aunt, Saleria D'Auria Saletta

[Scarlett227]

Thank you again for your help with the ship manifest. I now have what I think is a more curious investigation -- where should I go next to research?

My great great grandparents, Francesco and Rosaria D'Auria, came to NY from Naples between 1900-1907 with their family members (each on different ships). Rosaria DeVita D'Auria came last with two daughters, Angeline, and my mystery aunt, in 1907. Both are specifically listed as her daughters. On the ship manifest this aunt's name was transcribed "Doletta." Later, on the 1910 census for Bridgeport, CT, Frank and Rose and all of their children are listed as living in the house, but this time the mystery aunt is listed as Alice. Using her age on the census as a guide, I'm estimating that she was born approx. 1885.

My grandmother told me that her name was Saleria and she stayed in or around Bridgeport, CT during her lifetime. She was married to a man possibly named Saletta or Seletta (don't have a first name), but had no children. She was buried in St. Michael's cemetery, but no one knows when or where. The office manager of the cemetery has been extremely helpful in locating other family graves, but because I have neither a birth or death date (and am not even sure of her name!), and the records are not on a database, she is unable to help with this request. Added to that is the fact that the church office had a fire a while back and the paper record may be lost.

From what I can piece together on the census, Saleria did not speak or write English, did not hold down a job as some of her siblings did in Bridgeport, and therefore had no social security number assigned. She is not showing up on the SSN death index or the US death index on Ancestry. The CT death records index there starts at 1949, but I'm guessing she must have died anywhere between 1930 to 1949, maybe earlier. I'm pretty sure that she stayed with the family's church in Bridgeport, but again, their records are not on the computer and so without a marriage or death date, they can't help me.

What do you all think I should do next? How or where might I find any further information on her dates, short of going through 20 years' worth of newspaper records on microfilm hoping to come across it? I don't have much hope she was naturalized either. I'm new at this, so perhaps I'm missing what is obvious to all of you.

Thanks for any advice or suggestions you have!!

[vj]

Just for reference:
1907 manifest
page 2
special inquiry page
Lines 26-28
Born in Ariano di Puglia?
(now Ariano Irpino)

Name: could it be Ma (Maria) Diletta?

[vj]

What do you all think I should do next?

Since you asked
Valarie

It appears the Family History Library has microfilm for your family’s records
in Italy:
Topic Italy, Avellino, Ariano Irpino - Civil registration
Titles Registri dello stato civile, 1809-1910
Ariano Irpino (Avellino). Ufficio dello stato civile


A great place to start:

FamilySearch Home Page
Includes how to find your nearest local Family History Center
and a free genealogy program for downloading
to your computer (PAF) to organize your research.

Italian Record Research from the FamilySearch research guides:
Italy Research Outline
---

Three terrific books
to help you find, read & understand your records:

Italian Genealogical Records
How to Use Italian Civil, Ecclesiastical, &
Other Records in Family History Research
By Tafford R Cole
google book link

A Genealogist’s Guide to
Discovering Your Italian Ancestors
How to find and record your unique heritage
By Lynn Nelson
google book link

Finding Italian Roots
By John Philip Colletta, PhD
google book link
---

More on the Family History Center

Two very helpful essays from Trish, one of our forum members
(brujaojos):

What is FamilySearch.org
and
Steps for Finding Microfilm at the Family History Center

[Scarlett227]

Hi Valarie,

Thank you for posting the links. Yes, this is what I saw on Ancestry. I don't think her name is Diletta, and from what I saw on the census, she was still single in 1910, so her last name should be D'Auria.

I'm excited to know that they would have microfilm from Italy at the FRC center that I might use. Can you tell me how I might go about searching, without a date? Would I look under her name, or would there be a record in 1907 of when she left?

I'll look over the links you included -- I really appreciate your teaching me how to fish. Thank you!

[vj]

We're always happy to help !

I'd find her parents and siblings first:
especially those that you have pretty close
birth dates for, i.e brother Eugene (Eugenio)
14 Mar 1882?
Quite a few of these films have indexes.

We have quite a few volunteers here that
use these films a lot. They can really help
you with hints on your search!

Valarie

[liviomoreno]

Just for reference:
1907 manifest
page 2
special inquiry page
Lines 26-28
Born in Ariano di Puglia?
(now Ariano Irpino)

Name: could it be Ma (Maria) Diletta?

Definitely the daughters are Maria Diletta (24) and Angela (14)

The name Saleria does not exist (to my knowledge), it could be Valeria or Saveria...

[suanj]

hi.. on ancestry D'Auria family in Bridgeport, CT is listed so:

Francesco Rinaldo D'Auria (son of Eugenio and Angela Grillo/a)
Born: 1854 Italy
Died: 15 Jul 1922
Bridgeport, Fairfield, CT, USA

Family Members:

Spouse
Rosaria DeVita
1852–1912

Children
Carmelina D'Auria 1879
–Domenic D'Auria 1879–1959
-Eugenio D'Auria 1883–1933
-Severia D'Auria 1885
–Giovanni A D'Auria 1887–1981
-Raffaele D'Auria 1889–1978
-Angelina D'Auria 1893–1985

so maybe Maria Diletta changed her first name in Alice and after in Saveria... because it is the same person....

[Scarlett227]

suanj,

You have found the records on Ancestry that I put in. At different times, my grandmother and her sisters are remembering her as Severia and Saleria, so I have put that in as a place holder until I can find out her real name. The census says Alice and the manifest looks like Maria, so I am attaching the records that I know represent her existence, but that is about all I can do until I get some actual dates to look up for her marriage and death. My poor great aunt is now lying awake at night trying to remember anything that can help my mother and I figure this out, LOL. She was a very young girl at the time, and thinks Severia/Alice/Maria died young too.

Valarie, the cemetery gave me some good records and I have photos of the gravestones of brothers Eugenio and Domenico, and their brother, my great grandfather Raffaele (I have exact dates for him for everything). If I understand correctly, you are suggesting I look up the brothers first on the microfilms and that might help me locate the missing sister?

Thanks so much everyone -- I really appreciate it.

[vj]

Thanks for the update!

Because there is usually so much wonderful information on
each birth record - you can use these to confirm other
records (ie parent's names, sometimes grandparents!,
ages, occupations) It's always best to start with records
that you can confirm belong to your family.

This site has some wonderful examples of transcriptions
Italan record transcriptions

Valarie

[suanj]

suanj,

You have found the records on Ancestry that I put in. At different times, my grandmother and her sisters are remembering her as Severia and Saleria, so I have put that in as a place holder until I can find out her real name. The census says Alice and the manifest looks like Maria, so I am attaching the records that I know represent her existence, but that is about all I can do until I get some actual dates to look up for her marriage and death. My poor great aunt is now lying awake at night trying to remember anything that can help my mother and I figure this out, LOL. She was a very young girl at the time, and thinks Severia/Alice/Maria died young too.

Valarie, the cemetery gave me some good records and I have photos of the gravestones of brothers Eugenio and Domenico, and their brother, my great grandfather Raffaele (I have exact dates for him for everything). If I understand correctly, you are suggesting I look up the brothers first on the microfilms and that might help me locate the missing sister?

Thanks so much everyone -- I really appreciate it.

I believe that Maria Diletta is the real italian name... for my experience many italians chnged the first name in some census, but it was always the same person of previous census... the problem is to find Maria Diletta/Alice/Saveria in 1920 census and to know the name husband... I no found she in 1920 CT census and nobody Saletta/e.... I searched so much... nothing... if the husband surname was Saletta/e and Saveria died before of 1930.. it is possible that the husband remarried?

[Scarlett227]

Thank you so much suanj for searching for me. I saw my grandmother this weekend, but she didn't know the first name of the husband or anything that could help me. But her sister is coming to visit in a few weeks, and I'm hoping maybe *she* remembers something helpful. We did unearth a small photo, blurry, of the mystery aunt, so that was encouraging!!

I think my only option at this point is to do the FRC films. I found one a few towns away from where I live, so now I need to decide what films to order.

Thank you all again for your help!

[Scarlett227]

I don't know if you are interested, but I always like to know how these queries turn out...

Yesterday I received a marriage certificate from the church where my grandmother's family had attended after moving from NY. The mystery aunt's name is Maria Diletta (suanj was right!!) D'Auria and she married a Giuseppi Peri in 1915. I cannot find any other census records for them yet, but at least now I should be able to find her death record, and grave in the cemetery.

Here is a case where the town clerk's office was not willing to help, but the priest at the church was so kind to look through all the old records for me, with the little information I could give him.

Thanks again everyone!