Looking for help on Genardo surname

[johnnyonthespot]

Is this your James?

If so, consider spending $10 to get a copy of his naturalization records from the National Archives. These should include the name of the ship and date when he arrived in the US and the full name which he traveled under.

Begin here https://eservices.archives.gov/orderonline/ Click Order Reproductions, then Immigration and Naturalization records and follow the remaining prompts. When you get to the "Please provide any additional information ..." box, enter the information from the card above.

Johnny, this is my James. I've seen the naturalization record that ended up being approved, but it doesn't tell me anything about when he immigrated here. He's the short branch on my family tree. I get stuck on him because I don't know the names of his parents or his siblings. They were a Catholic family, so I'm betting he had siblings.

Julia, did you see the actual Declaration of Intent and Petition for Naturalization? From 1912 to at least the 1930's, a Certificate of Arrival was a necessary component of naturalization (there is a discussion of same in this thread http://www.italiangenealogy.com/forum/emigration/23147 ).

[Juliablueeyes2006]

I found a card, similar to that one, on familysearch.org. I'm just hesitant to pay for information that I may or may not get. I've been told he arrived to the US in Lousiana, and so I'm trying to figure it out from that end, but passenger lists are hard to sort through without the correct name.

[johnnyonthespot]

I am confident that you will find the $10 National Archives fee well worth it. You are very lucky that you know exactly where and when he naturalized; many people would kill for that information.

[Juliablueeyes2006]

On the card that you found, it has "date and port of arrival" blank. Will it be blank if I order through the National Archives?

[erudita74]

The Gennardi surname (with two n's) was found in the town of Mussomeli in Caltanissetta, Sicily in the 1890s. There is no Vincenzo born there in 1894 though. Quite a distance from Patti. The online Patti birth records jump from 1893 to 1896, but the surname there is Gelardi.

Erudita

Where can I search these records?

https://familysearch.org/search/image/i ... %3D1946840

https://familysearch.org/search/image/i ... %3D1946858

[carubia]

Another possibility is Genuardi. That is fairly common in Caltanissetta and Agrigento provinces. Currently the largest number of such people are in the comuni of Palermo, Sciacca, Mussomeli, and Casteltermini. I've come across it in the 19th century in Agrigento province as well. But if he was really from Patti, then Gelardi is probably a better bet.

[erudita74]

Another possibility is Genuardi. That is fairly common in Caltanissetta and Agrigento provinces. Currently the largest number of such people are in the comuni of Palermo, Sciacca, Mussomeli, and Casteltermini. I've come across it in the 19th century in Agrigento province as well. But if he was really from Patti, then Gelardi is probably a better bet.

Carubia is correct. The surname in Mussomeli is Genuardi and not Gennardi. It is misspelled on passenger lists with two n's. Also I went through the birth records there for 1893, 1894, and 1895 and a Vincenzo with that surname born on Oct 1st is not there. It's the wrong town.

Erudita

[johnnyonthespot]

On the card that you found, it has "date and port of arrival" blank. Will it be blank if I order through the National Archives?

I can't promise anything but if you refer to the older thread I linked to earlier you will see that the law was quite clear regarding proof of arrival required for naturalizations after 1911'ish.

[carubia]

Giacomo was also anglicized as James. Based on his children's names, you could guess that his parents were Vincenzo/Giacomo and Rosa/Rosaria/Rosalia. His wife's parents may have been Giuseppe and Maria.

[johnnyonthespot]

Julia,

The naturalization records for the US District Court at Hammond, IN are held by the National Archives at Chicago. If you are in/near Chicago, you can simply walk in and view records for free.

If not, well, I have found the National Archives researchers to be pretty easy to get along with and very helpful. I suggest you call or email the Chicago office and simply inquire; you may find that someone will be willing to view the Declaration/Petition and tell you what they contain.


Email: chicago.archives@nara.gov
Tel: 773-948-9001

http://www.archives.gov/chicago/finding ... cords.html
http://www.archives.gov/chicago/archive ... ation.html

[erudita74]

Giacomo was also anglicized as James. Based on his children's names, you could guess that his parents were Vincenzo/Giacomo and Rosa/Rosaria/Rosalia. His wife's parents may have been Giuseppe and Maria.

My grandmother's older brother, born in Sicily, was named Girolamo at birth. The English equivalent of this name is always given as Jerome, yet all of his U.S. paperwork has James as his name, and he was called Jimmy by the family. The Giacomo in our family was called Jake. So you really never know and can't assume that James was a Vincenzo.

Erudita

[johnnyonthespot]

My grandmother's older brother, born in Sicily, was named Girolamo at birth. The English equivalent of this name is always given as Jerome, yet all of his U.S. paperwork has James as his name, and he was called Jimmy by the family. The Giacomo in our family was called Jake. So you really never know and can't assume that James was a Vincenzo.

Erudita

This is very true; that is why what I originally said was that, "James is often an Americanization of Vincenzo."

Not always; just often.

[carubia]

My grandmother's older brother, born in Sicily, was named Girolamo at birth. The English equivalent of this name is always given as Jerome, yet all of his U.S. paperwork has James as his name, and he was called Jimmy by the family.

My GM's older brother, born in Sicily, was named Girolamo at birth, but he was always known as Charlie.

[suanj]

Hi,
possible 1920 census, mispelled surname:
Jim Gerdo in household of Jimmers Russa
United States Census, 1920

Name: Jim Gerdo
Event Type: Census
Event Year: 1920
Event Place: Saint John, Lake, Indiana, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 24
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Race (Original): White
Relationship to Head of Household: Brother
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Brother
Birth Year (Estimated): 1896
Birthplace: Italy
Immigration Year: 1913
Father's Birthplace: Italy
Mother's Birthplace: Italy
Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
Jimmers Russa Head M 27 Italy
Joe Gerdo Head M 35 Italy
Jim Gerdo Brother M 24 Italy


1930 census; surname also mispelled:
James Genarl
United States Census, 1930

Name: James Genarl
Event Type: Census
Event Year: 1930
Event Place: Dyer, Lake, Indiana, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 35
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Race (Original): White
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Head
Birth Year (Estimated): 1895
Birthplace: Italy
Immigration Year: 1912
Father's Birthplace: Italy
Mother's Birthplace: Italy
Affiliate Film Number: 603
Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
James Genarl Head M 35 Italy
Josephine Genarl Wife F 26 Louisiana
James Genarl Son M 6 Indiana
Rosie Genarl Daughter F 5 Indiana
Joe Genarl Son M 3 Indiana
Mary Genarl Daughter F 1 Indiana

abt the surname spelling .. some suggestion:
GINARDI
CINARDI
CINARDO

best regards,
suanj

I'm not sure about the 1920 census, but I am sure that the 1930 census is my family. I just wish I could find who his parents were.

I am pretty sure that the 1920 census is right.. also if the surname is mispelled and also the age... but I am positive that is same man...

because in the 1920 census, same town was also Josephine Schelfo ( in italy the surname is Scelfo)
Name: Joe Schelfa
Event Type: Census
Event Year: 1920
Event Place: Saint John, Lake, Indiana, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 54
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Race (Original): White
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Head
Birth Year (Estimated): 1866
Birthplace: Italy
Immigration Year: 1893
Father's Birthplace: Italy
Mother's Birthplace: Italy
Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
Joe Schelfa Head M 54 Italy
Paulina Schelfa Wife F 53 Italy
Joe Schelfa Son M 18 Louisiana
Sam Schelfa Son M 18 Louisiana
Josephine Schelfa Daughter F 16 Louisiana
George Schelfa Son M 14 Louisiana
John Schelfa Son M 12 Indiana

just my suggestion...
suanj

[carubia]

For what's it's worth, I searched Oliveri birth records from 1893 to 1896. Oliveri is a small sea-side comune next to Patti, and next to Marinello frazione in particular. (A GGGF of mine was born in Oliveri.) There were no babies born there with the surname Gelardi, or anything like it or Genardo, during those 4 years.

I also checked Patti births in 1893. There were 4 Gelardi children - 2 twins Rosaria and Carmela and a couple of Febronia girls. None of the parents had the names Vincenzo, Giacomo, Rosa, Rosaria, Maria, etc. I think the fathers had names such as Nicolo' and Salvatore and the mother of one was also Febronia. One of the Febronia girls was born out of the wedlock and the mother wasn't identified since she didn't show up to report the birth. (The birth index for 1893 is on sheet 1559.) I suppose it might be worth checking 1892 or other years as you might find the birth record of James' brother Joseph (Giuseppe).

I