Looking for info on family

[ChrisCutler]

Hello!

I'm new to the forum and so very happy I found it.

I'm trying to find information on my grandparents who were born in Pettorano sul Gizio (L'Aquila) in Abruzzo.

Grandma's name was Loretta (Maria Liberatta) Crugnale
born 2 May, 1885

Grandpa was Donato Berarducci
born 17 April, 1878

They settled in Youngstown, Ohio but have relatives in Steubenville, OH, Philly, Buffalo, NY and other cities.


I know we're related to Schiappa, Ventresco, del Monaco or Monaco, delQuadri

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,
Chris

[liviomoreno]

You may ask for birth acts (Estratto di nascita) at

Ufficio di Stato Civile
Comune di Pettorano sul Gizio
Piazza Zanelli 1
67034 Pettorano sul Gizio AQ
Italia

Using the form letter found at http://www.circolocalabrese.org/resources/letters/

[Tessa78]

Welcome to the forum!

As Livio noted, you can write directly to the comune/town since you have the names and birthdates.

In the meantime, do you have US records? Immigration manifests, census? We can help to find them for you...

Is this the manifest of Donato?
1920 Boston arrival. Leaving Wife Giuseppa in Petterano, destined for Buffalo, NY

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/1728 ... st1920.jpg

T.

[wldspirit]

Once you have discovered the parentage of your grandparents, you can access limited microfilm to trace the family back to the early 1800's:

Civil registration 1809 - 1865

The following was written by member Trish:

The proper way of obtaining microfilm from a Family History Center
1. You go to www.familysearch.org

2. Click on the tab on the top right called Library

3. Click on the words Family History Library Catalog

4. Click on the words Place Search and type in the town you are looking for. Then click the word search.

5. A list of the results will show up. (an example: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

6. Click on the link you are looking for such a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Vital Records. A new page will appear where it will show all the films for Vital Records

7. Click on the link you want such as Death Registries.

8. Click on View Film Notes and a list of the microfilm numbers will appear.

9. Click at the bottom of the page, For a printable copy, click hereand you will get a form to print out with all the film numbers.

10. Click print.

Ordering Microfilm

1. Now the FHC does not have all the microfilm in their possession.

2. You have to order the microfilm which takes 3-4 weeks for it to arrive.

3. It costs about $5.75 a roll for 30 days of viewing time.

4. If you need to renew the microfilm, it cost about $5.50 for another 60 days.

5. If you need to renew it after the 60 days, it will cost another $5.50 and the films can be kept on an indefinite bases.

6. Microfilm must be viewed at the FHC.

7. Copies are $0.35 a page.

Written and Created for the Family History Center of Cherry Hill, New Jersey - by PTCTM - Trish - 02/2006

[ChrisCutler]

Thank you, everyone, for your help. Livio, thank you for the address. I was trying to find it and was having a problem.

Tessa, that is not my grandfather. He arrived in the States in 1905, and Grandma arrived a year later. I do find it interesting, however, that that Donato Berarducci was about the same age and that he was headed for Buffalo. Gramps had relatives - brothers, sisters and cousins - in Buffalo.

Wldspirit, I have been to the Family History Library here, and they don't have any records of my grandparents other than what I can find on ancestry.com, which isn't much. Sigh.

I'm working on it slowly. I intend to go back to Italy asap to work on this book.

I love this forum!

Chris