Grandfather's Ship record

[peggymckee]

Dear Cathy,

I looked at your Website--I was very impressed. I don't know how much you know about finding naturalization papers, but I'll tell you my story and perhaps it will help.

First, I read They became Americans : finding naturalization records and ethnic origins by Szucs, Loretto Dennis. My library had it. It's a great reference work. Naturalization is a complicated process and the process is not consistent across places or time periods.

My grandparents arrived in 1914 & 1915. I found them on the 1920 census living in Chicago and identified by census code as Aliens and in 1930 in Chicago coded as naturalized. I knew from reading I had done that given the place of residence & date, they were almost certainly naturalized by federal court in the Northern District.

To get their naturalization papers, I needed to know the date, certificate # & place (meaning which court) of naturalization. I visited my local LDS FHC and they showed my how to order the Soundex index for Chicago Northern District Court naturalizations. The index is ordered by Soundex (e.g. M620) and then first name. Once I found my grandparents in the index, I knew exact spelling of the name they used for naturalization, the exact date of naturalization, the court and the certificate #. Then I went to the NARA website & ordered.

One surprise--and this may apply to your grandmother. Only my grandfather was naturalized in 1926. Apparently at the time, a wife was automatically naturalized when her husband naturalized. I think there were then some changes to this law. In any case, my grandmother naturalized on her own in 1939.

BTW, my grandfather's index card gave his port of entry and date of arrival. My grandmother's card didn't.

Good luck and I hope you find your ancestors! Peggy M

[jscaduto]

Peggy when you requested information from the NARA how did you do about it? I am still very new at this.

[peggymckee]

From this link,

http://www.archives.gov/great-lakes/chi ... cords.html

click the "order online" button, upper right. However, Chicago NARA doesn't have all naturalization records, just the ones listed on the webpage.

Hope that helps. Peggy M

[Cathynap]

Dear Cathy,

I looked at your Website--I was very impressed. I don't know how much you know about finding naturalization papers, but I'll tell you my story and perhaps it will help.Peggy M

Thank you for the compliment about my website - I have much to finish on it but it will get done eventually. I know nothing about finding naturalization papers and never even thought about it since I had my grandfather's original certificate. I am very glad you posted this information - it was very helpful and I am going to take your advise. Thank you.

[peggymckee]

Hi Cathy!

A couple more thoughts based on my experience. I was able to find both my grandparents at ellisisland.org. On the ship manifest, my grandmother spelled her name as Bertolotti (not Bertellotti, as in her birth act). One of the questions on the naturalization form is: under what name did you enter the US--and she answers: Bertolotti. Since she spelled her name Bertellotti in lots of other places, I'm guessing that her application information had to match the ship manifest. That may help you in your ship search.

Also Chicago NARA has the indexes (indices) so you don't have to get them from LDS.

Good luck! Peggy M

[msebastian10]

VJ, where did you get those WW1 records from/??

[msebastian10]

Cathy & Biff, may help... Valarie

For reference, may help in finding Giuseppe Napolitano's manifest
According to these 3 records (not necessarily accurate!)
Born between 1892-1895
Census - immig 1913-1914 (prob as early as 1909?)
Naturalized abt 1919 (from WWI service?, prob Lake or Cook county, IL)
1917 WWI Draft Registration Card
1920 census w/wife & his m-i-l
1930 census w/family & m-i-l

VJ, where can I get these for my great grandfather? (the ww1 records?)
name is Sebastiano Previtera
I know for a fact he was of the order of vittorio veneto(i have a lovely big write up and medal from the italian government)
also after ww2 documents for Alfio Previtera

[nuccia]

These may be the WW! Draft Card Registrations you are looking for. They are available on ancestry.com.

World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
about Alfio Previtera
Name: Alfio Previtera
City: San Francisco
County: San Francisco
State: California
Birthplace: Italy
Birth Date: 26 Jul 1891
Race: Caucasian (White)
Roll: 1544242
DraftBoard: 5

Alfio Draft Cards

Hope this helps.