lost family

[melinda72]

I am trying to trace family history on my dad's side. Our last name is Peterson....but... I found out in the last year that it had been changed when my Great-Grandfather came to America. My great-Grandparents were from Italy and Sicily. the last names were Leggio and ?Villio? or ?Villeo?...Leggio was mr GGrandfather's name and his first name was Vince..do not know my GGrandmothers first name.

[misbris]

Hi Melinda and welcome to the forum,

The more information you can provide, the easier it will be to help you search.

Can you tell us approximate year of immigration or birthdates of your ggrandparents? Place where they first settled? Names of children? Any clues you may have to their home in Italy?

[vj]

Hello Melinda & mj !
This may help...
There is a family page on ancestry with only a few records
Is this the correct family?
Valarie

Family page: Stockman
Owner: myavonlady777

Vincent Leggio
Birth
7 Dec 1864
in Italy
incorrect date - see suanj's post below
Death
3 Jun 1941
in Shreveport, LA

incorrect record - see suanj's post below
Louisiana Statewide Death Index, 1900-1949
Name: Vincent Leggio
Death Date: 3 Jun 1941
Estimated Birth Year: 1864
Age: 77 Years
Gender: Male Race: White
Parish: Iberville
Certificate Number: 7751 Volume: 18
Title: Louisiana Statewide Death Indices 1940-1944

spouse:

Rosa Billeo
Birth
18 Feb 1866
in Palemo, Sicily
may be incorrect date - see suanj's post below, Vincenzo was a widower in 1916
Death
25 Sep 1937
in Shreveport, LA

may be incorrect record - see suanj's post below, Vincenzo was a widower in 1916 on his death record
Louisiana Statewide Death Index, 1900-1949
Name: Rosa Legio
Death Date: 25 Sep 1937
Estimated Birth Year: 1866
Age: 71 Years
Gender: Female Race: White
Parish: St. Mary
Certificate Number: 12387 Volume: 29
---

possible census record

(click here)1900 census

Home in 1900:
102 N Boulevard, rents
Baton Rouge Ward 1, East Baton Rouge, Louisiana

head Vincent Lego 35, born Dec 1864 IT
- married 11 yrs, abt 1889
- barber
wife Rosa Lego 36, born Feb 1864 IT
- 6 children
son John Lego 10, born Oct 1889 LA
daughter Visene Lego 9, born Jan 1891 LA
daughter Rosa Lego 7, born Aug 1892 LA
son Tony Lego 5, born Mar 1895 LA
son Vincent Lego 2, born Oct 1897 LA
son Peter Lego 6/12, born Nov 1899 LA

[misbris]

Hi vj,

Also from Ancestry,

Name: Vincenzo Leggio
Spouse: Rosina Bilella
Age: 25
Age: 23
Gender: M
Marriage Date: 30 Jan 1889
Volume: 13
Page: 610

[suanj]

same record found by vj with other infos:
Name: Vincent Leggio
Death date: 03 Jun 1941
Death place: White Castle, , Iberville, Louisiana
Gender: Male
Race or color (on document): W
Race or color (expanded): White
Age in years: 77
Estimated birthdate: 1864
Birthplace: Carbone, Illinois
Marital status: Married
Spouse's name: Gertrude Russo
Father's name: Frank Leggio
Mother's name: Mary Marino
Film number: 626289
Image number: 01390
Reference number: 7751
Collection: Louisiana Deaths, 1850-1875; 1894-1954

but, maybe, this other record could be also right:

Name: Vincinse Leggio
Death date: 23 Apr 1916
Death place: Shreveport, , Caddo, Louisiana
Gender: Male
Race or color (on document): W
Race or color (expanded): White
Age in years: 52
Estimated birthdate: 1864
Birthplace: Cecily, Italy
Marital status: Widowed
Spouse's name:
Father's name: John Leggio
Mother's name:
Film number: 2363946
Image number: 00486
Reference number: 4036
Collection: Louisiana Deaths, 1850-1875; 1894-1954


and 1910 census abt this Vincenzo Leggio (also exist -in italian spell- Liggio)


1910 United States Federal Census
about Vince Leggio
Name: Vince Leggio
[Vince Laggio]
Age in 1910: 46
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1864
Birthplace: Italy
Relation to Head of House: Head
Father's Birth Place: Italy
Mother's Birth Place: Italy
Spouse's Name: Rosa
Home in 1910: Shreveport Ward 7, Caddo, Louisiana
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Gender: Male
Year of Immigration: 1885
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Vince Leggio 46
Rosa Leggio 44
John Leggio 21
Kane Leggio 19
Rosa Leggio 17
Tony Leggio 15
Vince Leggio 12
Peter Leggio 11


1900 United States Federal Census
about Vincent Lego
Name: Vincent Lego
Home in 1900: Baton Rouge Ward 1, East Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Age: 35
Birth Date: Dec 1864
Birthplace: Italy
Race: White
Ethnicity: American
Gender: Male
Relationship to Head of House: Head
Father's Birthplace: Italy
Mother's Birthplace: Italy
Spouse's Name: Rosa
Marriage year: 1889
Marital Status: Married
Years Married: 11
Residence : Baton Rouge City, East Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Occupation: View on Image
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Vincent Lego 35
Rosa Lego 36
John Lego 10
Visene Lego 9
Rosa Lego 7
Tony Lego 5
Vincent Lego 2
Peter Lego 6/12


it is the correct family???
regards,
suanj

[suanj]

great find misbris!

[vj]

Great finds mj & suanj!
I hope it's the correct family (I'm betting it is )
Valarie

[suanj]

thank you vj!
the death of a daughter:

Name: Rosalie Peterson
Death date: 18 Sep 1936
Death place: Shreveport, , Caddo, Louisiana
Gender: Female
Race or color (on document): W
Race or color (expanded): White
Age in years: 42
Estimated birthdate: 1894
Birthplace: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Marital status: Widowed
Spouse's name: A M Peterson
Father's name: Vince Leggio
Mother's name:
Film number: 2203836
Image number: 00644
Reference number: 11431
Collection: Louisiana Deaths, 1850-1875; 1894-1954

[vj]

Hard to tell if this is the same Rosina Bilella from mj's marriage record find

1886 manifest

23 Jan 1886, Ship Ben Venne, Palermo and Messina to New Orleans

Concetta (?) Bilella 11, abt 1874
- female
Girolama (?) Bilella 9, abt 1876
- female
Rosina Bilella 21, abt 1864
- female
- has luggage listed
Rosalia Bilella 38, abt 1847
- female
Eduardo Bilella 7, abt 1878
- female (?)
Giovanni (?) Bilella 5, abt 1880
- male

may be traveling with
Vincenzo Corovelli (?) 30, abt 1855

[misbris]

Hi great job guys,

I hope Melinda can confirm this!!

[melinda72]

I know of 3 kids...if more i do not know as of yet. Alex Peterson, Robert Rudolph, Peterson (my Grandfather), and Rosalee or Roselee Peterson. My grandfather died in 1990 at the age of 71. Alex died in 1998. do not know ages of greatgrandparents. TY everyone for info. i will use it to try to find out more. more info....there had been 3 boys and 2 girls. my grandfather was born in 1919, uncle alex in 1917. the other sons name was Arthur known as "Buddy"...he had a son named James. Buddy's wife's name was Merle. uncle alex's full name was alex william known as "A.W." or "uncle Sonny". My GGrandfather died when my grandfather was 12. instead of Villeo being my ggrandmother's last name it might have been Billeo.

[wldspirit]

Possible record:

1930 United States Federal Census

Name: Rosalie C Peterson
Home in 1930: Shreveport, Caddo, Louisiana
Age: 36
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1894
Relation to Head of House: Wife
Spouse's Name: Alex W
Race: White

Household Members:
Name Age
Alex W Peterson 45
Rosalie C Peterson 36
Rosalie Peterson 15
Alex W Peterson 12
Robert R Peterson 10
Evelyn C Peterson 4
Arthur G Peterson 2 1/12

Image

She list her birth as Louisiana, both parents birth as Italy.

[melinda72]

TY. the names and ages are very close to what i've been told. i'm going to check into this also.

[vj]

Hi Melinda,
Thank you for the updates!

If you haven't started organizing your family on to a database, there's a free one here ('PAF', right side of page): http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp

Here's your g-grandfather's WWI Card
(matches wldspirit's 1930 census find)
from ancestry. com

possible 1918 WWI Draft Registration Card

Alex William Peterson 34
Shreveport Caddo LA
born 11 Jun 1884
Crane Operator for KCS Shops
(may be Kansas City Southern Railway)
nearest relative: Rosa Lee Peterson
---

Census taker probably used Alex William Peterson's middle name for his surname

possible 1920 census

Home in 1920:
Police Jury Ward 4, Caddo, Louisiana

head Aleck Williams 36, abt 1884 MO
- parents born in MO
- engineer, power house
wife Rosa L Williams 26, abt 1894 LA
- parents born in IT
daughter Rosalin Williams 5
son Abell (Aleck) W Williams 2 9/12
son Robert R Williams 3/12

[vj]

... My GGrandfather died when my grandfather was 12 ...

A bit more on g-grandfather Alex W Peterson
According to the 1936 Shreveport Directory, Rosalie is a widow

1936 Brueggerhoff's Shreveport (Caddo Parish, La) City Directory

Home 1651 Tulane
Rosalie Peterson (wid Alex)

Residence 1651 Tulane
Alex W Peterson, mechanic Central Auto Parts
Robert R Peterson, mechanic Central Auto Parts
---

Louisiana Statewide Death Index, 1900-1949

Name: A W Peterson
Death Date: 2 Apr 1931
Estimated Birth Year: 1885
Age: 46 Years
Parish: Caddo
Certificate Number: 42??
Volume: 10