Throwback Thursday - Searching for Scrimas

 

Pasquale's son, Generoso (Joe)

My friend, Teague, first got me hooked on genealogy in 2011.  Researching one's family tree is a lot like doing a large picture  puzzle. Usually when you work on a puzzle, you have a picture from the box of what it will look like. That part is missing when piecing together a family tree.

One of the first puzzles I encountered was looking for a Pasquale (Patsey) Scrima. Somehow related to my mother's side of the family. I didn't know whether he was related to her mother or her father as I knew very little about my mother's side of the family. I came across a passenger list with my grandfather listed and the person he would be staying with in the US was listed as his brother-in-law, Pasquale Scrima.

I had recent confirmation from my cousin that the Scrimas were cousins related to us. Not just close friends that Italians absorb into a family, but he didn't know how they were related.

A couple of weeks ago, I stumbled on town records for residents of Ariano di Puglia in Italy where both my mother's parents were from. Poking around looking for my great-grandparents, I found my grandmother and her siblings. Then siblings of my great-grandmother. Then a spouse for one of her sisters, Generosa Scrima and then their oldest child, Pasquale later known as Patsey.

Patsey is my first cousin twice removed and related through my grandmother's maternal side of the family. 

So the earlier clue that I had about my grandfather staying with his brother-in-law, Patsey was wrong. Patsey and Grandma were first cousins. I can see how talking to immigration authorities a white lie might have been told or information misunderstood. Since one had to have a sponsor, it would be better if blood ties were close. Easier to say you were staying with the husband of your sister rather than a cousin of your future bride, or a friend.

I've also found Patsey's children including his eldest son, Joe pictured above. The photo looks like it was taken during during WWII. Maybe during Joe's basic training.

My next step was to search through the Boston Globe to find obituaries and to find out where Patsey and Generoso are buried. for a future cemetery sighting. Except for some reason my electronic library card at the Boston Public Library isn't being recognized to search the newspaper. I'll have to wait until the library opens to see about accessing the library.