I haven't been able to trace back as far as I'd like, as it's Italian, and the records in the civil area only go back to 1867. But the LDS church has microfilmed the records from the main town I'm interested in, so I've been trying to fill in the blanks.
My lineage in this line is
3. Margaret Fessia --- Mom
6. Augusto Secundo Fessia -- My grandpa. Grandpa was born 1 April 1890 in Gaglianico, Piemonte, Italy. He was sent to Lyon at the age of 11 ( according to Mom) to apprentice in silk weaving . His brother did dyes for the silk and Augusto worked with the design and machines. He served in the Italian Army and was in the Italo-Turkish War [guerra di Libia, "the Libyan war" September 29, 1911 to October 18, 1912.] He received a commemorative medal which my uncle had framed. The letter accompanying it stated ' il Soldato del 6 Reggimento Artiglierria de [da?] Fortezza". He emigrated to the US in 1913 to work in the silk mill in Utica NY. His younger sister Felicita and her husband, his younger brother Giovanni Battista (John) also came, but an older brother went to work in the beginning textile industry in Chile, and stayed there. Augusto married the widow Maria Antonetta (Tonina) Jacomina Teresa Antonipieri Felice in Utica 1 Jul 1917. He received his US naturalization in 1922. Grandpa was a very quiet reserved man. He had the most wonderful vivid blue eyes. He was diabetic and died 4 Jan 1968 of pancreatic cancer.
12. Giovanni Battista Fessia (b. 18 May 1847 Gaglianico, Piemonte, Italy-- 1903 Gaglianico, Piemonte, Italy). He married Margherita Anna Pozzallo ( 3 May 1866 Donato -- 28 May 1943 Utica, Oneida, NY) in Gaglianico. She later came to the US (12 Aug 1916- held for special inquiry!) to live with her children and grandchildren. There is a tale someone told me ( in my early days before I used proper citations!) that she was his second wife, and that when his first wife died, the children of that marriage went to live with her family in southern France. I have not been able to validate or disprove this tale, and that is one of my future tasks.
24. Pietro Fessia -- this is the furthest back ancestor.... unfortunately, his data is in the pile of unsorted research. I think that his wife's maiden name was Ciochetti. I will post more on him when I finish my 2010 GB Olympic task of filing and properly sorting!
3 comments:
How interesting. Working in the textile industry in Chile must be more of a common theme than I realized, as my great-great grandmother's brother went and did the same thing. We have a letter from him in the 1920's, on the company letterhead (he and a partner ran the company).
I wonder if this was a normal endeavor for the time period, and because of your post, I'm going to look more closely at it. Thank you!
Hi Sue,MY Mom's surname was Fessia, My Grandfather was born in Milan,Italy.Also My Grandfather's Sister's name was Margaret.I was born in Western Massachusetts.Coincidently My name is also Sue.
Hello Susan:
I'm Matias Villegas from Chile.
From my mom side, my great grand mother stills alive here name is: Felicita Fessia Espejo and is one of the few daughters whom still alive from her father Pietro Fessia who came from Italy to the south of Chile to work in the textil industry . I read your post and it's really beautiful to feel how it was everything in the beginning.
Here is my email address: mvillegas@prodysurf.cl
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