james holbrook (part 1 of 3)

childhood

James Holbrook, one of my 4th great grandfathers, was born October 16, 1779 in Weymouth, MA to Abner Holbrook and Jerusha Vining. (note 1)  He was the 8th child out of 11; although one older brother, Abner, probably died before he was born . (note 2) 

James was only 8 years old when his father Abner died in 1788.  James' family is found in the first Federal Census of 1790, residing in Weymouth, MA.  His mother Jerusha is listed as head of the hosuehold, as widow Holbrook, with 4 of his siblings. 

Males - Under 16: 2 (daniel, jacob, james); Males - 16 and over: 1 (david); Females: 5 (lydia, jerusha, sarah, betty, jerusha)

Since the household only lists 3 males under 16 years old, one of Jerusha's younger sons may have been living with another family at the time.  The three boys that are under 16 are James, who would have been 11, Jacob, and Daniel.  Also, the two oldest sons, John, age 20, and Abner, age 18, are not incuded in the household.  I did not find John or Abner listed as head of household in Weymouth; so perhaps they are also living with another family.  All 4 daughters are included in the household for 1790, living with their mother Jerusha. 

1790 Census, Weymouth, MA : head of household Widow Jerusha Holbrook

The 1790 Census above seems to be enumerated by residence, so it is possible to see who Jerusha, and therefore James', neighbors probably were.  Samuel Bates and Widow Whitman are listed next to them, perhaps they lived next door.  Samuel Bates is James' future father-in-law; which explains how he met his future wife.  Also, a John Vining is below Jerusha on the 1790 census.  Jerusha had a brother John Vining, but he died before 1790.  Her father's name was also John Vining and was still living in 1790; I believe this is him living next to Jerusha.  I was thinking perhaps one of Jerusha's sons that is not listed with her might be living with her father (their grandfather), since they are neighbors.  John Vining does have one other male living with him who is older than 16.  This person could be one of James' older brothers, John or Abner.  John Vining, their grandfather, did not have any living sons in 1790, so this is a good possibility.  It is still a mystery as to where the third younger son is living in 1790.  I guess it is also possible that the census is incorrect, and they are all living together. (UPDATE: I came across a book on google books : Index to Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, MA, G-O; p 128 which lists guardian records for James, Jacob and Daniel as Suffolk Probate 19534, 19533, 19532 respectively)

By 1800, it seems that James, age 21, is living with his mother Jerusha and his younger brothers, one older brother, and two of his sisters, still in Weymouth, MA.

Males -10 thru 15: 1 (daniel); Males - 16 thru 25: 2 (jacob, james); Males - 26 thru 44: 1 (david); Females - 10 thru 15: 1 (lydia); Females - 26 thru 44: 1 (sarah); Females - 45 and over: 1 (jerusha)

1800 Federal Census, Weymouth, MA : head of household Widow Jerusha Holbrook

This census looks to be enumerated alphabetically, so it is impossible to see who James' neighbors were in 1800.  The census does show that James' older brothers, John and Abner, are now heads of their own households, enumerated separately. 

James' childhood occurred at a changing time in American history.  The American Revolution ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, when James was only 4.  I believe his father Abner fought in the war; at least in the beginning with the march to take possession of Dorchester Heights, according to the Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolutionary War book.  (vol 8 p 71)  The end of the war brought along a lot of changes.  Massachusetts joined the union when James was 9 years old, in 1788, the same year his father died. 

James was 10 years old when George Washington was elected as the first president of the United States in 1789.  The Bill of Rights were adopted when he was 12 years old, in 1791.  John Adams was elected the second president of the United States in 1796, when James was 17.  He was probably familiar with the Adams family, as Abigail Smith Adams had also lived in Weymouth, MA.   

continued...

notes:
1.   James' birth is noted in the Vital records of Weymouth, Massachusetts, to the year 1850... , page 131, available online through Open Library. 

2. A brother Abner was born in 1767, then another brother Abner was born in 1772.  Although I did not locate a death record for the first Abner, I am assuming he died before 1772, when the second Abner was born. 

to do:
1. Obtain Gaurdianship records for James, Jacob and Daniel : Suffolk Probate 19534, 19533, 19532

maja lena pettersdotter (part 3 of 3)

death

In 1890, Maja and Anders return to Humla; where they remain for the rest of their lives (at this time their son Frans actually moves back to Blidsberg with his new wife; although the rest of Maja and Anders' children are all living in Humla). Maja dies at the age of 72, in Humla, on November 8, 1898.  I am not practiced in reading Swedish handwritting, so I am not sure of her cause of death.  It may be in the column 4th to the end.  Maja's husband, Anders, lives only a year and a half longer; his date of death is May 18, 1900.

Death record of Maja Lena Pettersdotter, Humla, Sweden (gid 1908.11.100)

From maja lena feb 2013

I believe Maja survived all of her siblings. (note 1)  Her youngest sister died the same year as Maja, but in February. 

All of Maja and Anders' children survive them. One child, Emma Sofia, moves to the United States, to Warwick, RI in 1892, with 5 of Maja and Ander's grandchildren (Emma continues to have a total of 9 children). I am not sure how much contact the family had with each other while living in Sweden, but I would guess they would have seen Emma and the grandchildren off to America. Emma was the only child of Maja and Anders who left Sweden; although, some of Maja's other grandchildren emigrated to America also.  An ancestry.com tree has some of their son Alfrid's children emigrating to Colorado in the US. 

Maja and Anders had a total of 26 grandchildren.  As I mentioned above, 5 leave for America as children (Emma's children) and 4 more are born in America.  One of Gustafa's children was not born before Maja died; so that leaves Maja as knowing 19 of her grandchildren while she was alive.  Not all of her grandchildren survived her; however.  I found at least 2 that died as children; both children of their youngest  son Frans.

Humla churchyard, picture by Ake Fagerlund on kyrkokartan.se website

I would love to have a picture of Maja and Ander's headstone, but I am not sure where they are buried.  I think that if they are listed in the church books for Humla, that would mean they are buried at the Humla churchyard, hopefully with a headstone.  I did come across one website that has photos of headstones of Swedish churchyards, but they only have three for Humla.  The website is Gravstensinventeringen. I did check findagrave.com also, but they do not have any listings for Humla.  

notes
1. I have not found a death record yet for her brother Johan who emigrates to America.

to do
1. look for death records in Swedish Death Index to see if all grandchildren stayed in Sweden - how many went to America.
2. search for pictures of gravestones for Humla cemetery - maybe Maja and Anders are buried there.

maja lena pettersdotter (part 2 of 3)

family life

Maja was 26 years old when she married.  Her husband, Anders Andersson, was 27 years old and also living in Blidsberg, Sweden at the time.  I am not sure if Anders was the father of her illegitimate child, Johan; as there is no father listed on Johan's birth record.  Sometimes the church records have a book of church accountings which may discuss these matters, but Blidsberg does not have this for 1850.  Anders was living on a farm less than a mile away from the farm Maja was living on at the time of Johan's birth in 1850.  Anders was on the farm Åslyckan, while Maja was living at Alarp Odegarden.  It seems likely that they knew each other before the birth of Johan.

residence of Anders Andersson 1825-1852 on farm Åslyckan (A)

 and Maja Lena Petersdotter 1842-1851 on farm Alarp Odegarden (B)

View Larger Map

After Maja and Anders married, they moved out of Blidsberg to a neighboring parish of Humla.  In their Household Examination, Anders' name has the notation "torp." before it.  According to the book, "Your Swedish Roots", this is a "crofter, cottager or peasant". Maja and Anders stayed on the same farm of Mellomskogen, in Humla, until 1872 - for 20 years.  They had four more children after Johan, all born while living at this farm.

   

Mellomskogen, Humla, Sweden : Residence of Maja, Anders, and children 1852-1872

(Maja's age 26-46)

View Maja Lena Petersdotter timeline in a larger map

During this period, while Maja and Anders were living in Humla; Maja's parents, her brother Johan, and her sister Johannes were all living on separate farms in the parish of Böne.  Böne and Humla parishes are a bit over 6 miles apart; therefore, I am not sure Maja would have seen her parents and siblings very often.  Her mother, Lena, died in Böne in 1870, her father in 1882.  Her brother Johan only stayed in Böne until 1854, when the moving out records show him moving to North America.  I believe he was the first in her family to emigrate (note 1).  Her sister Johannes stayed in Böne until she died in 1898.  Maja's oldest sister, Anna Cassa, was still living in Brismene; which was even further from Humla.  Anna stayed in Brismene until her death in 1890.

In 1872, Maja and her husband and all five of their children, moved to the farm of Gunnarp, still within Humla.  They only stayed at this farm for 3 years.   In 1875 they moved within Humla again.  They are listed below their second oldest son Alfrid Sand, who is now a soldier in the Elfsborg (Alvsborg) Regiment and resides in a soldatorp (soldier residence) on the farm of Nickabo.  It is not clear to me on the Household Examination if Maja and Anders are also living in Nickabo with their son, but I do not see another farm name listed. Soldiers in Sweden lived in certain houses in the parish, so Maja and family may have moved here when Alfrid became a soldier. (note 2)

Household Examination Humla gid 1908.8.3300 Maja Lena Petersdotter 1875-1879

This farm of Nickabo would be the last place Maja and her family were all together in the same house.  The dates in the last column of the Household Examination above, show all their children moving out of the household.  Their oldest son, Johan, moves that same year to another farm in Humla.  Their daughter, Gustafa Charlotta, moves to another farm in 1878.  Another daughter, Jeff's great, great grandmother Emma Sofia, moves to another farm in 1879.  The only child that remains with Maja and Anders is Frans Wilhelm.  The three of them move in 1879 also, but they leave Humla for the parish of Brunns, to a farm called Björkelund.  This was the furthest move Maja and Anders have made.  The other moves were all into surrounding parishes; but this move was about 15 miles south (using current roads), close to the city of Ulricehamn (noted in map below).  They only stay at this farm for three years, returning to the parish of Blidsberg in 1883.  Anders is noted as an arrendator, which is tenant farmer.  

current locations of Maja Lena's residences throughout her life in Sweden

(the yellow pin is where her husband Anders lived as a child)

View Maja Lena Petersdotter timeline in a larger map

After Maja and Anders returned to Blidsberg, their son Frans lives with them for one more year.  In 1884, Frans is listed as a soldier in Humla, while Maja and Anders remain in Blidsberg until 1890.    This would make two of Maja and Ander's sons soldiers and one daughter, Gustapha Charlotta, marrying a soldier. While Maja and Anders are living in Blidsberg, all of their children are in the neighboring parish of Humla.



notes:
1. The Moving Out records for Böne in 1854 show Johannes and his wife and son moving to North America.  I was unable to locate any passenger records for this family.  I was also unable to locate them in any censuses in the US for dates beginning in 1860.  Johannes seems to be the first to emigrate, but at least two of Maja's neices/nephews- Johanna's children - also emigrate to America - Thur in 1893 - and Selma in 1888 (some ancestry.com hints imply more of Johanna's children emigrate).  Also to be mentioned in the next post, their daughter, Emma Sofia emigrates in 1892.

2.  There is a picture of Alfrid playing a fiddle and a picture with his wife on someone's tree on ancestry.com. I love finding pictures of ancestors that people have generously posted. 

     
to do:
1. keep searching for passenger records for Johannes to see where in US he settled.  Information in book - tracing your swedish ancestors - about finding passenger records for the early years of emigration - such as 1854.

2. search swedish death index to see how many of Maja's sisters' children emigrate to US - do they haev death records in the Swedish Death Index.  Search other neices and nephews also.

maja lena pettersdotter (part 1 of 3)

childhood

Maria Helena Pettersdotter, Jeff's 3rd great grandmother, was born May 13, 1826 in Blidsberg, Sweden, at Danstorp.  I first came across Maria's name written as Maja Lena in a Household Examination record, so I had been documenting her as Maja Lena rather than Maria Helena.  Most of my writing will therefore call her Maja Lena, as that is how I think of her.  I have since found her name written either way in the many different documents.  Maja was the third child out of five born to Peter Andersson and Lena Michaelsdotter; although one older sister had died at the age of 1, before Maja was born.

birth record of Maria Helena Pettersdotter (Maja Lena) 1826 Blidsberg

According to the Household Examinations, the family moved soon after Maja's birth from Blidsberg to the parish of Börstig, Sweden in 1826.  They stayed in Börstig for about 11 years, living at Hedenstorp; which most likey was a farm name.  I was able to locate Hedenstorp in Börstig on an historical map and have marked it on the current map below.   

current map of Maja Lena's residence from 1826-1837 Hedenstorp, Börstig, Sweden until she was 11 years old

View Maja Lena Petersdotter timeline in a larger map

In 1837, Maja and her family of 6 moved to a neighboring parish of Brismene. They stayed in Brismene for about 5 years, when Maja was between the ages of 11-16.  I was not able to locate on the historical maps either farm of Dalbogården or Storegården in Brismene that are listed in the Household Examinations for this family.  I will have to look into this area a little bit more.  Most of the parishes Maja has lived in seem to be very small parishes, with currently about 500 residents.  Her father, Petter Andersson, is noted as hälftenbrukare in the Brismene Household Examinations.  According to the book "Your Swedish Roots", a  hälftenbrukare, is a farmer who pays half the profit of the land let to him. (note 1)

household examination Brismene, Sweden (farm Dalbogården) gid  661.5.75500 maja lena petersdotter 1837-1840

household examination Brismene, Sweden (farm Storegården) gid  661.5.79300 maja lena petersdotter 1840-1843

When Maja was about 16 years old, around 1842, the family moved back to Blidsberg, the parish where she was born.  The Household Examination record above shows that Maja's older sister, Anna Cassa, is no  longer living with them.  She had married a year earlier in 1841, and stayed in Brismene for the rest of her life.  Maja lived with her parents for another 10 years in Blidsberg.  Nine of those years they lived on the farm Alarp Ödegård.  While living on this farm with her family, Maja's first child was born out of wedlock when she was 23 years old.  The Household Examination record has a notation of oäkta, for illegitimate child, next to Johan August, born in 1850 (the last entry for the household on the examination below).  His birth record confirms he was Maja's child.

    

household examination Blidsberg, Sweden (farm Alarp Ödegårdarden) gid 578.8.90200 maja lena petersdotter 1842-1851

This Household Examination record also shows one of Maja's brothers, Johannes, moves back to Brismene in 1851.  The family household now includes Maja, her father Peter, her mother Sara, her youngest sister, Johanna, and Maja's illegitimate child, Johan August.  This family of five moves in 1851 to another farm in Blidsberg, Västra Alarp.  Maja only stays here for one year, moving out with her son, after she marries in 1852.

current map of Maja Lena's residence from 1842-1852, age 16-26

(blue is Alarp Ödegård farm, yellow is Västra Alarp farm, Blidsberg, Sweden)

View Maja Lena Petersdotter timeline in a larger map
(to be continued...)

notes :
1. This notation of hälftenbrukare is also in the Danstorp farm for the Blidsberg Household Examination for 1826, the farm where Maja was born before they moved to Börstig.

arthur t stoddard and helen l cowing

Arthur Stoddard and Helen L. Cowing married in Weymouth on May 11, 1884. Arthur was 23 years old, Helen was 19.  They were married by clergyman Jacob Baker.  I am not sure why they would marry in Weymouth. The only connection I find that Helen has to Weymouth is her father. Even though she lived in South Scituate with her family before she was married, her father George Cowing was originally from Weymouth, MA.  Maybe the Cowings still had a connection to a church in Weymouth and this is where they married.  It could also be that they knew clergyman Jacob Baker, and wanted him to marry them.  There does not seem to be a connection with Arthur to Weymouth.

Helen grew up only about 6 houses down the street (in South Scituate) from her future husband, Arthur; which is probably how they met. You can see from the South Scituate map from 1879 how close their families lived.

South Scituate, 1879 : Residence of Helen Cowing's family and Arthur Stoddard's family (DT Stoddar and GC Cowen)

view in zoomit

 
After they married, Helen and Arthur lived on High Street in Norwell, MA as recorded in the 1900 and 1910 US Federal censuses.  Plymouth County has deeds to land records online, searchable starting from 1926.  I was able to locate an earlier deed through a reference from a deed of Arthur's daughter.  The deed is dated August 27, 1885 and describes the sale of an acre of land easterly on High Street from Charles Scully to Arthur Stoddard, for ninety five dollars.  (Plymouth County Deeds, Book 536 p 135).  This must have been Arthur's first purchase of land after his marriage to Helen, and seems to be the place they remained throughout their lives.  Arthur did purchase an additional half acre of land from Charles Scully for sixty five dollars on High Street in 1901. (Plymouth County Deeds, Book 828, p 132) 

The town of South Scituate changed its name to Norwell in 1888; so this land Arthur purchased was close to where both Helen and Arthur grew up; actually the same town.  You can see on the 1903 Norwell map below how close High Street in Norwell is to Washington Street (then in South Scituate), where they grew up.  In fact, in the 1903 map, both Helen's mother, Lydia Helen Cowing; and Arthur's mother, Maria Stoddard (Mrs. DT Stoddard) are still living in the houses the raised their families in.  By that time, both the father of Arthur and Helen had passed.  Arthur and Helen were the only children from both families that stayed in Norwell.  Their siblings moved to other towns in Massachusetts, such as Weymouth, Brockton, Hingham, and Malden.

Norwell, 1903 : Residences of Arthur and Helen Stoddard; mothers Mrs. DT Stoddard (Maria) and Helen Cowing (Lydia)

view larger in zoom.it

 

Helen and Arthur had three daughters, Nellie, Ethel, and Carrie. Ethel was my great grandmother.  Their daughters stayed close; even after two of them, Nellie and Ethel, married.  Both daughters remained in Norwell with their growing families.  They had a total of 15 grandchildren. Helen was alive to see only 8 of their grandchildren born, Arthur was alive for all of his grandchilren's births. Unfortunately, two of those grandchildren died within a few days of birth.  Their other daughter Carrie, never married; and is still living with Helen and Arthur in the 1910 census.     

Carrie did not stay too long with Arthur and Helen, as she moved to Brockton to be a school teacher.  Unfortunately, things to did not go well for Carrie.  Helen and Arthur had to experience the death of their daughter, Carrie, by suicide.  Carrie died only a year before her mother Helen. The article in the newspaper at the time stated Carrie was a teacher and that she was having a hard time with her students. There was another article later stating this was not the case; and they did not know the reason for the suicide. This must have been a very difficult time for Helen and her family.

death of carrie e stoddard, school teacher November 22, 1913

death of Carrie Stoddard from Fitchburg Sentinel November 22, 1913, page 1

My grandmother (Ethel's daughter Helen, probably named after her grandmother) never got to meet her grandmother; as Helen Lydia (Cowing) Stoddard died on Decembe 11, 1914 at a young age of 49 years.  She died of Acute Bright's Disease.  Helen's mother, Lydia, also survived her by 5 years.   

Arthur Stoddard lived another 19 years after his wife's death.  In 1916, a couple of years after Helen's death, Arthur purchased another acre of land from Charles Scully on High Street in Norwell.  In 1920 Arthur is living with his brother, Joseph Stoddard, neighboring both of his daughters, Nellie and Ethel, still on High Street.  By 1930, Arthur has moved in with his daughter Ethel on High Street. There are some deeds dated in 1950 and 1961, showing that Arthur's land was eventually in the hands of his daughters, Ethel and Nellie. (Plymouth Deed Book 2161, page 216) 

1920 census Arthur Stoddard Norwell, MA

I am fortunate enough to have a picture one of the houses on High Street, which I believe was on the land that Arthur bought. According to the information handed down to me from my family, this house was Ethel's, Arthur's daughter and my great grandmother.  I believe that is Ethel standing in the doorway.

Ethel Stoddard Torrey's house on High Street, Norwell, MA

Ethel Stoddard Torrey's house on High Street, Norwell, MA in winter

Arthur died from cancer of the intestine on January 24, 1934 in Norwell, MA; at the age of 73.  Helen and Arthur are buried at the Washington Street Cemetery in Norwell with their daughter Carrie, and Helen's father George C. Cowing.  Helen's mother is also buried at this cemeter, but I have not found her stone and her name is not carved on Helen's gravestone.  In one of the above mentioned deeds, Arthur's probate is listed as Plymouth Probate # 44165; unfortunately, Plymouth Probate records are not available online so I was not able to view this document.  

From blog post arthur t stoddard helen l cowing

To do:
1. Find connection to Jacob baker - Arthur sibling also married by him - or to church in Weymouth?
2. Arthur's Probate : Plymouth Probate # 44165

terragnoli / pettinelli / connection

My Italian ancestors have left some confusing and conflicting information that I have been trying to make sense of.  It all started some years back when my mother's cousin asked me if I had any information on Eva DeNicola.  Eva is a daughter of Louisa and Arnaldo DeNicola who died at a young age.  Eva would have been my grandfather Remo's sister.  My grandfather had never mentioned that he had a sister that died as a child' but he was also the youngest and may not have even known.  I had asked the reference librarian from Quincy if she could find a birth date and death date for Eva DeNicola since the records online only go up to 1915.  She did find Eva was born in 1919 to Arnaldo and Louisa T.;  and that Eva's death was recorded in Quincy in 1923. 

I did not find much more information on Eva until many months later a match came up on ancestry.com from findagrave.  Someone had posted Eva's gravestone from Mt. Wollaston Cemetery in Quincy, MA. I had not found Eva in the Quincy cemetery index, so I was surprised to see her gravestone from Quincy. Another surprise was the engraving on the stone, which stated Eva was also buried with her grandmother, Francesca Pettinelli. The Pettinelli name was one I had heard before in relation to Luisa Terragnoli, but no-one seemed to know the connection.

We knew that Louisa's maiden name was Terragnoli from her children Luigi, Gilda, Amelia, Romulos, Adolph, and Olga's birth records.  Also on Arnaldo and Louisa's passenger record from Italy to Boston, they state their friend in the United States is Louisa's brother, Cosmo Terragnoli. If the Francesca that was buried with Eva was Loiusa's mother; I would expect her last name to be Terragnoli, not Pettinelli.

I did another search for Terragnolis in Quincy and found a Damiano Terragnoli who married in Quincy. He lists his parents as Guiseppe Terragnoli and Francesca Lucente. Francesca matches the name on Eva's gravestone, but does not explain where the Pettinelli name came from. Oddly, Damiano uses the Pettinelli name in all future records, rather than Terragnoli. I would guess this makes it more likely that Louisa and Damiano are siblings, as Damiano is linked to both the Terragnoli and Pettinelli name, as is Louisa. I am thinking the most likely scenario is that their mother, Francesca Lucente Terragnoli, remarries a Pettinelli, and Damiano changes his name after his mother remarries.

My next step was to order the death records of Francesca Pettinelli and Louisa DeNicola to see how it lists their maiden names and to confirm Francesca Pettinelli is Louisa's mother.  The death records were not exactly as I expected.

Let's start with Louisa's death record first.  Louisa's mother is listed as Francesca Lucente.  This is the same name listed on Damiano Terragnoli's marriage record; linking them once more - probably as brother and sister.  However, Luisa's father is listed as Luigi Pettinelli, not Guiseppe Terragnoli as I had expected.  I am guessing that Louisa's father was listed incorrectly by her son A. DeNicola, who probably only knew Luigi Pettinelli as Francesca's husband and mistakenly recorded this name.  Finding Louisa's birth record and marriage record to Arnaldo would be helpful to see if Guiseppe Terragnoli or Luigi Pettinelli is listed as her father.  Unfortunately, the records available on the L'Aquila state archives and on familysearch only go up to 1865 for Prezza, Italy.     

My next step was to look at Francesca Pettinelli's death record to confirm she was Louisa's mother.  Indeed, Francesca's father is listed as Nichelle Lucente, matching the maiden name of Louisa's and Damiano's mother as Francesca Lucente.  This record also states that Francesca was widowed from Luigi Pettinelli; so Pettinelli is definitely a married name.  Finding this marriage record would be helpful to see if maybe Louisa's first marriage to Guiseppe Terragnoli is mentioned; confirming my suspicions that this is her second marriage.  I have been unable to find any passenger records or marriage records in the US for Louisa or Luigi.  I am not sure if they married in Italy or here in the US.  I have written Italy a couple of times for more informtion on this family, but I have not heard back.  I guess I will have to next write to the parish priest of Prezza.

My conclusions after obtaining the information from various sources is that Louisa, Damiano and Cosmo are all children of Francesca Lucente and Guiseppe Terragnoli.  I suspect that Guisseppe died in Prezza, Italy after 1886, about the year Cosmo was born.  Francesca remarries, either in the US or Italy, to Luigi Pettinelli.  Damiano was probably young enough that he used the Pettinelli name, maybe he did not even know his father Guiseppe Terragnoli.  I have not found much information in the US for either Francesca Pettinelli or the missing brother Cosmo, who was listed on Louisa's passenger record.  Maybe Cosmo went back to Italy.  I am not sure why I have not found much information on Francesca in the United States.  Obtaining some records from Italy would be very helpful in sorting all this out. 


death record transcriptions are from Mass Document Retrieval

louisa terragnoli denicola (part 3 of 3)

death

Louisa died on May 9, 1945 in Quincy, MA, ten years after her husband, Arnaldo.  I have this date thanks to the great reference librarians at the Quincy Public Library who looked through the cemetery index for me.  She found that Louisa and Arnaldo are buried at Mount Wollaston Cemetery, Quincy, MA, in lot 574, section M.  Their last name is spelled DiNicola in the index, rather than DeNicola.  The librarian was unable to find an obituary in the Patriot Ledger, the Quincy newspaper.  Louisa was survived by 10 of her 11 children; all except Eva who died as a child.  I have ordered a transcription of Louisa's death record, I will update my post when it is received.

Louisa Terragnoli and Arnaldo DeNicola Mt. Wollaston Cemetery, Quincy, MA

From blog post louisa terragnoli

I only have one picture of Louisa, it is of her and her husband Arnaldo.  Even though they look to be dressed in wedding attire, they seem older the their twenties.  I am guessing the picture was taken later in their lives; therefore probably in Massachusetts.

Arnaldo and Louisa DeNicola

From blog post louisa terragnoli