Laura

I, too, have gotten caught up in this story. Your points about the way in which immigrants resonates today, when we are so emotional about undocumented workers or "illegals" in this country. I can see both sides of the argument. But studying this family's immigrant experience, which should have ultimately led them and their children to a better life, makes me realize how immigrants were seen as less than human. Our local newspapers devoted lots of space to lamenting the flu deaths of middle and upper class citizens. But the many, many deaths in the coal fields also covered by the publications were noted as anonymous groups: "foreigners" or miners. I also get a sense that decent burials were not given to these coal miners. Yes, I get the sense that there were "burial pits" in some places. In fairness, language barriers and difficulty making contact with survivors in Europe may have been a part of this history.

I will pose the questions to the archivist. There was only one Diocese in West Virginia--in Wheeling. There may have been one at one time in Charleston; but I'm not sure. I suspect that Catholic facilities were few in West Virginia--which is predominantly Protestant. So the Wheeling/Triadelphia facility may have been among the few options they had. My contact in South Carolina says that Adolfo put the children in the home. He then seems to have vanished from records.

I have sent an inquiry to the Historical Society in McDowell to see how influenza deaths were handled. Thank you for all your support and help.

Susan

I just received some information from the Wheeling archivist. He said that the St. Vincent and St. John homes were the only Catholic facilities available in the state at the time. Lilianne was baptized in a Catholic mission in War, West Virginia (a terrible name for a village, I think) in October 1918. Shortly thereafter, she was in the home.

So that might shed more light on the role of the Church. Someone named Clothelda Murchella was listed as sponsor for the baptism. I have no idea who this might be.

Susan

Wow!
War is in McDowell county and it's just 5 miles from Berwind (the place were Adolfo Mercurelli lived at the time of the WWI Draft registration card)!
So, the two brothers? rejoined....
Or, maybe one of the parent of the children died and the other decided to go to live near Adolfo?
Clothelda Murchella ..... maybe a mispelling of Mercurelli?

Clothelda's last name certainly suggests yet another version of the Mercurelli name, doesn't it? The archivist also raised another mystery in the 1918 baptism of Lilianne (who may be Paola--I'm not sure yet): an odd reference to Pennsylvania (Malia/Nalia??) He is not sure what to make of this. The microfilm was very hard to read.

He also thought it unusual that this child had only one sponsor. Usually there are at least two, aren't there?

I think that 1918 was a very turbulent time in the coal fields, not only because of the flu. Supplying the war, the railroads as well as contending with labor unrest probably kept miners moving around. I'm awaiting an envelope from Alabama, which contains a copy of Paola Mercurelli's birth certificate and other documents that might add more information.

Laura, you have been so helpful and encouraging. We thank you.

Susan

A small item, but one of interest to me is the name of Maria Maffei's father. In the July 1913 ship manifest, she refers to her father in Ischia di Castro. I think it begins with a V--but from there on, I can't make out what the name might be. It does not look like a familiar name. Can you help with this?

Thank you!
Susan

Yes Susan,

usually in the baptism there are two sponsors the "padrino" male and the "madrina" female... but, as you wrote it must have been a very "dark" period...
Regarding Maria Maffei's father first name I was unable to correctly detect it on the arrival manifest.
On the first sight it seemed to me Vincenzo but now I'm pretty sure it isn't.

this is a better version of the first page of Maria's arrival manifest from Ancestry.com:
[img=http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/4599/maffei.th.jpg]

the name seems Vilirenio? but this name doesn't exist.

Don't know if this arrival manifest means something but, give a look:

www.ellisisland.org/EI...;line=0005

1903 arrival for Maffei Veriano (age 40 - aprox year of birth 1863, married, occupation mason), coming from Ischia di Castro and going to NY to join his cousin Rinaldi William...

Maybe Maria's father?

Laura

Thank you for trying to decode this information. I just received a very exciting piece of information: knowledge of a cousin--the daughter of Paola Mercurelli--and her whereabouts at some point in the 1960s and 70s.
She lives or lived in Pistoia. I would very much like to contact her. Does this wonderful website have a helpful form letter for those who are not fluent in Italian? I know a little bit--but not enough to introduce myself.

You have been tremendously helpful!

Susan

This site has form letters for potential relatives or to request vital records to the Comuni in Italy:

www.angelfire.com/ok3/...#relatives

I sent you a pm...

Laura

We just received a copy of a birth certificate for "Lelia Marcarelli" from the Kentucky records office. It provides more information. Indeed Umberto Mercurelli and "Mary Moffett" (Maria Maffei) were the parents.

But there is an interesting note that coincides with the Draft Registration in which Umberto/Albert indicates three children (before "Welia"/Paola): the physician indicates that the mother had three children, including the new baby born in August 1916, so Laura, your hunch that this couple had four children is pretty much correct. This then suggests that my mother-in-law's records are still quite elusive. As the Diocese of Wheeling archivist revealed, her birth was listed as 1915 (but Social Security lists 1914).

I sent a query to the West Virginia archives. They said that their server was so overwhelmed by requests that they're replacing it soon with one with more capacity. Unfortunately, the "coal field" counties have not included. There were some other restrictions on on-line access (100 year limit on birth certificates). But I can send in a written request.

I am not sure what first name to use. But, in any event, we are getting much more information, thanks to you and other helpful people.

Susan

Hi Susan,

no doubt your mother in law's story is very tangled and due to the events that occurred very difficult to re-build...
I'm glad you found persons who are helping you... this site is a great place for this!
So, doing a little resume the children were:

Giovanni/John Mercurelli born in Italy on December 26, 1912
Lelia Marcorelli born in McVeigh - Pike County on August 26, 1916
Welia Marcarello born in McVeigh - Pike County on April 8, 1918

so, do you believe your mother in law is not in this list? Maybe she was the missing child....it's strongly possible because between 1912 and 1916 there must have been another birth.
Paola is Welia born on 1918 or Lelia born on 1916?

Laura

I'm thinking that her name was Lillianna and that she was born around 1915 or perhaps 1914. I just got word from the Diocese of Wheeling that they have changed their policy concerning access to orphanage records. My husband has to fill out some forms that they sent him.

I am hoping that these records contain the missing information we've been seeking. I just sent a letter to Paola (Weila?)'s daughter in Tuscany.

Thank you again for your amazing help!

Susan

I'm very happy for you Susan and I hope that you'll receive soon good news from Italy
It's great that you husband can ask for some other information about the adoption of his mother....
I wish you all the best and please keep us update...

Laura

Very happy news to report: our Mercurelli cousins from Toscana have replied to a letter I sent last week! We thank members of this community who have helped us. Laura/Pink deserves great credit! We have been through a long process in finding our relatives! It would not have gone as quickly or successfully as it has without this wonderful Italian genealogy website.

Susan

Evviva Susan!!!!

I wish you all the best for this new "adventure"!!! Hope you'll visit Italy very soon...

Laura