Hi, my family comes from Bellezza in Roccalumera, Sicily

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JoelTheItalianGuy
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Joined: 14 Mar 2015, 00:21

Hi, my family comes from Bellezza in Roccalumera, Sicily

Post by JoelTheItalianGuy »

Hi, I am a Ballezza (in the US my family's surname is spelled with "Ba" in my branch, not "Be"). Perhaps there are other branches who use the proper spelling which as Bellezza. So anyway, I am putting together a huge family tree on a website called FamilyTreeNow.com. It's going very well - I have found about 3 very useful websites and in only one afternoon I've pieced much of it together back to the early 1800's and I know much of it back to the 1700's and earlier on my mother's side, I just have not had time to fill it in. My mother's side is easier due to some well-known people such as Barnabus Coulston and David Rittenhouse (who signed the Declaration of Independence) and married my mother's ancestor.

But here is my problem. I find records for my father Joseph R. Ballezza and a little bit for his father Joseph Ballezza. But when I get to my great grandfather Enrico Ballezza, I find nothing! All I know is my great granddad's name was Enrico Ballezza, and I believe he was one of 12 or 13 children. He, my grandfather, and father all lived in Philadelphia, PA where I was also born.

Just curious if there was a Bellezza family that lived in or near Roccalumera in Sicily.

I cannot find his wife's name - the name Grasso sometimes comes into my head but I don't know if it's really HIS wife - perhaps in another branch of our family tree.

Any help appreciated - I have only just started to do something like this today but I found some very good resources having to do with graves, censuses, marriage records (not as much with marriages). I now even realize that some of my ancestors are still living, but very old so I might like to spend some time with them.

PS Let me know if you want me to give you anything - here is a link to my family tree that I created only today.
http://www.familytreenow.com/trees/13713

You will see that I stop right at Enrico Ballezza - I don't even know his wife nor date of birth.


Thank you, Joel David Ballezza
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