Any assistance appreciated

[vj]

I have never seen a wife listed on a WWI draft card with
her maiden name mentioned!!

Jim,
I can't remember seeing it before either
It's a shame the person (not Joseph) who
filled out that card really didn't understand
much of what Joe was saying. My only
guess is her name started with a 'L'
Valarie

[uther]

Wow. Thats my great grandpa for sure. The registration card fits perfectly. Her name is listed as Proselpina..cant read the middle name..or is that her maiden name...then Bianchi. Are my eyes playing tricks on me? 8O

[vj]

Chris, chances are it's her maiden name - no real reason
to list her middle name. It was only in the US that Italian
wives used their husband's surname (rather than their
father's) Valarie

[uther]

Thank you so much Jim and Val for all you have done! This is her, and yet the mystery continues, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

[misbris]

Looks like the name is Loschia. Does that ring a bell?

[uther]

No it doesnt actually. I have to get a definitive spelling...why didnt these people write neater!

[vj]

Chris, Joseph may have had a little difficulty
making himself understood.

a couple more clues
in 1910 appears Joseph & Josephine were married one year,
their immig dates may be a little more accurate than other
census since 1910 was closer to the event

1910 census

Joseph 29 (abt 1881)
- immig 1901
Josephine 23? (abt 1887?) now this enumerator had
trouble writing 3's & 8's!
- immig 1905

[uther]

Could very well be Loschis. Looks like an s at the end, the way it curves in, rather than out like an a. But what do I know.

[JamesBianco]

The H is tricky and deceiving, I am convinced it is Loschi . The name is fairly common in Italy.

[uther]

I believe you are right James. If you look at Bianchi, the writers h and i are identical.

[uther]

Just an update. I am in contact with a individual who also searches geneology in New Haven, Ct. She volunteered to help me free of charge like you all, that is going to New Haven vital records for me to try to get information, and even going to the cemetery and taking pictures. I forwarded all the data you (Jim and Val) gave me, and she did find a date of death and place of death. They both died in 1940 a few months apart. She found them also in city directories in New Haven/West Haven.

I want to thank you both for your time and effort. From the bottom of my heart.

[JamesBianco]

It is our pleasure to help! Please keep us posted with the new developments when you hear back from the woman in New Haven.


Jim

[uther]

Okay, here is an update. The woman helping me actually belongs to the Genealogical Society of Connecticut, and she is a God send. She copied down the data, because she said they cannot take pictures or make copies of the records or their rights are revoked. She told me I can order the copies for I think $5.00. Remember my mission is not only to learn my heritage, but also find the maiden name of my great grandma...the saga continues. Here is what she found.

Death certificate for Josephine Bianchi43 Ward Street (matcher 1930 census and 1933 city directory listing)HousewifeWidowDied on Apr. 27, 1940Born Nov. 11, 1889 in Italy, no city givenHusband - Josephnot a veteran In the US for 36 years (matches 1910 census immigration date)In "this community" 36 yearsWas in the hospital in New Haven for 9 days prior to her death Father: Peter Loschi, born in Italy, no city given (this is crystal clear, no handwriting interpretation needed)Mother - unknown (this is what I really wanted, too bad!) Informant - John Bianchi, 703 Howard Ave (we know from census records this is one of their sons)Undertaker - Maresca & SonsBuried on April 30, 1940, at St. Lawerence Cemetery, West Havenwas enbalmed, no autopsy performed Cause of death - immeriate cause - Coronary occlusion 3 wks duration Arteriosclerotic heart disease 10 years durationContributing causes of death - diabetes melitus 7 years dutarion heart failure 7 years duration (poor lady, she was really sick... and only 51 years old when she died. Also, now you know that one of their sons was probably named after her father) -------------------------------------------- Death certificate for Joseph Bianchi 43 Ward Street (so we know this is the right one)Was in New Haven hospital 4 days before deathDied Jan. 9, 1940Born Aug. 15, 1881, in Italy, no city givenmarried, wife Josephine Loschi (name very clear)Proprietor of bowling alleyIn the US 40 years, in "this community" 40 yearsnot a veteran Father - Lazzaro Bianchi, born in Italy, no city givenMother - Thedea Sala, born in Italy, no city given (now you know who your grandmother was named after) Informant - John Loschi, same address as aboveSame undertaker as above, same cemetery, was enbalmed, no indication if autopsy was performed (there is no question for this on this certificate, like there was for Josephine) Cause of death - cirrosis of the liver, hypertensive and arteriosclerotic heart disease (if there was duration for the diseases i didn't write it down) both certificates had doctor's signatures, but since they were not very legilbe I didn't bother to try to decipher them.

Have any of you run across any of these names in other projects, or possibly have any possible towns in Italy I can refer to?

[uther]

Here is the second part of her letter to me.

The surprise I had was that I couldn't find a marriage record for them. They were married in the 1910 census, and we figured earlier that they had to have gotten married in 1909, or later 1908, or early 1910. The brides' and grooms' indexes for that period would fall in the 1894 - 1914 volumes - I checked both brides and grooms, and didn't find either of them, allowing for different spellings. There was another Joseph Bianchi, who married a Mary (or something like that, I didn't write down the name). In fact, if I remember right, in 1920 there was another Joseph Bianchi living with them in the same house, so maybe this marriage record was for him. So why isn't there a marriage record? I don't know if there is a Connecticut- wide marriage index for that period, but I'll try to find out. I would also like to see if they maybe got married in West Haven, because the first bowling alley was in West Haven, and they are buried in West Haven. Someone suggested to me that maybe they went back to Italy to get married. Possible, but then we should find them coming back in time for the 1910 census, and I didn't find them in immigration records. So this is something I still need to work on. But then I had another surprise: I had time to check the birth records for the 1910's, and I looked at Peter's birth certificate, because that's the first name I remembered, and I was already pressed for time. He was born on Oct. 29, 1917, at 20 Daggett St (same address as in the 1920 census). Father - Giuseppe Bianchi, 35, mother - Giuseppina (or Giuseffina, the letter's could be read either way, but my first impression was p's), and her maiden name is given as Luski. This is now quite a different name, if it's correct. And I looked at the original birth certificate, not only the index volume. It could be a mistake, even these vital records are not perfect, but maybe not. I need to look al the births of the other children and see what is written there. This may be a fluke, but if you look at ancestry.com immigration records for Luski, the majority of them are Jewish. But to show you that these records are not perfect, this Peter Bianchi was actually listed twice in the birth index, once as Bianci, and once as Biancki - and on the original birth certificate Bianci is corrected in a scribble that could bewither an h or a k. So maybe whoever filled out the very original birth information wasn't very legible, and whoever put it in the legal document saw Luski when in fact it was Loschi (or even Loski). But because another variation is introduced, i thinkI have to check out more of the children. And the marriage certificate missing is strange. I have possible thoughts on that, but I'm letting you digest all this first, and then we'll talk. In the mean time, my plan is to get back to city hall, and to the cemetery. City hall is cosed over the weekend, so I won't get there until next week, but the cemetery maybe this weekend. I know exctly where it is, but it's huge, and I have to find the office open for a map.


Jim, Val or anyone else is welcome to share their thoughts. While she is working on that end, I welcome anyone that has interest to work it from this end. I can attack it from both angles. The info that you all gave me when finding the enlistment record for my great grandpa saved a lot of time, because I sent it right to her, and she physically acted on it and also got more records, so feel free to post your input.

thanks!!

[lisagooley]

my G-grandmothers name was Cristina Loschi. She married Tomasso Russo and at the time of my grandfathers birth - they lived in Montesarchio in Benevento, Campania italy. Though I have never heard mention of a jewish family history - it can't be totally written off - because I know little about her. If you are interested in comparing notes - let me know. lynxd@lynxdezzine.com