The Vercellinos Return to America. December 3, 1903.

The American Line's SS St. Louis

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Today's focus for our virtual family gathering centers on the early days of the Vercellino family.  John (Giovanni) Vercellino was born in northern Italy.  He immigrated to the United States, arriving first in 1885 according to the 1920 US Census. There is a problem with his first arrival date. The 1910 US Census lists him as having arrived in 1880. The South Dakota state census of 1915 has his arrival in 1882. He married Maria Viano in 1894. The Vercellino's moved to Trojan (Lead), South Dakota in 1905, the same year Grandma Elda was born.

John and Maria Vercellino

We know the Vercellino's moved to Italy shortly after their marriage where their first born son Raymond was born in 1898. From Italy, the family moved to Kimberly, South Africa.  John Vercellino worked in the Kimberly Diamond Mine as a security guard ensuring the laborers didn't leave the mine with diamonds tucked away somewhere on their person.  The family lived in South Africa a short time (not even one year according to Charles Williamson, Elda's son) before returning to the United States, arriving on December 5, 1903 on board the SS St. Louis of the America Line.

The St. Louis's passenger manifest lists the Vercellino family on the ship's register.  

The SS St. Louis Ship Register. The Vercellinos are at the top of the page
Click to enlarge.

SS St. Louis, was a transatlantic passenger liner built by the William Cramp & Sons Building & Engine Company, Philadelphia and was launched on 12 November 1894; sponsored by Mrs. Grover Cleveland, wife of the President of the United States; and entered merchant service in 1895, under United States registry for the International Navigation Co., of New York with her maiden voyage between New York and Southampton,England. She was acquired by the United States Navy during the Spanish–American War and commissioned under the name USS St. Louis in 1898, and again during World War I under the name USS Louisville (ID-1644) from 1918 to 1919. After she reverted to her original name in 1919, she burned in 1920 while undergoing a refit. She was scrapped in 1924 in Genoa.

The SS St. Louis

 The Vercellino family most assuredly travelled in steerage (3rd class).  Their sleeping accommodations would have been similar to the ones seen above.  Spartan? Yes, but easily survivable for a five day Atlantic crossing.  

 The photo above shows the dining saloon of the St. Louis. It may have been for all classes considering the ship wasn't large. 

Post cards were available for messages home.

From Ellis Island in New York we lose the Vercellino's trail until they reappear in South Dakota in 1905. Great Grandpa John (Giovanni) found work in the Homestake Mine.  

Thank you for Reading,

Victor  

Great Grandpa John (Giovanni) Vercellino's Death Probate Court Records.

John (Giovanni) Vercellino in his World War I Italian Military Uniform

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Summer is here and that means school is out.  I have TIME to work on other projects, like this long neglected family history blog.  Let's start this summer with a posting on Great Grandpa John Vercellino's Probate Records.  What makes this interesting is his Italian government bonds and the signatures of the entire family - Maria, Raymond, Elda, and Edward. We begin with the Relationship Chart for reference:

Relationship Chart

  

And now the court records...

Victor Williamson


John (Giovanni) Vercellino Probate Records

John (Giovanni) Vercellino 

John (Giovanni) and Marie Vercellino on their wedding day

Grandma Elda's First Marriage to William John Zderick. New Information.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Last Sunday I did a bit more research on Grandma Elda's (Elda Vercellino, mother to Charles Williamson) first marriage to William Zderic.
I found them in the 1930 U.S. Census.
This is the South Dakota record of their marriage.  You'll notice they wed in 1926.

The 1930 U.S. Census shows them still married.

That's four years married, much longer than I had originally believed.  Charles was just as surprised to learn that his mother was married to Mr. Zderic that long.  Everyone believed they were married for a short time before the divorce and the Catholic annulment. 

Elda and William lived at 632 Prospect Avenue, Lead South Dakota (shown below) 

  

  

This is William Zderic's entry in the South Dakota 1935 Census. He is listed as divorced. 

Elda Vercellino married Charles Williamson on May 4, 1934.  So we know Elda and William divorced sometime between 1930 and 1934.  I haven't found the divorce record.

According to Grandma Elda, William's mother was against the marriage in the first place and never liked her as a daughter-in-law.  The Zderic family obtained an annulment of the marriage from the Catholic church sometime before William married his second wife Ida in 1936.  You'll notice that William declares himself divorced in the 1935 state census, but changes that status to bacheler for the marriage license issued in July of 1936.

The Catholic Church grants annulments for many reasons, one of which is a civil marriage not blessed by the Church.  I believe William was given the Church annulment because he and Grandma Elda were married by a municipal judge.

The topic of Grandma's first marriage was taboo while she was alive.  However, she did say that they loved each other, but family pressure to divorce was more than the marriage could take.

 Simply,
Victor

Leslie Configliacco Passes Away

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
      Leslie Configliacco, our 2nd cousin once removed, passed away on April 4, 2014 in Rapid City.  He was the youngest brother of Evelyn Configliacco who passed away in 2013.
Mom and Dad use to visit Evelyn and Leslie regularly when they visited the Black Hills. I met him once.  Leslie never married.  He and Evelyn were very close and lived together until Evelyn passed away.  

Simply,
Victor

Relationship Chart 

A New Photograph of the Viano Family. Our Great Great Grandmother and Uncles - Aunts.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Tonight's digital gathering is thanks to cousin Tharon Peterson, son of Karen Vercellino Peterson. Tharon sent the photograph below of our Viano relatives gathered for a family occasion before 1918.

Click to Enlarge

 Tharon sent the following identifications:

Standing Left to Right:

Bernardo Raschiatti, 2nd Husband of Catterina Maria Camerlo Viano 

Margaret L (Wilson) Viano, Wife of Great Grand Uncle; 

Joseph Camerlo Viano, Son of Catterina and Giovanni Viano, our Great Grand Uncle 

Mae W (Viano) Moran, 1st Cousin 2x removed; 

Catterina Maria (Camerlo) Viano- Raschiatti, 2nd Great Grandmother

     Great Great Grandmother Catterina married Bernardo Raschiatti after our GGGrandfather Giovanni      Viano died in 1890.

Catterina Maria Camerlo Viano - Raschiatti.
Our GG Grandmother

   

Nicholas Bonomo, Husband of Great Grand Aunt; 

Julia (Viano) Bonomo, Daughter of Catterina and Giovanni.  Our Great Grand Aunt; 

Dolph Viano, Son of Catterina and Giovanni Viano, our Great Grand Uncle

Frances "Fannie" Delfina (Viano) Davis, Daughter of Catterina and Giovanni.  Our Great Grand Aunt; 

Miah "Michael" Marietta, Husband of Great Grand Aunt; 

Eleanora (Viano) Marietta, Daughter of Catterina and Giovanni.  Our Great Grand Aunt;

Sitting

Aurelia (Viano) Wheldon, Daughter of Catterina and Giovanni.  Our Great Grand Aunt; 
Edith Angela (Marietta) Roeder, 
John “Jack” Metelo Marietta, 
Mayme Gertrude (Marietta) McDonald, 1st Cousin 2x removed.


Relationship Chart

Giovanni Viano (1857 to 1890)  married Catterina Maria Camerlo (1853 to 1918)

Giovanni and Catterina are my Great Great Grandparents.

Both were born in Italy.

Giovanni's arrival in the United States is documented below.

Giovanni and Catterina had the following children:

Joseph Camerlo

Eleanora

Maria Maddelena Gertrude (Our Great Grandmother)

Julia

Dolph

Francis Fannie Delfina

Aurelia

 Catterina's basic information is below 

Catterina remarried after Giovanni's death.  Her remarried information is below

 

Maria Maddelena Gertrude. Great Grandmother
Mother of Grandma Elda

Maria and Giovanni (John) Vercellino
Great Grandparents

Great Grandparents

Maria Maddelena Gertrude married Giovanni (John) Vercellino

Maria and John had the following children

Raymond Domenic (1898-1992) 

Elda Kay (1905-1995)  Our Grandmother

Edward Daniel (1907-2002)  

Elda Kay married Charles Williamson

Elda and Charles had one son

Charles Ray Williamson

Charles married Luella Mae Mattson

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