Sicilians-Not Italians, Siblings and a Wedding

Letter to Bette Jane Cole from Uncle Frank Ganta (Pearl Ganta Petorella’s Brother) age 91.

I have made additions/corrections in orange.

July 1, 1993

Dear Niece Bette,

Received your letter of June 22 want to thank you for it. Since then I have been hunting through my papers locating things might be pertained to what you want to know. So I apolize [apologize] for being so slow in replying.

First off I want to give you my lineage. When I am referring to my mother and father that means your great-grand mother and your great-grand father, by the same token I am your great Uncle. Of course you understand that on my side we are all Sicilians not Italians, while Sicily is governed by Italy it is still a separate state and has been so for as back as 500 B. C.

Ma came from Termani Immerse and Pa came from Palermo. The marriage was consummated by both families, in other words an arranged wedding. Ma’s maiden name was Salvatora Scolaro and Pa’s was Vincenzo Giunta. They had fourteen children of which two died as infants and one at the age of 12. Therefore we are talking of the other 11 who survived. I’ll start with your grandmother who was the first-born.

1. Pearl born in 1892 and married to Dominick Peterela [sic]
2. Mary born in 1894 and married to David Marchese
3. Emily born in 1896 [1895] and married to Fred Cozzi
4. Jenny born in 1897, died Oct 1912
5. Mike born in 1998 and married to Lillian
6. Frank born in 1900, died 1901
7. Frank born in 1902 and married to Anna
8. Rose born in 1904 and married to John Kolodziej
9. James born in 1906 deceased, died Jul 1910
10. Phillip born in 1908 and married to Doris-Beatrice
11. Vincenzo born Oct 1910 and died Oct 1910
12. Josephine born in 1911 and married to Fred Cerceo
13. James born in 1913 and married to Eva
14. Charles born in 1915 and married to Leola-Cleo
15. Edward born in 1917 and lived with Mary

In my next letter I will describe the children, offspring of the marriages, which will be cousins first and second. Of course all the women should be called great Aunts, (Zia) and the men great Uncles (Zio). I am sending funeral cards of those that I have more than one, the others I will make Photostats. I am sending several photos which I have duplicates of weddings. On the back I have written the name so you can identify them. Also ones of me alone at Francis (?) wedding and HJ Lodge we stay while our home was being finished. As I stated before my next letter will describe the children of there marriages.

However I will describe one of thing [sic]. As I said before your grandmother my sister Pearl had the grandest wedding of them all. Now this goes back a long way in the year of our Lord 1910 [1908]. She had a full veil from head to foot, and they had a two-horse carriage, and as they came out of the house going to the carriage all of us were throwing rice and hard candy almonds at them and they rode to the church. Our Lady of Pompeii where the marriage was consummated. NOTE: Frank was not yet 6 when Domenico and Pearl were married.

I am going to close as my hand is getting tired and I am no longer used to writing as I used to, since I have been retired for 28 years. I hope that I have filled the vacuum you had regarding who your relatives where as you have as many as a hundred relatives however the older ones are dying out. Out of the twelve original boys and girls only 3 boys and 1 girl life [live].

When you write again let me know if there is anything you would like to know.

God be with you.

Uncle Frank