April 18, 1998 Meeting Minutes

POINTers IN PERSON Minutes
Central Texas/Austin
Virginia MACRI Gerick (#2730)

Lin ONOFRIO Brinkman (#l388) opened our monthly PIP meeting, Saturday April l8, l998 at 1:00 PM, announcing our quarterly pot luck luncheon was ready. We have scheduled one meeting each quarter on a Saturday afternoon to make it more convenient for our out-of-town members to attend.

There were 17 members and one guest, Robert Brinkman, in attendance. Marilyn MANISCALCO Henley (#1653) was not able to attend. Virginia Gerick took the minutes in her place.

After lunch, Lin Brinkman and her son Robert , who recently returned from their trip to Italy, reported on their successful searches. Led by their guide, Nicolo, who had taken Lin under his wing, they searched the town hall records in FAICCHIO, Benevento for Lin's great grandfather ONOFRIO with the help of a most helpful clerk who informed them that there are several lines of the ONOFRIO name in FAICCHIO. When it was ascertained which line Lin came from, the clerk made known that his name was Giovanni ONOFRIO from the same line . At that point their guide, Nicolo, told them that he was married to Anna Maria ONOFRIO, who was Giovanni's cousin.. It turned out to be a real "Family Affair".

Dorothy MANGO ONOFRIO Lippincott, Lin's mother, who made the trip with the Brinkmans became acquainted with her father's cousins in SANT'ANGELO IN FORMIS, Caserta, and they took her to visit her grandparents' MANCO home where her father grew up.

Don VILLONI has now located 25 musical compositions which his grandfather composed from l925-l929. These included Military, Symphonic, and Funeral marches. During lunch we enjoyed background music of the recordings of some of the Symphonic marches.. Don is still continuing his search for possibly 5 more pieces.

Virginia Gerick reported that the Texas State Library. Genealogy Section now has the first 2 volumes of ITALIANS TO AMERICA, lists of passengers arriving at U.S. ports, l880-l899. Volumes 1 and 2 cover the years Jan. l880- June l887.

Jim Gerick distributed copies of the genealogy aids mentioned in the minutes of the previous meeting.

Our next meeting will be Wednesday, May 27, l998 at 6:30 PM.

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