POINTers IN PERSON Minutes
Chapter # 10 Central Texas/Austin
Submitted by: Sherry PACELLI Haddox (4883)
Lin ONOFRIO Brinkman (#1388) opened the monthly meeting of POINTers IN PERSON on Wednesday, March 22, 2006 with 16 people in attendance, including 2 guests.
Don VILLONI reported on his recent DNA research. He was asked to speak at a Williamson County Genealogy Group meeting last week on the subject of DNA. It was primarily to convey his recent DNA experience in a non-technical format. He also mentioned to our group the merits of using DNA and that it is now possible for groups to participate in reduced rates in acquiring their respective DNA markers. DNA tests are now available to be taken in a non-invasive sampling (not a blood test). It is done with a swab. The most exciting thing that he related to us was that he had just received an email from Family Tree DNA, a world renowned organization, that they had just announced the highest resolution Y-DNA ~ the 59 marker. Don recommended that PIP #10 consider getting involved in this project. He asked for a show of hands and out of the 16 attendees, 11 would consider taking the test. Don said that he will get the prices for tests taken on an individual basis as well as the group rate.
Joe MASTRANGELO (#2614) reported that he has completed extracting the birth records from the PUTIGNANO films. He has completed 1809 thru 1900 and has
approximately 4100 birth records recorded in his Access data base. Joe noted that the LDS records have a gap in the films. The birth records for 1813-1816 and 1870 as
well as the marriage records for 1813-1823 and 1871 are missing from the catalog. He is going to contact Ruth Merriman at LDS in Salt Lake City and also Keith Rose
who is responsible for the scheduling of the filming in Italy to see if these records might have been recorded/cataloged elsewhere.
Joe has mapped out a path for searching the death records for Putignano to hopefully get additional information that would shed some light on the fate of some of these
folks (most of whom seem to have fallen off the face of the earth after birth.) This effort will necessitate the design of a new data base in Access to accommodate the
pertinent information present in these records.
Joe informed us that the Library of Congress maps are available for early Italy (1870 - 1915) on a scale of 1:100,000 (1"=1.7 miles). The information included is : RR tracks,
train stations, streetcar lines, roadways (classified as major, country roads, mule paths, cow paths and footpaths). Also included are the names of the landowners for the
area surrounding the town.
Joe and his wife, Marie, attended the Grand Opening of Mandola's new Italian Market & Restaurant. Joe recommended we all go as soon as possible as the
food is delicious!
Jeanie Marsalia (#4251) attended an event on March 11th at Mandola's before their grand opening on March 20th.
For $20.00 you could sample all the food and wine offered and a portion of the money was donated to a local charity.
Jeanie mailed in her dual citizenship application paperwork to the Houston Consulate on February 25, 2006. She has not received a response.
Virginia MACRI Gerick (#2730) brought to the meeting a copy of the words and music of "Inno di Mameli", Italy's National Anthem which was adopted on June 2, 1946 on the establishment of the Italian Republic.
When asked what the Czechs were up to, James Gerick stated that the Czechs were collecting histories of Texas Czech families for Volume III of Texas Czech Family Histories. More Czechs came forward after the publishing of Volumes I and II.
We are very happy that Franciene McDonald joined our group. She is the daughter of Frank and Bertha Henry who belonged to the group before moving to San Angelo, Texas five years ago. Franciene is researching the IANNARINO, LA MANNA, BOVA, GERACI families from Termini Imerese. Franciene has a wonderful website devoted to her family history. Visit the site at http://www.iannarino.us.
Sherry (PACELLI) Haddox (#4883) was very happy to report that she finally has her grandfather's birth certificate after years of wondering where in Italy he was born!
She had written to San Salvatore Telesino on November 9, 2005 but had not received a response from them. Her cousin, Alessandra Gesualdi, who lives in Rome,
found the email address for the civil office and Sherry emailed them the same request but still did not get a response. At our last meeting Joe and Lin suggested that
Alessandra email and see if they would respond to her request. Alessandra decided to call and the man that answered asked her to call back in a couple of hours to give
him time to look. The man in the office is Francesco PACELLI (Sherry is wondering if he is a distant cousin of hers!). When Alessandra called back he had found the
certificate! She asked him to mail it to her in Rome and then she mailed it to Sherry. Of course when Sherry received it she was thrilled! It is an extract but Alessandra is
going to call the office again and explain that Sherry needs more information about her grandparents so she can continue with her research.
Sherry also mentioned that Alessandra volunteered to make phone calls for others in our group who were having difficulty corresponding with civil offices in Italy.
The meeting adjourned at 8:50 PM. Our next meeting will be on April 26th at 6:30 PM at the Round Rock Library.