Anthony Parisi's Birth Record

This is my Grandfather's birth record.  Click on the picture to enlarge it.

He's the fourth one down from the top on this page from 1886, next to the large notation in the margin (more on that below).  Reading across, it says that he was born on 10 Dec in Premione and baptized on the 11th.  His name is Parisi, Antonio Pietro (first born), and then there are some recordkeeping numbers.

On the opposite page are the names and information on his parents.  What is fabulous about these records is that it lists not only Antonio's parents, but their parents and town they were from too!   So with one birth record, I get three generations!  This was probably done because so many of the names were similar; there are LOTS of Parisi's and Morelli's in the records!

It shows that his father Guiseppe [Parisi] is the son of Pietro [Parisi] and Oliva Armanini; since no village is listed, it is assumed they are from Premione.  His mother is Morelli, Marina, daughter of Antonio and Maria Sicheri of the nearby village Seo.

The next column is the name of the priest who baptized/recorded this and then the name of the Godparent:  Antonio Morelli.  So my grandfather Antonio Parisi was named for his grandfather, Antonio Morelli.

Now about that notation.  It's recording the marriage of my grandfather to my grandmother Amelia Godes Kensen [Really Godskesen], daughter of Chirsath & Michelle [really Christian and Annie] in Portland, Oregon on 25 May 1918!  Someone must have written family that stayed home, who told the priest, who noted it.  Even across all those miles, and years, they were still keeping track!

Coming to America... Ship's Passenger List

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Top: Header for La Bretange Passenger List, 26 Jan 1891

Bottom: Detail showing Albertini and Parisi passengers

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Using some of the stories Diane Baldrica told me, and the Albertini name, I was able to locate the Passenger list showing Marina and Antonio Parisi immigration to the United States. I'll detail the passenger list on this blog entry, with the discussion and stoires on the entry after that. I'll also be showing the possible route, the reasons for immigrating and some of the pictures of the ship and of Premione, the village they came from.

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The header states that the manifest, and the entire sailing across the Atlantic, complies with the US Passenger Act of 1882. This Act set conditions for housing passengers, including the height of the deck they could be housed in, the minimum amount of space they must be given, the amount of light and air that had to be on each deck, etc. It greatly helped the immigrants' treatment and accommodations about ship, although it would be still considered crude by our standards today. You can read the Act, transcribed by Borge Solem, on the Norwegian Heritage website: http://www.norwayheritage.com/articles/templates/new.asp?articleid=132&zoneid=21. What is most startling about reading the Act is realizing that many, many ships had had far worse conditions for immigrants that made this Act necessary.

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The Header also states the date of 26 Jan 1891 and that the ship sailed from Havre, France.

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On page 6 of the seven page passenger list are the five people we are most interested in:

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Lines 336 to 340 (respectively)

Constante Albertini, 45, m, journeyman

Annetta Albertini, 24, f, (no occupation listed)

Davide Parisi, 31, m, miner

Mariana Parisi, 34, f, (no occupation listed)

Antonio Parisi, 6y 2m, m, (no occupation listed)

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All are listed as being from Italy with New York as their destination, and for all of them, one additional entry: "Midship Between decks family compartment". This means that they all crammed into a family cabin located between decks in the middle part of the ship. It could also mean literally the middle of the ship, an interior cabin with no port hole. Even now, cruise ship rooms are not spacious unless more monies are paid, and this one held two pregnant women, two men and a small child!

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One other small note: Marina's name is misspelled, an extra "A" being added. Having been Dina all my life, and having most people add an extra "a" when spelling or reading my name and making it into Diana, I can easily see where this happened!

Italians & The Portland Water Works

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This photo was one of the many wonderful one shared with me by the Baldrica family. It shows Joseph Marco Parisi standing in front of one of the Portland reservoirs with some of his family in 1925. From left to right: Pietro Parisi (Uncle Pete), Henry (Hank), Joe Baldrica (Mary's husband), Mary Parisi Baldrica (Joseph's daughter), Marina (his wife) and Joseph Parisi. Notice how jaunty Mary looks in her jodphurs and boots (quite daring and modern in 1925).

The reservoirs and the Portland Water Works were a huge part of the Parisi family history, and Joseph Marco, along with countless other Italians, were a huge part of the early Water Works history. I wanted to explore some of that history in this blog entry.

Portland began construction of 24 miles of pipeline from Bull Run to the city in 1893. This was a HUGE public work project, made larger because the Water Committee also began constructing reservoirs at Mt. Tabor and City (Washington) Park, as well as expanding the water distribution system in the city. Keep in mind that the brush clearing, ditch digging, road building and everything else was done largely by hand. The modern machinery we are used to seeing on our public works projects had not yet been invented. The City of Portland needed labor, and they needed it quick.

At the same time, many events were occurring in Italy that caused the people there to think about looking elsewhere for a better place to live. I'll discuss these in a future blog soon when the topic will be immigration of the Parisi family. By the time these Italians arrived in America, the vast tracts of usable land had been or were being homesteaded. Even though they were farmers in the old country, most Italians did not move to the small farming communities because discrimination was high and they didn't want to be isolated or ignored. The Italians mostly moved into cities and became urbanized, providing the labor for jobs that no one else wanted. Because there were so many of them, discrimination against them was rampant and the wages poor.

I believe Constante Albertini was one of the first from Premione to immigrate to Portland, and secured employment with the Water Works. He probably wrote home about the opportunities he found and encouraged others to follow him. Joseph Marco was one that took him up on the offer, coming to Portland around 1890. According to Anthony Parisi, Joseph Marco's son, the Albertini's were relatives, although he wasn't sure how. My current research does not extend back far enough to show the link (but I'm working on it!). As shown in the previous blog entry, both Constante and Joseph would eventually become foremen leading the Italian crews on Water works projects.

The Parisi Family -- 1894

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The Parisi Family from left to right: Marina holding baby Cecilia, Joseph Marco (in back), Anthony Parisi (middle front), and Mary Parisi (seated). This is the earliest photo I have of the Parisi side of my family. Since Cecilia is still a baby, and was born 16 Nov 1893, I estimate that this picture was taken about March 1894.
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The photo was given to Ed Bjore by the Albertini sisters - family friends who came over from Italy with the Parisi's (more on that later!). The Original Photo was taken by Davies Studio, N.W. Cor. Third and Morrison Sts., Portland, Oregon. I've zoomed in for more detail on the photo posted above, and cleaned it up a little in Photoshop.

Who's Who -- The family of Joseph Marco Parisi and Marina Morelli

I'm going to go up a generation and talk about Anthony's parents and their children in the next several blogs. As I am still working on documenting many events in this line of my family, and am in the process of blending others' research into my own. To keep things straight, items marked with an asterisk (*) have not been documented by me (but I'm working on it).
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Joseph Marco Parisi married Marina Morelli in a small village (Premione) near Trento (now Italy), around 1885. They then immigrated to the United States and settled in Portland, OR. Like many immigrants, the family did not all move at once, but moved in stages. Joseph came first, secured a job and housing, then moved his family over. I will be discussing this and the area they came from in future posts.

They had the following children:

Anthony Peter Parisi -- "Tony" (10 Jan 1886 - 8 Nov 981); born in Premione
-- married Amelia Godskesen (see previous blog)

*Armida Maria Parisi -- (6 Nov 1888 - 13 Nov 1888); born in Premione

Mary Parisi -- (22 Feb 1892 - 13 Jan 1982); born Portland, OR
-- married Joseph A. Baldrica

Cecilia Parisi -- (16 Nov 1893 -- 2 Jul 1974); born Portland, OR

Rosa Parisi -- (Jul 1897 -- ???); born Portland, OR
-- *married John Cook

Alice Parisi -- (abt. 1901 - ???); born Portland, OR
-- *married William Raymond Jefferis

Henry William Parisi (15 Mar 1903 - 13 Mar 1987); born Portland, OR

George Parisi (17 Mar 1907 - 19 Jul 1981); born Portland, OR
-- * married Ellen Mallon


Just by looking at the place of birth for the children, you can narrow down the immigration date for the family, and see who would have come over. This is helpful in looking at ships' passenger lists, etc.

Who's Who -- The Family of Anthony and Amelia

I will be posting a Who's Who listing all members of a single family unit -- as far as I know them. There will also be a separate label to these listings. Hopefully this will help everyone (including me!) keep people and their relations to everyone straight! I'm starting with the household of Anthony and Amelia Parisi.

Anthony Peter Parisi -- "Tony" (10 Jan 1886 - 8 Nov 1981)
-- married* --
Amelia Cecilia Godskesen (5 Mar 1897 - 16 Jul 1960)

They raised the following three children:

Eleanor Cecilia Parisi (4 Aug 1919 - 21 Feb 1965)
-- married name: Bjore
Frank Edward Parisi (25 Feb 1924 - 13 Feb 1999)
Joseph Peter Parisi (b. 1934)

*I haven't found their marriage certificate yet, but I'm working on it!

Anthony Parisi's WWI Draft Registration Card

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Ancestry.com has now digitized and made available the WWI draft registration cards. I was able to find several members of my family. From the Parisi family, I was able to locate the one for Anthony Parisi.

Because these uploads come out so small, and this particular card isn't that clear to begin with, I'll transcribe it below. The front of the card is on the left and back on the right.

Front of Card:

Serial Number: 85 (upper left corner)

Order Number: 1419 (upper right corner)

Name: Anthony Peter Parisi
Age: 30
Address: 635-5th Street, Portland, Oregon

Date of Birth: December 10th, 1886
Citizenship status: Citizen of the U.S.
Place of Birth: Premione, Trent, Austria
Naturalized? Naturalized; [unreadable] came to US when he was 8 years old

Present Occupation: Buyer for Wholesale House

Employer's Name: Parks Brother

Place of Employment: 231 [unreadable] St.
Nearest Relative: Father, mother, 2 brothers & 4 sisters [unreadable note]
Marital Status: Single
Race: [unreadable]
Military service: None
Do you claim exemption from draft: No

Signature affirming above answers: Anthony Peter Parisi

Back of Card:

Height: Medium (box checked)

Build: Medium (box checked)

Color of Eyes: Dark Brown
Color of Hair: Dark Brown
Bald? No

Obvious Physical Impairment: some trouble with arched instep

Signature of Registrar: Cora E. Puffer
Precinct: 91
City: Portland
State: Oregon
Date of Registration: June 5th, 1917

Besides being a document that my ancestor filled out, this registration card gives us a physical description of my grandfather at age 30, an address where he lived in Portland, and employment information. Historical background of the draft cards also helps to put all this information in context. This excerpt is from Warren Blatt's excellent web page at http://www.jewishgen.org/infofiles/wwidraft.htm:

On May 18, 1917, the Selective Service Act was passed, authorizing the President to temporarily increase the military establishment of the United States. The Selective Service System was responsible for the process of
selecting men for induction into the military service, from the initial registration to the actual delivery of men to military training camps.

Under the office of the Provost Marshal General, the Selective Service System was made up of 52 state offices
(one for each of the 48 states; the territories of Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico; and the District of Columbia), 155 district boards, and 4648 local boards... The average district board had jurisdiction over approximately 30 local boards, each with an average registration of 5000 men. Local boards were established for each county or similar subdivision in each state, and for each 30,000 persons (approximately) in each city or county with a population over 30,000.

During World War I there were three registrations:

The first, on June 5, 1917, was for all men between the ages of 21 and 31.

The second, on June 5, 1918, registered those who attained age 21 after June 5, 1917. (A supplemental registration was held on August 24, 1918 for those becoming 21 years old after June 5, 1918. This was included in the second registration.)

The third registration was held on September 12, 1918 for men aged 18 through 45.

Using the historical background above, I can see that Anthony registered for the draft during the first registration period.

Shameless plug for Ancestry.com since they have provided a lot of what I'm posting: It's my favorite pay-for-access site and has proven to be worth every penny. I find a lot of stuff on there, and they are adding more all the time. My local Family History Center (another great place!) has a membership and you can access Ancestry.com for free from them. I like my membership since I can access it from anywhere I have a computer and at any time.

On the Front Porch

Today I found this photo in my mom's collection when I went over to scan some pictures of her side of the family (Villalba-Barrios). I didn't even know this photo existed - I was doing the genealogist happy dance today!

The photo dates from a trip we made to Portland, OR to visit with my father's family (he's the Parisi), probably at Christmas or a little after. I am dating this based on my little sister who is standing in the front. She was born in May 1963, so Christmas 1963 or Easter 1964 is about right for her to be standing. It might even be as late as Christmas 1964.

From left to right, is Grandpa Tony, Georgia Bjore holding yours truly, Eleanor Bjore and Christine Bjore (hiding). In front is my mother (Miriam Parisi, known as Mimi) holding my little sister, Gina Parisi. I am not sure of the location, but I believe we are on the front porch of Eleanor's house. We all look like we're having a pretty good time, and hey, it's not raining!

Okay, the family connections and approximate ages: Tony (77) is Anthony Parisi of the Baseball/Window fame from the previous blog. Georgia (20) and Christine (10) are Eleanor's daughters and Eleanor (43) is my father's sister and Tony's daughter. My sister around her first birthday, my mom is 30, and I am about 3. Whew, get all that?

I found some other pictures, but didn't have time to scan them so I'll have to do that later. I will also be bugging my father to scan his photos to post on this site. Family blogs are nice, but it also means that you have at least one maniac in your family who always wants to come over with a scanner.

The Windows of St. Michael's (or The Baseball)

These are our family windows at St. Michael the Archangel, 1701 SW Fourth Ave, Portland OR (thanks to my "Uncle Eddie" - Ed Bjore - for the photo). St. Michael's is a pretty Roman Catholic church that was founded by many of the Italian immigrants in Portland in the early 1900's. When the church was rebuilt in 1902, many beautiful stained glass windows were commissioned from Povey Bros. Glass Co., and donated via subscription by parishioners*. The names of the parishioner who donated them are engraved in the windows above the first square of design.

For the windows above, the one on the left says "Joseph and Marina Parisi" and the one on right "Anton & Sisters Parisi". Joseph and Marina are my great-grandparents, and their son Anthony was my grandfather. I'm not sure why Anton was put there except it may be the Italian version.

Most of the other donors only purchased one window. It was quite expensive for these Italian immigrants just to pay for one. My great-grandfather was a laborer for the City Water Works, and a listing of the donors in the St. Michael's Centennial book* shows that most were also laborers, farmers or widows. That my great-grandfather would purchase TWO windows, and have his children's names on one seemed to be a great extravagance. Even his boss (and I believe friend from the old country), Costante Albertini only purchased one window and added "and family" rather than pay for a whole other window. I had always been curious about the second window.

Recently I re-connected with my "Uncle" Eddy (ok, he's really a cousin, but we'll get into that in another blog). We were discussing St. Michael's book and these windows, and he said "You know the story of those windows, don't you?" I guess Anthony (Grandpa Tony to me) and his sisters used to play baseball in the vacant lot/baseball field next to the church. Hmmm... baseball... next to a church... window connection...

Yup, they put a baseball through a Church window! Can you image? And for breaking the window, they got the honor of paying for a new one on subscription! Tony recounted the story to Ed and remembered weeks and weeks of going to the Church with his sisters and paying off this window with their hard earned pennies!

The windows were purchased in 1902, before the three youngest Parisi children of Joseph and Marina were born. I'll be going more into this family in the next several blogs.

*The Biography of a Parish, Saint Michael the Archangel by Fred A. Granata, J.D., printed by Dynagrahics, Inc. Copyright 1994