Sometime before 1986 Nino received this letter in the mail. In 1973 the Ellis Island Oral History project began preserving first hand recollections of immigrants who passed through Ellis Island. They must have done a mail campaign later on, probably when the Statue of Liberty was being restored. She had made a donation for the restoration and may have received this flier with her tax deductible donation form.
The final restoration unveiling was scheduled for July 4, 1986. My grandmother, who was an avid and enthusiastic traveler, had scheduled a visit to the festivities and to celebrate the fact that she too had come through Ellis Island 69 years earlier. She responded to the flyer by writing to the Foundation on January 24, 1986. She wrote down her own immigration story from the perspective of a 5 1/2 year old girl coming to a new country.
Caterina Bertonasco Brondolo's passport (cover). Nino included copies of this passport with her letter to the Foundation.
An inside look.....
Caterina's signature is at the bottom of the left page. They were headed for San Francisco, California where the rest of the family were waiting. She boarded with $100, this passport, her children and probably very few belongings.
Caterina came with her youngest three children Agostino, Guilio and my grandmother Tersilla. Her husband Pietro had come before the rest of the family beginning in 1913 with the oldest son Emilio, and then came Frank and Celestina, and then the rest of the family on the "installment plan".
Original passport in our family collection
My grandmother's Inspection Card stamped by the U.S. Public Health Services Ellis Island February 13, 1917. Original in our family collection.
Caterina and her three youngest children left Italy on the 23rd of January 1917. The trip from Genoa to New York took three weeks. It must have been a relief to finally make it to New York, and also an anxious time as the family went through line inspections to determine their physical and mental health. For most immigrants it only took several hours to go through inspections. They were eventually deemed fit to enter the United States and continued their journey to San Francisco. I'm not entirely sure how they made that journey...possibly by train? Another boat journey? That information is lost to history.
I have several other documents pertaining to my grandmother's trip from Italy to New York.
"Qui accluso troverete biglietto"....an invoice will be sent with the tickets? Preparations were made on September 27th, 1916. Original in our family collection.
The Brondolo's third class boarding ticket on the Giuseppe Verdi from Genoa to New York. Original in our family collection.
Wikimedia Commons
Although the Foundation did not include my grandmother in the Oral History Project she made sure her immigration story was remembered. My grandmother's name is on the American Immigrant Wall of Honor. Her Certificate of Registration was signed by Lee Iacocca. She also had her parents' names added to the wall.
In 1997 our son (and future daughter-in-law) were able to visit Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty as part of a school trip to the east coast. Our son found his great grandmother's name, as well as his great great grandparents' names and used a rubbing kit to take home a memorable souvenir.
Tersilla Brondolo can be found on Panel 493. Pietro and Caterina Brondolo can be found on Panel 494.
CaseyA. at the American Immigrant Wall of Honor in 1997.
Later in life my grandmother lived in an adult mobile home community in the beautiful town of Sonoma California (wine country), which she said reminded her of her home town of Vesime. She was a very active member in the community, and loved dressing up during their many parties. She did indeed win prizes for her costumes, and was the Statue of Liberty a number of times. She was always very proud of her immigration story and thankful for the opportunities that coming to America brought her and her family.
Nino dressed as the Statue of Liberty
Shared by StephanieE.
Relationship Reference: Me->Dale Richard Boothby->Tersilla Palmina Brondolo Boothby
How wonderful that Nino was able to share her memories with the oral history project and wow, I had no idea that students were encouraged to do a rubbing on the Wall of Honor. Great idea! Loved your post.
ReplyDeleteThank you! My son was lucky enough to be at the Wall of Honor and actually find those names. It was a special trip for him and one that he still remembers. He was able to go visit the Twin Towers also, before 9-11. So much history there.
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