Remembering TUOLUMNE...

By Joseph Celentano

TCMM Historical Research Committee

July 2006

 

While researching the archives of the TCMM, we located the following schoolwork from a Summerville Elementary School fourth grade class assignment regarding family history.  (No error corrections were made.) Part one, two and three will be posted on the museum website under Webpage Archives.

 

Part two of three parts

 

My Family History

Grandmother and Grandfather Hodge

 

     My grandmother Maude Baker Hodge was born in Tuolumne on November 17, 1884.  She went to Summerville Public School.  There was no high school here then.  She is 78 years old.

     My grandfather Ernest Havilah Hodge was born on the 24th of May in 1882 in the Territory of New Mexico.  He came to Tuolumne County in 1898.  He is 80 years old. 

     My grandmother and grandfather had six children, Frederick, Elbert, Earnest, Margaret, Bill and Bud.  They have 21 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

     Grandmother Grazioli ---

Nona (grandmother) Pauline Pittori Grazioli was born in Italy on September 18, 1882.  She had six children, Marie, Johnnie, Elizabeth, Lucy, Elaine, and Paul.  She has twelve grandchildren and five great grandchildren.  Grandfather Grazioli died many years ago.

     I am glad my grandparents live near me. 

     My mother, Mrs. Lucy Grazioli Hodge, was born in Tuolumne on June 24, 1917.  She went to Arastraville School and then attended Summerville High School.  She is forty-five years old.  She knows how to speak Italian. 

     My father, Laurence Hodge, known more as Bill Hodge, was born September 22, 1912, in Tuolumne.  He went to Summerville Elementary and High Schools.  He has been Postmaster in Tuolumne since 1944. 

     My mother and father have been married 25 years.  They have four children--James, John, Paula, and Lorraine.  They have one grandchild, Tara Lynn Hodge. 

     I am Lorraine Hodge.  I was born in Sonora, California on December 13, 1952.  I have always lived in Tuolumne.

     I am attending Summerville Elementary School and am in the fourth grade.  I am ten years old.  I have one niece as I am Aunt Lorraine to Tara Lynn Hodge. 

 

Biography

Ellen Marr

 

     My mother and father were married in 1929.  They met while going to High School in Coyville, Kansas.  My mother’s maiden name was Ruth Nelson.  She was born in Vera, Oklahoma in 1912 to Henry and Rilla Nelson. 

     My grandfather Nelson was from Denmark.  He came to the United States on a sail boat.  The trip took him six weeks.  He was a blacksmith by trade. 

     My grandmother was Scotch, Irish and Indian.  Her name was Rilla Campbell before she was married.

     My father, Clarence Marr, was born in Coyville, Kansas in 1910 to William and Margaret Marr.  My grandmother’s maiden name was Schaller.  Her parents came to the United States from Germany.  Her father’s trade was a shoe cobbler.  My grandmother and grandfather Marr came from Scotland.  

     While living in Kansas, my father and mother lived on a farm.  Glade, Billy, and Verla were born in Kansas.

     In 1941, my father and mother sold their farm and came to California.  They lived in Hughson where my father worked in a milk plant. 

     In July 1943 they moved to Tuolumne where my father worked in the box factory.  In 1944, my brother Jimmy was born here in Tuolumne.  That same year they moved back to Hughson.

     1949 found them moving back to Tuolumne again.  On May 2, 1952--I, Ellen Marr, was born in Sonora.  I have lived in Tuolumne all my life.

 

My Family History

(This one is unsigned)

 

     The story of my family is one that has become a very interesting document to compile.  History joins hands twice in connecting two family names, and the latter connection culminated in marriage.

     Many, many years ago a dashing captain of the Guards, named Capuccini served the King of Italy, the House of Savoy.  From the house of Savoy comes the Conde and Rosasco families, from which my great, great-grandparents originated.  Also related to the Capuccini family are the order of the Capuchin Monks.

     It is a difficult task to tell all the historical past of my family.  I shall begin to tell of the more recent members, which would bring it up to date.

     In the 1870’a, two families came to California from Piedmont and Genoa, Italy.  The Joe Rosasco family, and the Guiseppi (sic) Sivori Family are the direct ancestors of my maternal grandmother, Thelma Rosasco.

     The Sivori Family, Guiseppi and Katherine Scanavino, his wife, came to California with two children (born in Genoa, Italy) and settled near Sonora, owning the land where the present Lime Quarry is operating.  My great grandmother, Aurolia Sivori was on this land. 

     The family finally moved to Cherokee.  They raised a family of seven children.  Great-grandfather Sivori and his boys mined the early mines, and later did quartz mining and farming to support the family.  The old Sivori Ranch remains a land mark in the Cherokee Valley.

     One of these seven children, Aurelia Sivori (my great-grandmother) married Henry Rosasco (my great-grandfather). 

     Joe Rosasco, and his wife, Louise Conde settled in the Don Pedro area where they pursued the cattle business as a livelihood.  This is still carried on in Tuolumne County by his posterity. 

     Henry Rosasco and Aurelia Sivori were married and settled in the Cherokee and Tuolumne area.  Out of this union four children were born, one dying in infancy.  Henry Rosasco raised cattle also.  He was foreman of the Lime Quarry until he passed away on the land where his wife Aurelia was born.

     My grandmother, Thelma Rosasco, was a child of this marriage.  She married Hayworth Hays.  Merchandising was their means of making a livelihood.  My grandmother still carries on at the business.  They had two girls.  One was my mother, Erna Hays.

     My grandfather Hayworth Hays, came to California from Illinois in the early 20’s. He drove a bus for many years from Tuolumne to Stockton.  He met and married my grandmother in Tuolumne. 

     Because of fire damaging the courthouse and ruining many records, it is not possible to trace the family on the Hays side beyond the names of my great-grandmother, Alma McDaniel, who married Harry Hays, they had one son, my grandfather. 

     From the Piedmonti (sic) area in Italy comes the Capuccini family.  The noted order of Capuchin Monks were begun by a member of this family.  This is on my grandfather’s side. 

     My grandfather Capuccini was born in America and married my grandmother, Louise Antinelli, who came direct from Italy as a very young girl, in 1903.  She was one of a family of four girls.  They lived in Pennsylvania.

     My Capuccini grandparents came to California in 1947.  My father and mother met in 1948 and were married one year later on Dec. 3, 1949.  Of this marriage, I am the oldest child and so far, I have a brother Michael who is seven.

     It is a long way back through the centuries, but you can see that marriage has brought together the two blood lines that were started in Italy and finally were brought together in California.  This seems a fitting ending to such a tale.  (Unsigned-who am I?)

 

My Family

(This one is also unsigned)

 

     My grandparents on both sides of my family migrated to America from  Italy.  My mothers parents came from the northern part of in the vicinily (sic) of Milan.  My father’s parents came from Sicily, the little island at the top of the “boot” that forms Italy.

     My mother’s parents came to California to the town of McCloud, which is a lumber town like Tuolumne.  They stayed there for about a year, and then came to Tuolumne where they lived for about a year, and then came to Tuolumne where they lived the rest of their lives.

     My mother had one brother who was born in Italy and came over with my grandmother when she came to America.  He died when he was going to High School in Tuolumne. 

     My grandfather came to America first and worked for a year to earn the money to pay for his fare, and then to send the money for my grandmother and my Uncle Peter to come.  My mother’s sister was born in McCloud and my mother was born here in Tuolumne.  My father’s parents settled in Frankfort, New York when they came from Sicily.  My father had three sisters and four brothers.  One brother died in Italy before they could send for him to come to America to be with them.  There are only two brothers and one sister left.  All were born in Italy escept (sic) my father and one brother.

     My grandfather Congelosi worked in the Remington Arms Factory until he retired.  The family lived in Frankfort always.  My father was the only one to leave New York State.  He came to California in 1934 with the Civilian Conservation Corps.  He was sent to the camp that was established here in Tuolumne. 

     He met my mother and liked it so well here that he married and stayed here.  After my grandmother Congelosi died,  my grandfather came to live in Tuolumne.  He died here and was taken back to Frankfort to be buried.

     My parents are Frank and Enis Congelosi.  I have a sister named Antoinette.  We are happy living in our nice home in Tuolumne.  (Unsigned-who am I?)

 

.....Part III, more family histories to be continued in the next museum newsletter.

 

 

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