Hello everyone, and good day!

I am looking for information about the above mentioned surnames, or some variation of them.

My mother's maiden name was Stelitano. Her father Dominic and two of his siblings were born in the early 1900s in Trinidad, Colorado.

Their father was Carmelo Stelitano, who came to the US in 1903 from Roghudi, Reggio di Calabria, Italy. He came to Trindad, Colorado as a single man, and a few years later "sent" for a wife from Italy. My mother always heard that Carmelo sent a photograph to Italy of a young, handsome man (not of himself) and in return, a young Italian woman from Reggio di Calabria named Rachaela came to the US to be his wife in 1911. They had never met, and Carmelo was 15 years Rachaela's senior.

My mother always believed that Rachaela, who was 23, came with a young daughter Marie/Mary, about 5, but we can not find any records to confirm that. On the contrary, our current unconfirmed records indicate that Rachaela came to Colorado in 1911 at the age of 23 and Mary in 1919 at the age of 12.

Our records indicate that Rachaela (who was also known as Rachael) had the surname Ruffolo. However, her daughter Mary's surname was Coseorelli, or Casarelli.

We have no idea why mother and daughter have different surnames - my mother always believed that Mary was born out of wedlock, but we have no idea.

My mother always believed that Rachaela came here in 1911 WITH Mary, but left an older daughter in Reggio di Calabria because her mother cried that she did not want to be left all alone in Italy - so Rachaela left her oldest daughter with her mother. We have some unconfirmed information that that daughter may have been named Sophia.

Rachaela's story FASCINATES me, and my mother told me once that she always thought her grandmother had "the saddest life I have ever known." I would LOVE to know more about any of this family, and would be so grateful to learn more! I genuinely appreciate any help anyone can give me - and I know my 77 year old mother would too!

Sincerely,

Michelle

Michelle hello and welcome to Gente! My grandmother was born in Trinidad Colorado and my great grandfather lived there from 1906 until his death in 1954. I am interested in your story - to me, so far, it sounds like Rachela may have been previously married which if true would explain why she and her daughter's have different surnames. When you say unconfirmed do you mean that you haven't been able to place them on a census or found a ship manifest for them? Can you link what you do have so we can have a look?

Looks like Rachel's daughter Mary may have married into the Naccarato family - if so I'm really curious about her now as I am distantly connected with a Naccarato family.

Hello Nuccia, and thank you so much for the kind welcome and reply!

First - yes, Mary married Frank Naccarato! My mother, who is still living, knew them well, as Mary would have been my mother's father's half-sister! I do believe there are many Naccarato's still in Trinidad! I can ask my mom - I am sure she would remember some!

What I know is only what my mother has told me and what I have been able to find on various websites. I believe Rachaela's name at some point was Ruffolo because it says so on her daughter Carmela (Stelitano) DeBono's obituary: ( www.kmitch.com/Pueblo/...a-deg.html ) My mother does not know Rachaela by any other name other than Stelitano, so is not able to confirm Ruffolo.

My mother also does not know Mary by any other name other than Naccarato. However, there are still various cousins living (here is Mary's daughter's obituary which lists several cousins we can contact: www.kmitch.com/Pueblo/...a-ecz.html ) who might be able to give us more information on Mary.

I am very interested to know who your family in Trinidad was/is. Both of my mother's parents, Dominic Stelitano and Josephine "Bella" Pedri, were born in Trinidad in 1912 and 1911 respectively, and my mother was born there in 1934. They moved to California in 1943, but my mother has kept in good touch with much of her Trinidad kin.

Let me go to my records on ancestry.com and get you what I have as far as verified and unverified records. I just want to get this off to you ASAP, because if you are like me, you are very anxious to learn more!

Thanks again!

Michelle

Ok Nuccia, here is what I have:

1920 census with Carmelo, Rachaela, Dominic, Carmela, and Mary Coseorelli: search.ancestry.com/cg...PLz0q3dpid You will see that ALL the names are misspelled...and the Naccarato family is listed right beneath them! This is also the documentation that shows that Rachaela came to the US in 1911 and Mary came in 1919, but my mother says she was ALWAYS told they came together, and that Rachaela left an older daughter in Italy with her mother. How sad!

Here is the 1930 census: search.ancestry.com/ie...=101921485

You will see that Mary is no longer listed as a dependent - she is married to Frank at this time ( search.ancestry.com/ie...=101921632 ). Also, my Uncle John was born! This indicates that Rachaela came to the US in 1910, not 1911...

So from these records, and Carmela Stelitano's (Rachaela's daughter with Carmelo) obituary, at SOME POINT Rachaela was Rachaela Ruffolo, and Mary was Mary Coseorelli. But I do not know the last name of Rachaela when she came over - she could have been a Coseorelli, and Ruffolo was her maiden name. Or she could have been a Ruffolo, and never married Mary's father. We have been unable to find either of them with various name spellings on a ship's manifest. It's driving me crazy!

I know that's a lot of information, and initially I thought I would send it to you via PM...but hopefully, someone else might find this post and be able to provide us both with more information!

Thanks again - Looking forward to your reply!

Michelle

Hi Michelle - thanks for the info and yes, I had already found them in the 1920 & 1930 census - I also found them in the 1940 census on the about 6 to 10 pages in still living in the same area - (Mary and Frank). My grandmother was also born in Trinidad on March 30 1912 - If you get the chance you may want to contact Alice Romero (hoping she is still alive and well) who is the local librarian in Trinidad. Carnegie Public Library
202 N Animas St
Trinidad, CO 81082, USA
(719) 846-6841

I'll pm you her email. She was amazing at finding things for me when I contacted her five years ago - she even went to the Trinidad Catholic Cemetery (which is the same place Carmela is buried) and took pictures of my great grandfather John Polito's grave for me and send baptism, obits, directories to me. John worked at the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company unitil his retired in the late 1940's. He had been most intimately associated with the families of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Caporale, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Anderson, and the Sebastianelli family. He also arrived to the USA with a Pete Naccarato - and a Joe Naccarato baptised my grandmother. I believe Joe was one of the five famous brothers who helped found Utah - The only thing that is on my mind is that Ruffalo/Ruffolo is a common surname of the Cosenza area and many of the people who settled that area (including the Naccarato's) were from Cosenza. I'll check the directory Alice sent to see if your family was listed and try to send you a copy. It will require some digging but I think this should be fun!

That's some awesome information, Nuccia! I totally know the name Pete Naccarato. I will ask my mom about him tonight.

How funny that your great-grandfather was born in Trinidad in 1912! My grandfather was, too (Dominic Stelitano) and my grandmother was in 1911 (Josephine "Bella" Pedri). They were probably all classmates!

My husband called the Trinidad courthouse on Tuesday and talked to a woman named Tammy. She was going to try to find some marriage records. She also referred my husband to the library - and he was given the same phone number you provided me (but without a contact name!). I will definitely call!

Thanks so much!

Michelle - my GRANDMOTHER, Erminia (sorry I confused you) was born there in 1912 -

Great grandpa John went to Las Animas in 1906. In 1909 his wife, Vincenza MACCHIONE followed there. In 1910 they had a son, Antonio and in 1912 my grandmother. Shortly after Vincenza became pregnant again but did not like living in Colorado so she took her children back to Malito, Cosenza Italy. Eugenia, their third child was born there and died last year in Canada at 98 years old. John didn't want to leave so he stayed behind and eventually died there. My grandmother and her siblings never saw their father again. I'm not sure what kind of a life he lived after that but I do know he never re married and on all the documents I have he listed himself as married but not living with his wife. I am not silly enough to believe he never had another relationship after that (and I hope he actually did because I would hate to think he was lonely for 35 years).
This is a brief page about him:

www.gentedimareitalian...index.html

Ok so definitely email Alice - shes amazing. Also join the Trinidad forum - very nice people:

www.trinidadco.com/forum/

On Family Search, index cards for Colorado marriages are available for browsing and I found this marriage record for Frank and Mary--note her surname.

I've been searching for Carmelo and Rachela's index card but no luck thus far; Lord knows how his name was mispelled.



Biff

Bif,

OH MY GOODNESS! This is OUTSTANDING! THANK YOU SO MUCH! (Don't mean to make this all caps like I am shouting - I am just so happy and grateful!)! I can not wait to tell my mother!

I did not know you could browse the marriage records on familysearch! I am going to go do that now. Thank so SO SO much! This is really awesome!

Michelle

Chiapetta was common in Cosenza province in particular Rende, Marano Marchesato and that area near Cosenza the city. When you look up Chiapetta in GENS website it says the name does not exist LOL Since I have Chiapetta's in my own ancestry, I know that is incorrect.
Your surnames Coseorelli (Casarelli) immediately struck me - do you know where they are from? Reggio?

Hi Cathy!

The 1920 census lists my great-aunt Mary as living with my grandfather and their parents. She is my grandfather's HALF sister - they have the same mother, but different fathers. My great-grandfather was a Stelitano. On the census, it lists Mary as a step-daughter and her name appears to be Coseorelli. But you know that the spelling is often wrong on census!

I know my great-grandfather is from Reggio di Calabria, and I found some information that lists Roghudi as his place of birth. I don't know where his wife Rachaela was from in Italy - I assume at least Reggio di Calabria. Likewise Mary.

This website - web.archive.org/web/20....com/C.htm - lists the Chiappetta's as being common in both Rende and Roggiana Gravina, and lists two people who are searching for the surname. I will definitely write to them to see what they might know!

We're off the roadblock!

Michelle

Interesting 1911 did not sail manifest for
Rachela Chiappetta, age 26 (dob about 1885), and daughters Maria, age 6 (dob about 1905), and Concetta age 3 (dob about 1908). Lines 4, 5, 6. Last residence and place of birth Marano Marchesato.

www.ellisisland.org/EI...&line=0005

Biff

Quote::

Interesting 1911 did not sail manifest for Rachela Chiappetta, age 26 (dob about 1885), and daughters Maria, age 6 (dob about 1905), and Concetta age 3 (dob about 1908). Lines 4, 5, 6. Last residence and place of birth Marano Marchesato. www.ellisisland.org/EI...;line=0005 Biff

Hmmm...seems like it might work - the dates and names are pretty close, but I have no information whatsoever on a Concetta. She's not on any Stelitano census in Trinidad that I can find...and Mary supposedly came to the US in 1919.

Good find though Biff!

Michelle

I have just spent the last hours searching the familysearch database for Colorado marriages. There is ONE Stelitano and it is not "mine." I then went through every variation I could think to try: stalatano, staletano, stalitano, stalotano, stallatano, stalletano, stallitano, stallotano....etc etc etc. Nothing. But I am wondering if a man who is dishonest enough to send a photo to an unknown younger woman that completely misrepresents himself would be inclined to insist the young woman marry him the same day she arrives in the country - in which case perhaps they got married even BEFORE they returned to Colorado!

Not giving up yet! Thanks again to all for the help!

Michelle