Family History: Chapter 1

My Father, Stephen was born and raised in Italy. He was married to a woman whose name was Maria. They had two sons, Gaspare and Vito. His wife was expecting another child when he decided to come to America to live a better life for him and his family.

The time came when he did make the move to Detroit, Michigan. While he was here trying to find work to help bring his family and support them, his wife gave birth to a baby girl and was named "Michelina". A short time later Maria became ill and passed away. My father's sister took the children home with her to care for them.

After some time, my father met a woman by the name of Archangela, "Lena" for short. When they began their life together, his wife asked him to send for his children so they could raise them together in America. So he has his sister, also named Maria, bring the children and then she returned to Italy.

After I was born, my father opened up a small grocery store and butcher shop. My brothers and my mother helped him and my sister Michelina took care of me at home.
When I was about three years old, my dear brother Gaspare became ill and passed away at the age of 19. He was such a wonderful young man! Both of my brothers were so handsome.

In the meantime my sister Michelina met and married a man that had the very same first and last name as my father, but no relation. My sister and her husband had four children, Carmela, Jimmy, Mary and Steve. Carmela was just e few years younger than I and I loved spending time with her, we were very close, I felt like she was my little sister.