Chapter 16. Linda Ferraro’s Parents: Francesco and Catterina

“John Ullian and Linda Ferraro:  Roots and Legacy   www.Ullian.org   March 2018”

Summary

The parents of (Anna) Linda Ferraro were Francesco Giuseppe [Frank] Ferraro, from San Giorgio di Perlena, Italy, and Catterina [Catherine] Villanova, from Mure [in Molvena], Italy. They were married on 3 Jul 1891 in San Giorgio di Perlena. They came to the U.S. in 1920 with 3 of their children: Linda, Sebastiano [Gino], and Sereno. Already in the U.S. were 3 boys: Narciso [Narcissus], Virginio, and Giovanni [John]. Their other children were Ida/Aida, Lino, Catterina, Alfredo, Sabino, and Lidia/Livia. Frank and Catherine lived in Rockford IL. He died 29 Mar 1926; she died 28 Sep 1941.

Francesco Giuseppe [Frank Joseph] Ferraro (1870 - 1926)

Francesco [Frank] Ferraro and Catterina [Catherine] Villanova

Francesco Giuseppe [Frank Joseph] Ferraro was born on 2 Sep 1870 in San Giorgio di Perlena, Vicenza, Veneto, Italy. His parents were Antonio Ferraro and Anna Maria Guerra.

Record (above) and Research Notes (below) from My Italian Family, LLC

Francesco Giuseppe was born in San Giorgio on 2 Sep 1870, son of Antonio (son of Giovanni) and of Anna Maria GUERRA; his parents got married in Breganze on 7 Feb 1850. Francesco Giuseppe was the youngest of 9 children. He was born at 2 p.m. Godparents were Francesco Ferraro son of the late Giovanni from this parish and Anna Gualla in Zan from Breganze. Rosa Rossi from Breganze was the midwife

Francesco married Catterina Villanova on 3 Jul 1891 in San Giorgio di Perlena, Italy.

Record (above) and Research Notes (below) from My Italian Family, LLC

The marriage was celebrated in San Giorgio di Perlena on 3 Jul 1891. Francesco Giuseppe Ferraro, son of Antonio and of the late Anna Maria Guerra, born in this parish on 2 Sep 1870 and here domiciled, catholic, farmer and single, married Catterina Villanova daughter of the late Sebastiano and of Lucia Maria Mascarello born in Mure on Sept. 17, 1871 and domiciled in this town when she was a girl (fanciulla), catholic, single, care taker. Witnesses to the wedding: Giovanni Poli son of the late Marco and Basilio Picotto.

San Giorgio di Perlena Church and its Belltower

As discussed in chapter 15, Frank, Catherine, and 3 of their children immigrated to the U.S. on the S.S. Regina d’Italia, arriving in New York on 1 Nov 1920. Their destination was the home of their son Virginio in Rockford, Winnebago, Illinois.

Since his wife Catherine is listed as being 5’ tall on her Alien Registration form, it is speculated that Frank was about 5’3” to 5’5” tall. He had dark hair and dark eyes.

Frank was listed as a painter at Greenlee [a machine/tool company opened in 1862] in the 1923 and 1925 Rockford city directories, residing at 913 Sanford.

He died in Rockford on 29 Mar 1926 of endocarditis with hepatic cirrhosis contributing. At the time of his death he had been working as a laborer for Milburn Bro., and his address was 913½ Cunningham St. He is buried at St. Mary / St. James Cemetery in Rockford.

Frank J. Ferraro’s Tombstone

Frank J. Ferraro’s Death Certificate

Catterina [Catherine] (Villanova) Ferraro (1871 – 1941)

Catterina/Catarina [Catherine] Villanova was born on 17 Sep 1871 in Mure [an area in Molvena], Vicenza, Italy. Her parents were the Sebastino Villanova and Lucie Maria Mascarello.

Catherine and grandson Fred Ferraro (son of Narcissus)

Catherine Ferraro’s Alien Registration Form - front

Catherine Ferraro’s Alien Registration Form - back

Her Alien Registration Form completed on 20 Sep 1940 shows her maiden name as Catherina Bastiano. We have no information on that surname and cannot explain its use. The church records show her as Catterina Villanova. This form is the only place in our research that we have seen the surname Bastiano mentioned. Her address was 1034 W. Jefferson, Rockford IL. She was a citizen of Italy at the time of her completing this form and had been born in Mure [an area within Molvena], Vicenza, Italy. She was a widow, 5’ tall, weighing 190 pounds, with dark hair and gray eyes. She arrived as a passenger on the S.S. Regina d’Italia on 4 Nov 1920 and expected to live in the U.S. permanently. She was retired, with housework listed as her occupation. She was a member of the Ladies Venitian Society, a fraternal organization, and had 5 sons living in the U.S. She had not been arrested or been a member of any of the organizations listed on the form.

Catherine (and Frank before his death) lived at the following addresses in Rockford, according to city directories published in the years listed.

Catherine Ferraro

Catherine Ferraro

Mary [wife of Narcissus], Catherine, and Narcissus Ferraro

Catherine died of stomach cancer at her home, 1034 W. Jefferson St., in Rockford, on 28 Sep 1941. She was 64 years old. She is buried at St. Mary / St. James Cemetery in Rockford.

Catherine Ferraro’s Tombstone

Additional information on the Ferraro ancestry provided by My Italian Family, LLC:

In the middle of the 1800s there were only two FERRARO families in San Giorgio:
1) Antonio’s family
2) Francesco’s family, Francesco being Antonio’s brother.

Neither Antonio nor Francesco were born in San Giorgio. There are very few people with the name Ferraro between the end of 1700s and 1820 and they are mostly listed in the death registers.

The family was not originally from San Giorgio and we cannot say for sure that they were from Breganze either. In order to learn more we would have to research the registers of Breganze which at the moment have been moved to the Dioceses of Vicenza for “maintainance”.

We were unable to find Antonio’s death, while we found his wife’s death (d. 1876).

NOTE: the 1859 baptismal record for Antonio Ferraro lists him as “Antonio son of Giovanni” and of Anna Maria GUERRA, when it should have read “Antonio son of Antonio” and of Anna Maria GUERRA.

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