Thanks Livio

Livio mi ha preceduto , comunque questa è pagina 4 in Italiano (magari a Tom fa piacere leggerle nella lingua dei suoi avi). Le parti tra parentesi quadrate [ ] sono le mie osservazioni.

Cognata carissima un saluto e un pensiero dal vostro caro cognato Tano che sempre vi pensa; cognata cara desidero sapere se queste lettere che vi scrivo le capite bene, ed anche desidero sapere se le lettere che ci mandate le scrivete voi con le vostre mani, poiche da un po' di tempo mi sembra che non siate voi a scrivere e anche la grafia è diversa [non fate i furbi che vi controllo! ]. Cognata, null'altro da dirti, un saluto e un forte bacio anche a mio fratello. Sotto mi firmo e sono io il vostro affezionatissimo cognato che sempre vi pensa.
[quest'ultima parte non riesco a capirla bene]. Addio addio e buone notizie desidero se avete ricevuto una mia lettera che vi ha messo un santino [fotografia di un Santo] mia figlia Giuseppina ...

Ciao
Luca

Tano's doubts about my grandmother writing her letters may be well founded. My mother told me long ago that she remembered her brother, Steve, the oldest male, writing letters for my grandmother and generally assisting in such activities. My uncle would have been nearly 17 when this letter was written. He was also the only one among my aunts and uncles who spoke Italian. Since my grandmother was only 9 years old when she emigrated and married by 14, it wouldn't be very surprising if she couldn't write, or not write very well. I have no information whether or not my grandfather could write. He was 22 when he emigrated so it would seem he might have had opportunity to learn to do so. As a child I do recall both grandparents writing something from time to time but I have no idea what exactly it may have been. My grandfather never spoke a word of English my entire life; however, he somehow managed to make himself understood to the grandchildren. With the letters starting around the 1930's favors a hypothesis that my uncle may have actually written the letters for my grandparents. With more information comes more mystery!

Tom

16 Sep 1932

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Page 4 is the page that makes the difference in this letter. Page 4 is written by Giuseppina to her aunt Giuseppina. The letter is full of mistakes and is written in a very poor Italian (worse than Tano's).

Following is the word by word transcription and the in English

Cara ziagiuseppina benchè non sono in conoscenza unpensiero e un saluto dasua nipote spero che non appena riceve questo mioscrito desidero buone suoinotizie. Cara zia desiderasse sapere quanto figli ciave e senitiene sposate sperassse avere in conoscenza levostre buone fotografia sperando sempre le buone saluti io la bracio e bacio tuti di famiglia sottomifirmo sua nipete Giuseppina Dragotta


Dear aunt Giuseppina, although we never met, a thought and a greeting from your niece. I hope that as soon as you receive this letter I wish good news from you. Dear aunt, I would like to know howm many children you have and if some of them are married I would hope to see you in a photograph always hoping good health I embrace you and I kiss all the family. I sign below, your niece Giuseppina Dragotta.

liviomoreno wrote:

Page4 img523.imageshack.us/i...ge4an2.jpg Page 4 is the page that makes the difference in this letter. Page 4 is written by Giuseppina to her aunt Giuseppina. The letter is full of mistakes and is written in a very poor Italian (worse than Tano's).

I guess that would be expected as I know that many of our ancestors were illiterate, so I am amazed that these people knew as much as they did! My mother in law only learned to read and write within the last few years herself.

I guess sometimes we forget how difficult life must have been for our ancestors...how lucky we are today to have that type of education offered.

Need to go to work. Look forward to reading more when I get back.

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Belmonte Mezzagno 16 September 1932

My dearest brother,
Just today I received your dear letter telling me that you your health is good together with that of your wife and your dear children and all the family, as I can tell you also am I and my bride (wife) and all my children.
My dear brother you cannot know how happy it makes my heart to get your letters assuring me always that your health is good togehter with that of your bride and your children


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Loving brother, rearding my health I have told you that I have been a bit sad and thanking our patriarch Saint Giuseppe I now find myself quite well in health, as I hope that xxxxxx (believe?) me in this letter of mine I find everyone in good health as well as all the family, enough dearest brother I thank you for again having a thought for me when you are so far away but dear brother do you desire to have money for me to come to you ???? (Tom - I'm not sure if this is correct - maybe Livio or Luca can correct, and complete it for me as it clearly concerns money...)

That just leaves Page 3 - but I'm out this evening... around again much later and again tomorrow....

Some corrections asked by Carole:
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[b]Page 2[/b]
Loving brother, regarding my health I have told you that I have been a bit sad and thanking our patriarch Saint Giuseppe I now find myself quite well in health, as I hope that when this letter of mine returns I find everyone in good health as well as all the family and your mother in law, enough dearest brother I thank you for again having a thought for me when you are so far away but dear brother I desire to have money for me to come to see you in America, that I want to see this dear brother that I always think of you, that I am alone in Italy and I feel to be abandoned by everybody, bu I think God

Thank you so much Livio. I do find it difficult where they run one word into the next so often. I try speaking them aloud, but obviously a slight Milanese intonation does nothing at all to help me to understand how it would sound if spoken by a Sicilian... But with yours and Luca's help we are getting there.

Wow Carole, ma chi è la splendida fanciulla comparsa al posto del tuo solito avatar? Non vorrei commettere una gaffe, ma lo sguardo è quello di sempre ( )

Per tornare alle lettere, alla pagina 3 ci sono i soliti saluti e la traduzione non aggiungerebbe molto al contenuto sicuramente più interessante di pag. 2 e 4. E' carina però l'annotazione scritta sotto-sopra: non sembra completa, ma il senso c'è tutto - amato fratello sperasse [io sperasse, bellissimo verbo coniugato alla siciliana ] in una giacca Americana, se puoi. Baci.
Tradotto: non so se potrai farlo, ma se potessi spedirmi una splendida giacca americana li "facissi crepari" d'invidia ai paesani

Carole, please, translate for Tom.

Ciao
Luca

Luca wrote:

Wow Carole, ma chi è la splendida fanciulla comparsa al posto del tuo solito avatar? Non vorrei commettere una gaffe, ma lo sguardo è quello di sempre ( ) Per tornare alle lettere, alla pagina 3 ci sono i soliti saluti e la traduzione non aggiungerebbe molto al contenuto sicuramente più interessante di pag. 2 e 4. E' carina però l'annotazione scritta sotto-sopra: non sembra completa, ma il senso c'è tutto - amato fratello sperasse [io sperasse, bellissimo verbo coniugato alla siciliana ] in una giacca Americana, se puoi. Baci. Tradotto: non so se potrai farlo, ma se potessi spedirmi una splendida giacca americana li "facissi crepari" d'invidia ai paesani Carole, please, translate for Tom. Ciao Luca

Translation of Luca's notes... The first sentence is a very nice comment about my new avatar which is a photo of me taken way back in 1965!|

But this is what follows:

On Page three there are the ususal best wishes found already on Page 2 and 4. It is sweet though the note written upside down at the bottom: it doesn't seem complete, but the sense says it all - dearest brother I don't know if you can do it, but could you send me a beautiful american jacket it would make all my fellow countrymen die with envy if you did.

27 Nov 1935

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Sorry, I don't know how I managed to post twice.

tjbrn wrote:

Sorry, I don't know how I managed to post twice.

No problem Tom - I'll deal with it.

Not too sure how quickly these four will get done with Easter starting tomorrow! But rest assured they will get done and won't be forgotten.

Buona Pasqua!