That is very interesting information for Rena, and it sure looks like it matches what my Aunt told me. Would any of you know the correct pronunciation for Querques? That is probably the least sounding Italian surname I've ever come across.....BUT actually it makes sense as my father put his father's MOTHER's maiden name on his father's death cert. as Guckous, which I know side by side is not the same, but if you search that name it doesn't come up at all, HOWEVER, if you knew my dad --- he was NOT the best speller AND he would spell things phonetically, so if he thought Querques sounded like Guckous, he would spell it Guckous...... So, Angelo could have been married to a Rosaria Querques.....My dad never put the first name of his grandmother on his father's death cert.; I don't believe he knew it and I think she died before he was born...

Thank you all for the info!!!!
Michele

PS I sent letters to the churches Biff found for me, and I am awaiting their responses.

Interesting discussion of the Querques surname with speculation if the surname is Spanish in origin and might possibly be pronounced like (Albu)querque(s)?
www.tripadvisor.com/Sh...uglia.html

Biff

I am in need of assistance again!!! Last time I posted was almost a month ago, and I was going to write to some churches in Vineland, NJ, the names of which had been provided to me. Everyone on this site was very helpful in providing me some initial information to begin my search. I was able to obtain information from Sacred Heart Church in Vineland, and I was also able to obtain a copy of my GF application for SS#, which listed his parents, my great grandfather Arcangelo and great grandmother Rosie (Rosaria) Querques. This pretty much matches what I have been researching. Have also concluded that Arcangelo came over from Italy on the Patria Mar 9, 1896, and he was born December 1849.

Now, what I cannot figure out is where Arcangelo was born, where Rosaria Querques was born, when/where they got married. I was always told my ancestors were Calabreze (Calabria) and Bruzzese (Abruzze), but so far my researching has not turned up anything. So, either what I was told is wrong, or I am not looking in the right places. At this point, I am truly stumped, and just don't know what to do.

If anybody has any suggestions, that would be great. Nobody else living my family has more information than this; I could probably tell THEM some news!!

Thanks,
Michele

sometimes family stories get mixed up... i was told that my family was from Sicily, after doing research I found out my family was from Grassano (basilicata region)

Yes, they came to the US from Italy in 1896, on the Patria. However, it only says Italy, no province or region is given. I have searched some other regions in Italy where I have found the Russo name, but no luck yet. It is a common surname, so it's like looking for Smith in the US!! No matter what I do, when I get to the point of searching in Italy, that is where my search seems to stall ---- looks like I will have to search each and every city there..... going to take a looooonnnng time.

Michele

Don't know if this is 'your lady' but I found this Rosaria Querques aged 17 and born in Alberone, daughter of Giorami Querques also born in Alberone...

In faxt a number of people names Querques seem to have come from Alberone . So that might be a good place to start!

Rosaria Querques
Arrival Date: 27 Apr 1914
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1897
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Port of Departure: Naples, Italy
Ethnicity/Race-
/Nationality: Italian (South) (Italian)
Ship Name: Calabria
Search Ship Database: Search the Calabria in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Nativity: Italy
Line: 12
Microfilm Serial: T715
Microfilm Roll: T715_2304
Birth Location: Italy
Birth Location Other: alberorn (This should read Alberone!)
Page Number: 173

Michele,

I agree with Carole. If this is the correct manifest for Arcangelo and Rosaria

Mar 1896 Patria manifest

it states their last residence as Foggia, the province in which Alberone is located.

Also Laura stated in a previous post

"I did a quick search on ancestry.com and I noticed most of the Querques coming from Italy where from Alberona (Foggia Province - Apulia Region) and settled in New Jersey....

Found this interesting record on Familysearch...

Arcangelo Russo Pedigree
Male


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Event(s):
Birth:
Christening: 13 JUL 1850 Alberona, Foggia, Italy

Death:
Burial:


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Parents:
Father: Salvadore Russo Family
Mother: Marianna Corvino"

Based on the above, checking for records in Alberone is your best lead.

Biff

Yes, I agree, that Alberone would be a good place to start. How should I do that? I don't speak Italian, and I keep searching on Ancestry.com, to no avail. Nothing is coming up....... Should I write to someone in Alberone???

Michele

You dont really need to speak a lot of italian to get the info off the italian documents. All you need is a good word list which includes numbers and months and the most common words used on documents.

Ya know..its funny, but when I saw my first italian document..I totally forgot...it would be in italian (talk about brain fog, huh?) Its a good thing, that I had spent many summers with my grandma..so, at least could read some italian. I was in shock, to see on these documents, the year spelled out in longhand..rather than numbers. It was huge and at first glance, looked like vegetable soup..lol I had to take a card and cover it..then start moving the card to my right..so I could see a little at a time..lol (In a couple of weeks, I was reading what I needed off these documents, like they were in english.

Here are some good websites for translations of common words, names and occupations that you will find listed:

Names
www.nomix.it/700a.php
Occupations
freepages.genealogy.ro...t=22468880
Numbers and months
www.italianlanguagegui...umbers.asp

Does anybody know WHOM I should contact in Alberona? Specifically, the name of a person, or even a location to write to would be good enough. I don't know where to get the information I need.....

Michele

Michele,

Here's the address to write for records:
Ufficio dello Stato Civile
Comune di Alberona
Via G. Strizzi, 5
71031 Alberona (FG)
ITALY

Here's a link to information on the mayor and town council. You'll see that there is a Querques and a Russo listed as consiglieri (board members).
www.comuni-italiani.it...2/amm.html

Official website for the comune.
www.comunealberona.it/

Another website with info on Alberona.
www.alberona.org/

Biff

Thanks Biff, I sure appreciate the help. Is it okay if I write to them in English, or do I need to have my inquiry translated into Italian??

Michele

Always send your request in Italian. You can have the letter translated on the translation board here.