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Note: Notes for Luigi/Louis Marchese/Marks: Luigi had a brother, Pietro Munisteri, who later changed his last name to Marchese.
A photo of the 1900 civil marriage record, in Italian, for Luigi Marchese and Rosalia Marsala: <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/HaPwMRwLEpGJLLYt6">Photo</a>
What it says is approximately:
MARRIAGE RECORD
The year one thousand nine hundred on the day seven of January, at hour twelve, in the town hall of Casteltermini.
In front of me (me being a high ranking official, the person who made this marriage record) (appeared a person named) Salvatore Pellitteri, Mayor and Officer of Civil Status, dressed as an officer (who said that the following persons had) personally appeared (in front of him, previously):
1. Luigi Marchese, twenty two years, a sulphur miner born in Cianciana, resident in Comitini, son of Ferdinando, resident in Comitini, and Domenica Monastero, resident in Casteltermini; 2. Rosalia Marsala, eighteen years, a stapler born in Casteltermini, resident of Casteltermini, daughter of Guiseppe, resident in Casteltermini, and Maria Farba, resident in Casteltermini.
I have been asked to join them in marriage. I saw all of the publications. I saw nothing to prevent the celebration of their marriage. I have spoken in the name of law that the same are joined in marriage. In this act were present: (Witnesses signed the record.) - Luigi/Louis and Rosalia/Rosa had the following ten known children:
1) Ferdinando Marchese, born March 22, 1901, in Casteltermini. As per Italian custom, he, being the firstborn son, was named after his father's father, Ferdinando. The infant Ferdinando died at the age of seven months on November 2, 1901, in Casteltermini.
2) Ferdinando Marchese, born December 16, 1902, in Casteltermini. Since his older brother with the same name had died before this male baby was born, this second son was again named after his father's father, Ferdinando. If the Ferdinando born in 1901 had not died before December 16, 1902, then this second son would have been named Giuseppe, after his mother's father.
In the United States, he was known as Fred. "Fred Marks" was still living in Tucker County, West Virginia, when, for some unknown reason, in January of 1925 and again in January of 1926, he stated information for <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/zRY5avrkC9MsUrmA8">two different Declaration of Intention forms</a> (to become a naturalized U.S. citizen). Normally, each applicant only submitted one such form. There were differences in the information on the forms. If Fred was really going by the last name of Marks in 1925 and 1926, he changed it back to Marchese soon after that.
After filling out that form, there was a mandatory waiting period of a few years before an immigrant could actually apply to become a U.S. citizen. But for some unknown reason, 14 years passed before Fred signed a Petition For Naturalization document (below).
Fred moved from West Virginia to Cleveland, Ohio, and married Francesca Giliberto Marchese (known as Frances) on October 1, 1927, in Cleveland. She was the wife of Fred's late cousin Giuseppe "Joseph" Marchese, who had been murdered April 20, 1926, in Cleveland. Frances and Joseph had one child, Joseph. Fred and Frances were listed there in the 1930 U.S. census, which was enumerated in April. They then had one son themselves, Louis Marchese. Young Joseph Marchese was also in the home. Joseph was named after Frances' late husband Joseph. Louis was named after Fred's father, Luigi/Louis. Fred and Frances later had sons Pasquale Marchese and John Marchese.
Fred's 1940 <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/ihmCNnBQf8PkWfYs6">Petition For Naturalization</a> document was the source that enabled finding the date of his and his sisters' and mother's immigration in 1910, and the name of the ship, since the family names were misspelled on the immigration ship's manifest, and couldn't be found using the correct spellings. Fred Marchese died in August of 1965, according to the Social Security Death Index website. His SSN was 294-09-5677. The first five numbers of his SSN show that he got his number and card in Ohio between 1936 and 1950.
3) Domenica Marchese, born July 4, 1905, in Casteltermini. As per Italian custom, she, being the first born daughter, was named after her father's mother, Domenica. The girl's nickname was Mamie. Mamie applied for a marriage license on April 8, 1920 with a Rosolino Lo Buono, when she was only 14 years and nine months old! The same paper that contains the marriage license has spaces to be filled out on the marriage date, but those spaces are blank. So the marriage was called off for some unknown reason.
Later that year <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/VLd49jsEdfB5qDCp7">Domenica Marchese married Salvatore "Samuel" or "Sam" Miciche</a> in Tucker County, West Virginia, on September third, when she was only 15 years and two months old. In the 1920s the Miciche's lived in Missouri. The couple's children were Joseph Miciche, Josephine Miciche, John Miciche and Roy Miciche. The family was listed in the 1930 and 1940 U.S. censuses, in Detroit. Domenica, "Mamie", is not listed on any Social Security Death Index website, so it isn't known when she died.
4) Maria Marchese, (later known as Mary and as Mary Ann), born March 24, 1909, in Casteltermini. As per Italian custom, she, being the second born daughter, was named after her mother's mother, Maria. She was the last child in her family who was born in Sicily. She married Vincenzo James Marchese in 1923, when she was only 14 years old. More about her is in this chart.
5) Jennie Marchese or Marks, born in 1910 or 1911, near Thomas or Coketon, Tucker County, West Virginia. (The name Jennie was probably a nickname for one of many Italian names for girls; Genoveffa, Giovanna, Giacoma, Giacomina, Gianetta, or Regina.) The only evidence of her existence is an Ocrober 23, 1918, Tucker County, West Virginia death certificate for a "Jennie Markus", whose parents were "Lewis Markus" and Rosalia (no maiden name shown.) Jennie's age at death was written as "9" with no months or days, and no date of birth. But she must have been younger than nine. She wasn't listed with her family in the 1910 census. She must have been born after the 1910 census effective date of April 15th, and before August of 1911, when Rosalia got pregnant again.
6) By the time Josephine was born May 17, 1912, in Coketon, her parents had changed their last name from Marchese to Marks. A Tucker County "Register of Births" book includes a listing of the birth of Josephine Marks. The names of her parents were written as Louie Marks and Rosa Marks.
Seventeen year old Josephine Marks had an illegitimate son, Tim Robinson, by a man named Frank Robinson, on August 17, 1929. Tim was listed as living with Josephine, her sister Rose, and Josephine's father Louis in the 1930 U.S. census.
Eighteen year old Josephine had another illegitimate child, Rosie Marks, born September 14, 1930, who died at the age of one month and three days, of malnutrition. Rosie's death certificate shows that the infant's father was a Pete Natale, who was 70 years old, 52 years older than Josephine!
In 1933, Josephine Marks married that same Pete Natale, aged 73, in Tucker County, West Virginia, when she was only 21 years old: <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/FzAAUvLQo6fq7wsDA">Photo</a>
The 1940 U.S. census shows Pete Natale, 80, Josephine, 28, and children Tim (Robinson or Natale), Jack Natale, Pete Natale, Jr., Carmela Natale, and Mary Louise Natale, living in Coketon, Tucker, West Virginia. It was written that Josephine had a third grade education.
Josephine's SSN was 060-22-1746. That number was issued in New York state between 1936 and 1950, so apparently she lived there for at least a short time during those years.
After Pete Natale died in 1950, Josephine married Henry Layton, sometime between 1950 and 1960. Josephine Layton died September 11, 2002, in Panama City, Florida.
7) Rosalia or Rosalie Marks, born in Coketon in 1913 or 1914, as indicated by her stated age of 16 in the 1930 U.S. census, which was recorded in April. She was known as Rose. She married John Edward Manuel. The couple lived in Cumberland, Maryland. They had two children, Jean and Rosemary.
8) Joseph Marks, born June 8, 1918, in Coketon. Even though his parents Louis and Rosa were no longer living in Italy, they followed long-standing Italian naming practices, and named their second born son after his mother's father, in this case, Giuseppe (Marsala), which is Joseph in English. (Actually Joseph was at least the third born son, but since the first born son named Ferdinando had died as an infant, and the second born son was later also given the name Ferdinando, this son was named as if he was the second born son.) Joseph died at the age of 10 months and 27 days, on May 5, 1919, in Coketon, of pneumonia.
A photo of Joe's death certificate, which contains spelling errors: <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/EZfC8EHFfJuWme59A">Photo</a>
9) Jennie Marks, born March 14, 1920, in Coketon. (The name Jennie was probably a nickname for one of many Italian names for girls; Genoveffa, Giovanna, Giacoma, Giacomina, Gianetta, or Regina.) Jennie married Francis Carl Ralabate on August 17, 1935, in Buffalo, New York, when Jennie was only 15 years old. The couple's children were Antoinette Ralabate, Rosalie Ralabate, Frank Ralabate, Joseph Ralabate, and Louis Ralabate. Jennie Ralabate died July 4, 2001, in Buffalo, Erie, New York. Jennie's SSN was 051-22-5070. That number was issued in New York state between 1936 and 1950.
10) Nancy Marks, born April 5, 1922, in Coketon. She is said to have run away from home as a child. She was listed as Nancy Marchese, age 8, in the 1930 U.S. census. Nancy was living in Cleveland, Ohio with her 27 year old brother Fred and his wife and children. She married a man with the last name of Gentry. The couple had a son named Fred Gentry. Nancy Gentry died August 24, 1998, in Cumberland, Allegany, Maryland. Nancy's SSN was 215-18-8540. That number was issued in Maryland between 1936 and 1950. - After six years of marriage, and after fathering three children in Casteltermini, Luigi made two trips to the United States, first in 1907. Then he returned to Sicily before immigrating to the U.S. permanently in 1909.
In June of 1907, Luigi Marchese left his home in Casteltermini, Sicily, Italy. He boarded the S.S. Konig Albert in Naples, Italy on June seventh. There were no family members travelling with him. The ship arrived in New York city on June twentieth. It was written on the ship's manifest that Luigi was 30 years old and was married. His occupation was listed as a "sulphurer". His last residence was "C. Termini", (Casteltermini, Sicily). His stated destination was Brownsville, Pennsylvania, where he was supposedly to meet a brother-in-law named Francesco Genova. Luigi's height was listed as 5 feet 6 inches.
A photo of the ship's manifest page showing that listing for Luigi, who was passenger number 21 on that page: <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/YAUcDzTYMwmektbg6">Photo</a>
Luigi stayed near Brownsville until at least December, when his brother Rosario traveled from Sicily and met up with Luigi. Luigi must have returned to Sicily by June of 1908, at the latest, since his daughter Maria was born nine months after that.
In May of 1909, Luigi Marchese left his home in Casteltermini, Sicily, Italy for the last time. There were no family members listed as traveling with him. His daughter Maria was less than two months old, and was temporarily left behind with her siblings and her mother in Casteltermini. Luigi boarded the S.S. Finland in Naples, Italy on May nineteenth. The ship arrived in New York City on June second. Part of the ship's manifest page showing the listing for Luigi (passenger number 10) can be seen here: <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/8P6q79ZQQ1vRvEe77">Photo</a>
That manifest page shows Luigi listed as a 31-year-old laborer from Casteltermini. His wife's name was listed as Rosalia, but she was not traveling with him. Luigi had been born in Cianciana, Sicily. His stated destination was Thomas, West Virginia, where he was going to meet his brother, Rosario. (Rosario, [Russell in the U.S.A.], was born in 1879 and was also a sulphur miner in Sicily. He had immigrated to Pennsylvania in December of 1907. Rosario was going to meet Luigi in Brownsville, Pennsylvania.) (Russell and his family lived in Buffalo, New York at the time of the 1930 census.) This time, Luigi's height was listed as 5 feet 2 and a half inches, some 3 and a half inches shorter than in 1907. It seems someone took wild guesses on heights of passengers. Luigi stated that he had previously been in the United States in 1906 and 1907, but the partial years were actually 1907 and 1908.
Luigi's wife Rosalia and their three children met up with him in Thomas, West Virginia, a town of 2,354 people, in February of 1910, after eight months apart.
In the United States, Luigi went by the English version of his name, Louis. He may also have deliberately Americanized his last name to Marks shortly after his family emigrated, or else Marchese was just misspelled as Marks by record creators in West Virginia, and Louis went along with it, especially since he couldn't read or write.
In Tucker County, West Virginia, where Louis apparently lived the rest of his life, his occupation was a coal miner.
The 1910 U.S. census had an effective date of April fifteenth. The Luigi/Louis Marchese/Marks family was enumerated April twenty fourth. That was just two and a half months after Rosalia and her children arrived in the United States. That census shows the family, but with a lot of inaccurate information.
The family lived at 111B Snyder Hollow Street in the "Fairfax Magisterial District", which was an unincorporated area near the town of Thomas, in Tucker County, West Virginia. Listed first in the household was "Jim Mart", age 23, who had been married for 10 years, who had immigrated in 1909, and who was a coal miner. This was actually Luigi "Louis" Marchese, (or he probably had already changed the family's surname to Marks, hence the misunderstood last name of Mart) and he was actually 32, not 23. The other information was accurate. Listed second was his wife "Rosa Mart", age 27, (actually 29). It was correctly written that she had immigrated in 1909. It was written that she had given birth to three children. But she had given birth to four children; the first had died as a seven-month-old.
Listed third was a son, Ferdinand, age eight (actually seven) who had also immigrated just within the last three months, in 1910. That pretty much matches information from the ship's manifest when Rosalia and her three children immigrated in 1910 (see Rosalia's "notes"). Listed fourth was a daughter, "Mica", age six (actually four) who also immigrated in 1910. But this was actually Domenica. Somehow her name or nickname got mangled. Listed fifth was a daughter, "Orra", age 14 months. But this was actually Maria, age 13 months on the day the census taker visited the family, but who was 12 months old on the effective date of the census, April fifteenth. Everybody in the household was correctly listed as having been born in Italy. Despite all the misinformation, there is enough information that matches previously known information to show that this "Mart" family was really the Luigi/Louis Marchese/Marks family.
A photo of that 1910 census page: <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/YmAT3MDAcjWJsdC48">Photo</a>
On September 12, 1918, Louis "Marks", apparently known as Louie, had a World War draft registration card filled out for him: <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/iRh1NRj3KKXViYqc7">Photo</a>
Since he couldn't write, he dictated information to the draft board employee, then he signed by writing a "+". Either Louis forgot when he was born, or something got misunderstood, because he was actually born in 1877, not 1885, as was written on the card. Louis' younger brother Rosario, still using the last name of Marchese, also signed a World War draft card. He worked for the same coal mining company as Louis, and he lived in the same area as Louis, which was Coketon, Tucker County, West Virginia.
Neither Louis "Marks" nor his wife or children were listed in the 1920 U.S. census in Tucker County, West Virginia. They don't seem to be listed anywhere in the United States in that census. They were probably still living in Coketon, Tucker County, West Virginia, as Louis was when his World War draft registration card was filled out on September 12, 1918, just 16 months before the 1920 census was recorded. And Louis' daughter Jennie was born in Coketon in March of 1920, just two months after the 1920 census had been recorded in January. Why the family isn't listed in the 1920 census is a mystery. Some people were uncounted in every census.
Louis' wife Rosalia, known as Rosa, died in or near Thomas, West Virginia, about 1924.
The 1930 U.S. census had an effective date of April first. The Marks household was enumerated April eighth. The census page shows Louis Marks, 57 (actually 52) a widower, living in the unincorporated area of Coketon, West Virginia, which was immediately adjacent to the town of Thomas, in Tucker County, West Virginia.
Living with Louis were his daughters Josephine, 17, and Rose, 16, plus Josephine's illegitimate grandson, seven month old Tim Robinson. This is the first indication found for this genealogy chart, of a daughter named Rose. But it makes sense since Louis' wife was named Rosalia. Louis' stated age and year of immigration are each about four years away from the truth, but people forgot exact ages and years. Or they were not home when the census taker came by and neighbors had to answer questions about neighbors. The Marks family paid six dollars a month in rent.
For some unknown reasons, Louis' daughters Jennie, 10, and Nancy, eight, were not listed as living with Louis, Josephine, and Rose. But Jennie and Nancy were alive; Jennie lived until July 4, 2001, and Nancy lived until August 24, 1998. Nancy may have run away from home, or there may have been another explanation why at the time of that 1930 census, she was living with her 27 year old brother Fred and his family in Cleveland. Cleveland is 265 miles from Coketon.
A photo of that 1930 census page: <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/V99umtzkfu1RVf4g8">Photo</a>
The 1940 U.S. census lists Louie Marks, 66 (actually 62) living in the Bunker Hill area of Thomas, West Virginia. He was a boarder in the residence of a man who was born in Russia. There were no relatives living with Louie. It was written that Louie had never gone to school as a child.
A photo of Louis' 1953 death certificate, which for some unknown reason, shows his last name as "Marche": <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/DPfzdNjBDtht6XLj8">Photo</a>
That death certificate states that Louis was buried at Rose Hill Cemetery, but he and his wife Rosalia do not have a grave marker.
Louis' SSN was 232-10-0385.
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