Tombstone Tuesday - Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot, OVER???

Sorry military humor, but this kind of chapped my booty a bit.  I had requested a tombstone photo through FindAGrave for my step-father's 1st cousin, Kathryn Clements nee Sonni.  A kind-hearted genealogical angel set out to fulfill said request and posted that there was a problem...

"Please contact the cemetery office for the name of the section that she is buried in as this is a very large cemetery.  Due to privacy issues, the office will not give out burial information to non-family members."

You've GOT to be kidding me.  Not to be rude, but what privacy issues?  She's dead!  So you've got to be a relative to visit someone that's died?  So much for visiting a friend or a random act of genealogical kindness!

So apparently I'll be attempting to call Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park in Clearwater, Florida this week to get the information and ask "Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot, OVER?"

Nonsensical silliness...

Sunday's Obituary - John Thomas Sonni

John and Rose Sonni nee Trunzo are my step-father's uncle and aunt.  As the obituary says, he was born in Italy and married Rose in 1918.  He was about 25 years her senior and had his first child with Rose when he was around 48 years old!

Indiana Evening Gazette (Pennsylvania)

According to the 1930 US Census (which was difficult to find them in since the enumerator spelled their surname as "Sowni".  Luckily, Plumville is only 13 pages long so they were easy to search for) John came to America in 1912 and Rose came in 1898.

Always good to note that Indiana (as mentioned in the obituaries) is in Pennsylvania.

"John Thomas Sonni, a resident of Plumville and vicinity for the past 37 years, died at 2:25 a.m. today in the Indiana Hospital where he had been a patient for several weeks.

Born in Italy June 24, 1871, he was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Sonni.  He was a member of the Sacred Heart Church of Sagamore; member of the Indiana Lodge Sons of Italy since 1918; member of UMW of A Local 473, Sagamore.

He married Rose Trunzo in 1918, who survives with these children:  Mrs. Kenneth (Kathryn) Clements of Harrisburg;  Rudolph Sonni of Hummelstown; Mrs. William (Eleanora) Zentner of Lucernemines; Samuel and Eugene Sonni of Plumville.  Nine grandchildren also survive.

Friends will be received at his late home in Plumville after 11 a.m. Friday, March 11.

Funeral arrangements, in charge of Bowser Funeral Home, Plumville, are incomplete at this time."

Indiana Evening Gazette 12MAR1955

"John Thomas Sonni, a resident of Plumville and vicinity for the past 37 years, died at 2:25 a.m. today in the Indiana Hospital where he had been a patient for several weeks.

Friends are being received at his late home in Plumville.

Requiem High Mass will be celebrated in the Sacred Heart Church of Sagamore at 9:30 a.m. Monday, March 14, sung by the Rev. John Cavanaugh.  Interment will follow in St. Bernards cemetery, Indiana.

The Rosary will be recited at the home at 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

Bowser Funeral Home, Plumville, is caring for arrangements."

Sunday's Obituary - Jennie Trunzo nee Ferraro

Giovanni Trunzo nee Ferraro

Jennie (Giovanni) Trunzo nee Ferraro is my step-father's paternal grandmother.  She was born in Calabria, Italy where she married Ralph Trunzo on November 13, 1895 and gave birth to her first daughter, Rose on November 15, 1897.  I still haven't found when they immigrated to America. Different sources have different dates, which may or may not be true.  The conflict lies in Ralph coming to America 10 years before his wife.  I'm not really sure that happened and I'm more inclined to think it was an error in the record.  That's not to say he couldn't have and then made a trip (or two) back to get his wife and daughter.  Still, I'll keep looking for that immigration record.

My step-father's Italian side is a joy to research.  Ancestry has a database devoted to Calabria, Italy, and the birth marriage and death records always have the woman's maiden name.  Even their death certificates list their maiden names.  Yeah, I know other death certificates show a maiden name, but the death certificates here list people solely by their maiden names.  In order to find out who their spouse is, you have to read farther into the death certificates.  It really makes it useful to ensure you're looking for the right person!  I will have to make sure to do a post on what I've discovered using that database sometime soon.  Until then, this post is for my baby sister and step-dad.  I don't post on his side of the family nearly enough!

The Indiana Gazette, 08OCT1964, pg 6

"Mrs. Jennie (Giovanni) Trunzo, 88, of Sagamore, passed away at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 7, 1964, at Armstrong County Memorial Hospital, Kittanning.

Born July 26, 1876 in Italy, she was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Ferraro.

She was the widow of Ralph Trunzo.

Mrs. Trunzo had resided in Beyer for 29 years prior to moving to Sagamore where she has lived for the past 33 years.

She was a member of Sacred Heart Church, Sagamore, and the church Rosary Society.

Survivors include the following sons and daughters:  Mrs. Rose Sonni, Plumville; Mrs. Louis (Mary) Russell, New Brunswick, N.J.; Benjamin, Beyer; Jim, Phoneix [sic], Ariz.; 18 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren.

Friends will be received at the Donald S. Bowser Funeral Home, Plumville, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete.

The Rosary will be recited at 9 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home."

It's a bit disappointing that the obituary doesn't list anyone that predeceased her (apart from her husband that is).  My step-dad's father, John Trunzo, died before her and isn't listed in the obituary.  In fact there are a number of children missing (Samuel, Raffale Jr, John, and Nathle), but I haven't tracked down when they died yet (apart from John), so I can only imagine that they died before Jennie.