1 Reply Latest reply on Mar 27, 2019 9:34 AM by Rebecca Collier

    Seeking information on my Great-Grandmother Loreta

    Angela Chiavetta Wayfarer
    Angela Chiavetta Mar 14, 2019 4:18 PM

      What happened to my great-grandmother, Loreta Ognibene, born November 9, 1858 in Vallelunga, Sicily?  She arrived at Ellis Island on June 14, 1897 with her four young sons and going to Louisiana.  She was on the Ship Alsatia June 14, 1897.  She was 39 years old.  Her sons did end up in Louisiana but don't know how they got there.  Their mother, Loreta Ognibene, did not.  I am assuming that she was to meet her husband, Salvatore Gioeli, but don't know.  Salvatore remarried a widower in Louisiana on Feb. 4, 1899.  I am sure he needed to have someone to raise his children.  But what happened to Loreta????  Did she die enroute to Ellis Island or in a hospital at Ellis Island.  I have been looking for her for 20 years.

       

      Thank you

      Angela Chiavetta

        • Re: Seeking information on my Great-Grandmother Loreta
          Rebecca Collier Ranger
          Rebecca Collier Expert Mar 27, 2019 9:34 AM (in response to Angela Chiavetta)

          Dear Ms. Chiavetta,

           

          Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

           

          The June 14, 1897 arrival record you referenced is part of the series Passenger Lists, 1820 - 1897 for the Port of New York in the Records of the U.S. Customs Service, 1745-1997 (Record Group 36). These records have been microfilmed as M237 and are now available in digital format via Ancestry.com (for a fee: https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/nypl/) and FamilySearch.org (for free: https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1849782). You can view these records online at one of NARA’s facilities for free. For the nearest NARA location, please consult our web page at https://www.archives.gov/locations/.

           

          Unfortunately, if someone was hospitalized after entering through the port at New York, there are no known records available. Sometimes passenger lists will have stamps or notations related to medical treatment and will annotate when the person is released from care with "discharged," "died in hospital," or "deported,” but no medical markings appear on the sheet for Loreta. If she safely arrived in New York and stayed in the U.S., she could have died at any point in the 1897-1899 time span between arrival and when Salvatore remarried. Since she was traveling under a different surname than the Gioeli boys, have you been able to confirm that she was their mother and was married to their father, Salvatore?

           

          We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your family search!

           

          [Information provided by Elizabeth Burnes, Subject Matter Expert]

           

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