Professional Researchers Tracing YOUR Genealogy

Newsletter

Summer 2025

2025 Fall Trip Plans!!

I'm looking forward to returning to work in Italy in Fall 2025, see www.gentracer.com/nextrip.html and see www.gentracer.com/lastrip.html.

My last research trip was in October/November 2024, as follows:

On 28 October, I flew from SLC to CDG, arriving the next morning and then catching the flight to Roma and picked up the rental car. Booking early, I was able to get a room in one of my favority places, Flaminio Village Bungalow Park, on the edge of a forest but near a train line to go downtown.

On 30 and 31 October, I worked in the Vatican archives on prisoners of war. Then I drove down to Santi Cosma e Damiano. I worked in that office into the evening as the sounds of the town celebrating Halloween could be heard outside. Unfortunately, there are some gaps in the record volumes, but the clerk was very helpful and I found a birth in 1891, confirmed by a cross-reference to a 1922 marriage, naming parents so we can extend another generation back in time.

The following day, 1 November, I drove almost four hours to Cassamassima to be in place for the event the next day.

On 2 November, I attended the memorial service at the Polish Military Cemetery at Cassamassima. I met some nice local ladies who were adding candles to the graves and who proudly announced that they were Polish. There is a large Polish community there dating back to the 15th century, but added to fairly regularly over time. In fact, I met one woman on an earlier trip who was born in Poland and her family moved to Italy when she was a child (about 30 years ago).

That afternoon, I drove down to Serrastretta to visit with Rabbi Barbara. I took the time to wander around the area while she worked, catching up with her on 4 November to celebrate her birthday a little early since she was headed to Roma the next day.

On 5 November, I drove to Sicily (taking the ferry), stopping in Villa San Giovanni to visit with a friend I'd made the year before while working on a New York Probate case. It was delightful to catch up with her and to enjoy her cooking!

On 6 November, I worked in the town offices in Brolo (on the coast) and Piraino (up the mountain from Brolo), I had ordered documents ahead, so was able to pick them up quickly. Happily, that birth had a cross-reference to her marriage, confirmation that it was the correct record. Unfortunately, some of other records I sought (births for 1866-1883) had not survived, but she offered to write an affidavit about the missing books for my client. We should be able to confirm that birth through his military record to satisfy the Italian consulate for his citizenship application.

On 7 November, I read notarial records around 1690 in the Archivio di Stato in Trapani. I didn't find the marriage I was seeking, but I found a land record to confirm the groom's relationship to his father and brother in Partanna.

On 8 November, I took my time driving to Catania for my flight the day after next. I've discovered a charming hotel run by a charity on the coast near the airport. Lovely!

On 10 November, I caught my flight from Catania to Paris and settled into my hotel on the outskirts of Roissy (a shuttle ride from the airport). I enjoy walking into that town to visit the gardens.

The next day, I flew home.

In the Fall, I will be researching in the Vatican Apostolic Archives regarding Prisoners of War. Then work in the Inquisition trial records held at the Archivio di Stato in Napoli for the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Then driving down to Sicily, hoping to find the Jewish Star of David window that remains of the synagogue now a post office in Taormina. Also hoping to get into the church records in Alia again. I also plan to work in church and provincial and town records at a few towns and cities yet to be determined. I'm looking forward to meeting with both American and European friends (old and new), as well as returning to favorite places and visiting towns I haven't seen before!

I am scheduled to present a variety of talks in 2025, see www.gentracer.com/schedule.html.

I'm expanding the information at www.gentracer.org to reflect my research done in the last few years on the Holocaust, Italian Concentration Camps, and the Polish 2nd Corps. Most of this information is found in my presentations listed at www.gentracer.org/wwpresentations.html.

At www.gentracer.com, I'm expanding the pages to include more on the history of Jews in Italy. More of this information is found at www.gentracer.com/presentations.html. Also, see The Secret Jews of Calabria, a video by Rabbi Barbara Aiello.

I've also been updating the Adventuring Genealogist website at www.gentracer.net with photos and videos from Christine's trips.



My book on CD titled Sicily, Part 1 and Part 2 is available on 2 CDs or .rar files. With a file for each town (plus many other files), it relates the history of Sicily as reflected in the photos, records and festivals of its towns. It contains over 2500 text and photo files and can be ordered at CD order.



My book titled American Prisoner of War Camps in Colorado is available at Amazon in paperback format. More information about POW camps in my book titled Prisoner of War Camps Across America is available in Kindle format at Amazon. The updated version is available at Miliary publications.

I've beeen updating the information for presentations at various conferences and meetings as shown at www.gentracer.com/schedule.html.