Matteo Ciardonei is my paternal great grandfather. He came to the United States March 22, 1920 with my grandfather. Matteo was hospitalized upon arrival. My grandfather, Matteo’s son, was released from detention when his aunt picked him up on March 31st. Sadly, Matteo was deported and left the United States on April 12th due to a tuberculosis diagnosis. Matteo passed way less than one year later on March 14, 1921 in his hometown of Cossano Canavese, Turino, Italy.
I am so lucky that FamilySearch has a microfilm from the village of Cossano Canavese. I have been able to reconstruct my paternal Italian line using baptism, marriage, and death records. With some family members, I was fortunate that the priest went back to the baptism record and recorded notes about the marriage and death for that person.
Here is the baptism record for Matteo:
With the help of the book Italian Genealogical Records: How to Use Italian Civil, Ecclesiastical, and Other Records in the Family History Research by Trafford R. Cole, a rough translation is:
Certificate No. 6
Ciardonei Matteo Stefano Luigi
The year of the lord one thousand eight hundred eighty nine the 12 of February was presented to the Church an infant born 11 of January at 3 am, son of Ciardonei Pietro, son of deceased Matteo, native of Cossano, and son of Ciamporcero Antonia, daughter of living Stefano, native of Cossano, of the family Ciardonei live in Cossano to whom the baptism was administered by the parson ????etto the delegated priest, and to whom was giving the name of Matteo Stefano Luigi, the godfather being Ciamporcero Luigi, son of living Stefano and the godmother Ciardonei Lucia, daughter of living Stefano. Represented by …(blank line)…
The indication of the birth, with the request for baptism, was made by the underwritten father of the infant.
Signature of the person who requested baptism – Ciardonei Pietro
Signature of the parish priest – A. Banedetto
Written in the left column:
Joined in matrimony to Siletto Adele di Guiseppe 22-12-13 (22 Dec 1913)
Last rites given 14-3-1921 (14 March 1921)
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