-
Birth
Rosaria Dabene was born in Palermo Sicily, Italy to Carmela Nicotra and Gioacchino Dabene during WWII. -
School
She went to school up until the 5th grade to work and become a seamstress like her mother. -
Relationships
As she got older, she was arranged to marry her cousin, but refused because she wanted to choose herself. -
Marriage
She found my nonno, Santi, and they got married in Palermo right before they moved to America -
Going to the New World
Then they all want on a ship called the SS Cristoforo Colombo and sailed to America over the span of a couple months. -
Making a new home
Once they landed, they went through the citizenship process and bought a house in Jersey City, New Jersey to start their family. They also got jobs as, a seamstress in NYC, and a shipyard worker respectively. -
Starting a Family
She got pregnant with their first child Antonio, but it didn't last. A few months later she got pregnant again and had my Uncle (zio) David. -
My First Aunt
A year later they had my aunt (zia) Margaret -
Another Aunt
Two years later the had my other aunt (zia) Michele -
My mother
A year after that they had their last child, my mom. -
Moving
After they had their family, while also working multiple jobs.
The 7 of them moved to Raritan New Jersey in the early 2000s. -
Santi (nonno)
After years of doing labor and being exposed to Asbestos, my nonno died of lung cancer at the house, when all of us grandkids were too young to understand. -
Carmela (big nonna)
A few years later my big nonna died of old age at the house. She was just a month shy of her 99th birthday, and had told all of us stories about her time growing up in Sicily during both WWI and WWII. -
Onwards
Now my nonna is still at the house, retired, and living her life to the fullest with her 4 children, 8 grandchildren, nieces/nephews, in-laws, and girlfriends.