Saturday, April 26, 2014

Nancy Billingsley Yielding 1802-1870 #52Ancestors #17

Nancy Billingsley or Billingsly was born February 1802 in Sullivan County, Tennessee. She was the daughter of Thomas Billingsley and Nancy Courtney Allen Billingsley.

Nancy married John Jasper Yielding November 23 1819 in Blount County, Alabama. She was the mother of at least six children:
Sarah born 1820
Susan born 1825
Joseph born 1833
Mary Jane born 1835
Samuel T born 1836
and Nancy born 1842

Nancy has an occupation of midwife in the 1860 Blount, Alabama census, and could read and write.


Nancy died sometime after the 1870 census was taken in Blount County, Alabama. Her final resting place is unknown.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Giulia "Juilia" Montagna Fratoddi 1879-1957 #52Ancestors #16

Giulia Elvira Teresa Montagna was born October 10, 1878 in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. She was the daughter of Georgio Julius Montagna and Elisabetta Rosa Bonnini.
Panoramic view of Bologna by Luigi Anzivino. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic License.
Thanks to the great folks at Italiangenealogy.com who helped me locate her immigration, we found traveling in Second Cabin, Giulia Montagna, age 25. She was single, and able to read and write. Giulia departed from Naples Jan 24, 1905 on SS Neckar, and arrived in New York Feb 6 1905. Her home city was Roma (Rome). She was going to W 27th St, NY, and in possession of $30. Never before in US. Discharged to Aunt. Unfortunately it does not give the aunt's name.


Giulia, whose name was "Americanized" to Juilia, married Bernardino Fratoddi May 9, 1905 in Manhattan, New York. Family stories indicated they both came to the US as newlyweds, but apparently they were possibly engaged in Italy and came over separately. Bernardino arrived in New York in 1902.

Juilia and Bernardino had five children:
Florida Marie born 1908 in Florida
George Esperanto born 1910 in Tennessee
Georgia Mildred born 1912 in Alabama (twin)
Helen Elise born 1912 in Alabama (twin)
Flavia Louise born 1916 in Alabama

Fratoddi children, Birmingham, Alabama circa 1915


Mrs. Juilia Fratoddi, pioneer resident

Mrs. Juilia M. Fratoddi, 1225 Princeton av, died Sunday Morning at a local Hospital.

Mrs. Fratoddi was the widow of Barnard Fratoddi, a pioneer resident of Birmingham.

Survivors are a son, George E. Fratoddi; three daughters, Miss Florida Fratoddi, Mrs. John R. McGowan and Mrs. J. P. Whitt, Jr., and eight grandchildren.

She was a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church of West End.

Funeral services will be at 9 a.m. Tuesday at Johns-Ridout's and at 9:30 at Blessed Sacrament Church with the Rev. George W. Keys officiating. Burial will be in Elmwood Cemetery. The rosary will be said at 7:30 Monday night at Johns-Ridout's Chapel.

Pallbearers will be Joseph Schneider, William Bayliss, Hal Hamilton, Patrick Tully, John Wilford and Clarence Busenichner.
---Published in The Birmingham News, Monday, Dec 9, 1957, pg 28


Sunday, April 13, 2014

Eleanor McCullough born 1793 SC #52Ancestors #15



Eleanor, whose maiden name is unknown, was born about 1793 in South Carolina. She married William McCullough, probably in South Carolina about 1814.

Eleanor was the mother of
William Madison McCullough born 1815
Gabriel J born 1817
Martha Jane born 1817
James born 1820
Elizabeth born 1827
Rufus born 1832
Thomas Huntington born 1835

The family moved to Perry County, Alabama as William is noted in the 1830 census and purchased land in 1836.
Eleanor is found in the 1850 and 1860 censuses in Perry County, Alabama. Her date of death is unknown



Sunday, April 6, 2014

Sophronia J Holley Warnick 1836-1898 AL #52Ancestors #14

Sophronia Holley was born December 16, 1836 in Alabama. Her parents are unknown at this time. One suspect for her father is Phillip Joseph Holley who was in Blount County, Alabama in the 1840 and 1850 census. DNA links me to Phillip and his wife Harriett Hood. I think Sophronia may be the Julietta listed as his child in the 1850 census.


Household ID: 109
House Number: 109
Line Number: 21
Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
Affiliate Publication Number: M432
Affiliate Film Number: 2
GS Film Number: 2344
Digital Folder Number: 004187292
Image Number: 00260


Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
Philip Holly M 50 South Carolina
Harriet Holly F 48 South Carolina
Joseph Holly M 24 South Carolina
Nancy Price F 22 South Carolina
Matilda Holly F 17 South Carolina
Wm Holly M 17 South Carolina
Elizabeth Holly F 14 Alabama
Juletta Holly F 12 Alabama
John Holly M 9 Alabama
Mary Holly F 8 Alabama
Jas Holly M 3 Alabama
Harriet Holly F 0 Alabama


Sophronia married Caleb Rogers Warnick July 27, 1854 in Blount County, Alabama.
I learned a hard lesson on citing my sources with this marriage. I found it on the internet years ago when I was just starting genealogy. I didn't copy anything but the date and place. I can remember the names were misspelled, but did not note the spelling. I've never been able to find it again. Nothing like that to make you remember THAT lesson. I'M STILL KICKING MYSELF.

Sophronia and Caleb had at least ten children:
George Washington born 1855
Margaret A "Maggie" born 1858
James P born 1859
West born 1862
Nancy born 1866
Mary C. born 1869
John Wesley born 1874
Gus born 1881
Gibbie C. born 1887
Richard, date unknown

They moved from Blount to Jefferson County at some point, where .Sophronia died January 5, 1898.
Sophronia is buried in the Bethlehem Methodist Church Cemetery in Dolomite, Jefferson County, Alabama.