Tombstone Tuesday: Carmine Di Iorio and Saveria De Iesu

In the Spring of 2008 - and much to hubby's dismay - I spent an entire (glorious!) afternoon in the Torre cemetery... camera in tow and Flo as my guide.  This definitely isn't the prettiest tombstone on the grounds, nor the most informative as far as genealogy goes, but its simplicity stopped me in my tracks.  

Just to the right of the little cemetery chapel is a set of stairs that leads to a dark, damp underground room ... little more than a cave, really.  It measures maybe all of 5 feet by 12 feet and houses some of the older graves. If you're fearful of death I imagine it could seem a little spooky.  Most of the stones have only names, and some of those faded to the point that one can barely read them.  This is where I found Carmine and Saveria.

After a lifetime of hard work and struggles, births and deaths, good memories and bad, festivals and funerals ... this is how it all ends ... two lone names carved on a slab of stone.

Riposano

Di Iorio Carmine

E Moglie

De Iesu Saveria

I Figli

Posero

"Here rests Carmine di Iorio, his wife Saveria de Iesu, and their children."

Carmine di Iorio was born in the family home on Contrada Campoceraso on 9 January 1868 at two o'clock in the afternoon.  His father was Fabio di Iorio, age 26, contadino, son of the late Carmine di Iorio.  His mother was Maria de Minico, daughter of Gennaro de Minico and legitimate wife of Carmine.

Witnesses to the act were Ciriaco Colucciello, age 63, son of the deceased Biaggio Colucciello, and Carmine Cardillo, age 42, contadino, son of the deceased Domenico Cardillo. Fabio could not affix his signature to the certificate as he was illiterate, but if you look closely at the bottom of the page you'll find the signatures of both Ciriaco and Carmine ... as well as that of sindaco Giovanni de Dominicis.

Carmine was the first child in the family.  Soon to follow were Pasqualina (1869) and Pasquale (born 1871).  Mother Maria de Minico died in 1875, when Carmine was only seven.  Fabio went on to marry Maria Grazia Carideo in 1876, and soon after Carmine had two step-siblings, Angelo (1878) and Maria (1883.)

1868 Birth record of Carmine di Iorio

Saveria de Iesu was born 1870 in Pietradefusi to Emanuele de Iesu and Grazia de Marco.  Soon after, the family moved to Torre.  Saveria was the middle child in a family of six.  Her older siblings were Lucida (circa 1864) and Maria Saveria (1866 - 1867).  Younger siblings were Ciriaco (1871), Maria (1872), and Maria Carmina (1878).

Saveria and Carmine were married in Torre on 18 February 1895 at 10:20 in the morning. Below is their marriage certificate...click to enlarge. Witnesses were Carmine di Iorio, age 60 and Carmine Colucciello, age 30 ... both contadini.

1895 Marriage record of Carmine and Saveria

The marriage produced six children that we know of:  Angiolina (1895), Enrico (1897), Grazia (1898), Fabio (1905), Gisueppe (1909) and Giovanna (1912).  Birth records of the first three are below.

1895 Birth record of Angiolina di Iorio

Birth #51 Filed 3 Nov 1895

Name: Angiolina di Iorio

Birth: 1 Nov 1895 ad ore 8:20 AM, nella casa posta in Contrada Piano

Father: Carmine di Iorio, 28, contadino

Mother: Saveria de Iesu

Witness: Pasquale de Angelis, 30, contadino

Witness: Antonio Carideo, 60, contadino

Sindaco: Beniamino Rotondi

1897 Birth act of Enrico di Iorio

Birth #2 Filed 3 Gennaio 1897

Name: Enrico di Iorio

Birth: 2 Gennaio 1897 ad ore 3:20AM, nella casa posta in Contrada Campoceraso

Father: Carmine di Iorio, 38, contadino (Apparently Carmine aged rapidly after the birth of his first child!)

Mother: Saveria de Iesu

Sindaco: Beniamino Rotondi

1898 Birth record of Grazia di Iorio.  In the left margin is a notation regarding her 1920 marriage to Giuseppe (surname illegible).

Birth #2 Filed 27 Nov 1898

Name: Grazia di Iorio

Birth: 23 Nov 1898 ad ore 1:00 AM, nella casa posta in Contrada Campoceraso

Father: Carmine di Iorio, 30, contadino

Mother: Saveria de Iesu

Sindaco: Beniamino Rotondi

Marriage Notation: 10 Dec 1920 to Giuseppe Scri(xxx)cano

And last, but not least ... the ancestors of Carmine and Saveria.

 

Pedigree chart of Carmine di Iorio

 

Pedigree chart of Saveria de Iesu

So there we have Carmine di Iorio, Saveria de Iesu ... and their children.  Hopefully we've helped them to become a little bit more than just names on a tombstone.

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