This is my husband’s maternal grandfather, Andrew Ferrera. We are fortunate to have this old photo of him when he was young. It is in perfect condition and we all love it.  He was quite the dapper young man, wasn’t he?  I think the pinky ring is a nice touch and the fancy stockings!  I love that we can have this glimpse of what young, Italian men were like in the early 1900s.

Andrew left the ‘old country’ by himself and sailed for America and better opportunities when he was 18 years old. He came into New York but moved to Montclair, New Jersey where his two older brothers settled earlier. The first few years Andrew worked with them in their grocery business as a fruitier and then became a full partner in the business.  He owned several neighborhood stores throughout his life after moving to California.

He married Marguerite Franchini on February 24, 1924, in New York City, NY. She was also Italian and from the same Province in Italy. She was born in San Colombano, Genoa, Italy. They had one daughter, Gloria Marie born in Monleone, Italy in 1926. Gloria is my husband’s mother.  Jim’s rich Italian heritage is very important to me.  I have loved knowing them and learning about their culture since I met them back in the mid-60s.  Having since traveled to where the Ferreras lived in Tasso, Italy, they are even more dear to me now.

They have left a strong legacy for their posterity.  They were very strong in their bonds with anyone that was family.  They had more cousins that you can imagine. Some were biological and some were invited.  As we know, when immigrating to America, most ethnicities clustered together and the Ferreras were not an exception to that rule.  If you were from the same community or province and you met in America, you were cousins. Period.  What they did not fully realize is that, in fact, they were most definitely cousins in many cases.  I have been privileged to see evidence of this in many of Andrew’s ancestors going back to the 1600s.

Grampa was the sweetest man and I thought of him as my grandfather too. Look at that face.  Look at the character in that handsome, wrinkled face.  This is how I remember him. He was a gentleman in every sense of the word. He adored his grandsons and was a good father and husband. He would literally give you the shirt off his back. He was humble and so kind. He treated us so well, always making sure we were comfortable and happy. One time I remember I was not feeling well while at their house. He insisted I lie down on their couch while he brought me a blanket and some tea. For Grampa, a little rest and a cup of tea fixed everything.  He was a simple man and a simply wonderful man.

He loved people and he cared for others all the time. We moved to a neighborhood where his grocery store was right across the street from our home. He was the grocery store owner and the entire neighborhood loved him. They knew him as Andy, we knew him as Grampa Andrew, but his given name was Antonio. When he left Tasso, Italy and came to America, he changed to it to Andrew. We found this typed on the back of his naturalization papers.  I admire those who emigrated from their homelands and came to America.   They were courageous and brave.  It must have been heart-wrenching to leave their mothers, fathers, and siblings. when in some cases, they would never see them again. They worked hard and created a wonderful life in America.

Why is this story important to us? Because the trials and tribulations that Andrew went through by coming here, made it possible for us to be a family. His choices determined our destiny as a family. Our children and grandchildren are enriched by these amazing ancestors and others.  Likewise, our choices will affect generations to come.

This photo is my favorite photo in our entire collection.  This is Grampa Andrew with our only son, Christopher Andrew.  A great grandfather’s love for this baby boy and his love for his great grandfather is obvious and palpable. To me, this photo is worth a thousand words.  Our family has honored Andrew Ferrera with two children, our son and our grandson, Ross whose middle name is also Andrew.  Their great and 2nd great grandfather is known to all of our kids and grandchildren.  They understand that he is literally a part of them and that his blood runs through their veins.  This changes kids and strengthens them.  Just knowing about their ancestors’ stories, has a huge impact on who they become. All of us, as family historians have a golden opportunity to leave these stories for our posterity.

I have made it one of my goals for the rest of my life, to try to capture and record as many of these stories for them as I can.  We all have ancestors like Andrew that deserve to be remembered and honored in any way we can.  We are all blessed to have the technology and desire to find our ancestors, but it is the stories derived from the records we find, that create our love for them and bond us together as families.

Bob Taylor’s recent blog post inspired me to write this one.  This blog post by our management team member, Angelle Anderson is also wonderful.  We have so many tools in the Family History Guide and on Family Search, Ancestry, My Heritage, and Findmypast, to assist us in doing this great work of preserving these memories.  I think, if not me, then who?  If not now, then when?

One of my favorite places to find stories is All The Stories that is connected to FamilySearch Memories.  (All the Stories used to be found in the App Gallery of FamilySearch but now has its own URL.) When you add a story on Family Search it is automatically added to All The Stories.  Just go to the link above then sign on to FamilySearch as prompted on All The Stories. This is a wonderful way to find new stories we haven’t seen before, added by another user. It is also a way to gift, our unknown cousins with things they’d love to know.  Andrew Ferrera was one of 11 children.   I am sure there are cousins out there that would thrill to know him beyond finding his name on a pedigree chart.   I will add this story to his stories on Family Search today.  In doing so it will automatically become a part of All The Stories for others to find.  I hope you consider doing the same for your ancestors and your unknown family members.  If not you, who?  If not now, when?