Anyone have access to an online obituary page?

Onyx · 08-16-2009, 11:33 PM

I saw an obituary for a grandfather on my Italian side of the family that I never met a couple years ago and it had tons of information like the names of his children from when he remarried. Now I can't find it anywhere for free. Do any of you have access to any online resources that archive obituaries or ancestry.com and would be willing to forward me any info they have listed on Ernest C. Galia Born 6 Oct 1926, died 20 Apr 2006 in San Marcos/San Diego California. I know ancestry.com has him listed in the 1930 census as Earnest C. Galia but I can't afford to sign up to get the census record which would be really cool because I assume it would have my great grandfather's name listed as well.

Trying to do some genealogy research to trace back my lineage to Italy so I can claim citizenship and would love to get in touch with my aunts and uncles to find out any information they could provide, thanks!

Anarasha · 08-17-2009, 01:01 AM

Wish I could help ya mate, but I never bothered much with my ancestry, so I never signed up for anything like that.
I trace back several generations of danish family, except for recently, German genes got mixed into out genes during WW2.
I wish ya good luck finding what you're looking for =)

Onyx · 08-17-2009, 01:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anarasha

Wish I could help ya mate, but I never bothered much with my ancestry, so I never signed up for anything like that.
I trace back several generations of danish family, except for recently, German genes got mixed into out genes during WW2.
I wish ya good luck finding what you're looking for =)

Kind of getting frustrated. Unless someone here can help I'm going to have to break down and pay for one of those sites when I can afford it. What I'm trying to do is trace back my lineage to Italy because by Italian citizenship laws if my great grandfather didn't become a citizen, or at least not before my grandfather was born, then my grandfather on down are citizens of both US and Italy. There's just a long bureaucratic nightmare of paperwork to go through to prove it. Some of the paperwork I need birth and death certificates and to get those I need parents names. My grandmother and grandfather got divorced when my father was a child so I know nothing about that side of the family.

From what crap little info you can get for free on ancestery.com for free the 1930 census has him listed but the ages of everyone else is way off to be his mother or father. One chick was like 16, not to uncommon to be married at 16 back then I guess, however, no spouse listed and she would have been like 12 when my grandfather was born.

Only other Galia names listed in the county are married to eachother, however, she's 35 at his birth and he's 44. Seems kind of old to be having a child. That's the frustrating part. I think Earnest's parents would be listed in the census records on file. Another thing is that I don't know how the census worked back then. If only my grandfather was a citizen in the house would he be hte only one counted or would his parents be counted as well, even if they weren't citizens. Maybe they only listed him because he was the only citizen and Caesar and Helena Galia aren't his parents and my great grandfather wasn't naturalised at that point or never did so, which is perfect. Or maybe they are his parents and naturalised before he was born and I'm screwed. So frustrating!

Onyx · 08-17-2009, 02:03 AM

Quick search found a Times article that states census counts everyone in the house, citizen or not. So, just maybe, I've found the names of my great grandfather/grandmother and a great aunt or something. So, even though they're in the census, doesn't screw me if they are related. Besides, more free digging doesn't come up with any naturalisation records for Caesar Galia. Does have his records from Ellis Island though.

Onyx · 08-17-2009, 03:46 AM

Did some research and found out that Cesare Galia is from way northern Italy, same as what I know of my family, so I put him in as my great grandfather on ancestry.com. O yeah, that and my grandfather's middle initial is C, so it could have been for his father's name. Then there's the fact that Cesare's middle name is Ernesto, so maybe my grandfather was named for my great grandfather's middle name and given his first name as a middle name.

Anyway, It has a bunch of stuff on there for him like a WWI draft card, apparently non-citizens were drafted as well so I'm not screwed if he is my great gramps, and, most frustrating of all, someone else has a family tree with him in it but I can't see it unless I pay to sign up, which I can't afford right now. Genealogy can be fun but very frustrating getting started!

Solumina · 08-17-2009, 11:16 AM

Go to a library, they frequently have access to those kinds of databases (I know that is how my aunt traced our family back a few hundred years) so maybe you can find something helpful there.

Onyx · 08-17-2009, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solumina

Go to a library, they frequently have access to those kinds of databases (I know that is how my aunt traced our family back a few hundred years) so maybe you can find something helpful there.

Actually, I posted a message on ancestry.com's forums and this dude dug up a bunch of info for me. Confirmed the names of my great grandfather/mother, found my great grandmother's maiden name and, best of all, accessed the 1930 census information which lists my great grandfather as an alien 4 years after my grandfather was born. That makes me a dual Italian citizen. Now I Just need a whole crap load of paperwork, the paperwork translated and a lot of waiting for my Italian passport.

Also, by Israel's law of return, I think I qualify for Israeli citizenship as well. I'm going to have more passports than Jason Bourne!

Anarasha · 08-18-2009, 12:58 AM

I wish ya all well in Italy mate

Solumina · 08-18-2009, 12:00 PM

Okay I wasn't clear in my last post, the libraries should have access to ways for you to get your hands on copies of the documents that you need, not just a virtual copy or a bit of information, and if you need certified copies then they will be able to tell you exactly where you need to go. It is much easier to make use of their resources than to just try and find it online.

Onyx · 08-18-2009, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solumina

Okay I wasn't clear in my last post, the libraries should have access to ways for you to get your hands on copies of the documents that you need, not just a virtual copy or a bit of information, and if you need certified copies then they will be able to tell you exactly where you need to go. It is much easier to make use of their resources than to just try and find it online.

See, until that guy posted all this information I knew next to nothing about this part of my family. Only knew my grandfather's name and that his family came from northern Italy. Someone searching through the virtual copies was a quick way of locating all the names I need records for. Well, except for my maternal grandparents names. I'm pretty sure I know my maternal grandfather's name and I do know my grandmother's maiden name, just not her first name. All I need from that side is the information to file for a certified copy of my mother's birth certificate anyway. The web sites I've seen that you can order them from online required mother and father's name but I'd think having father's name, mother's maiden name, county and date of birth would be more important for their search.