Imagine . . . it is 1895 . . . you are Felice Scacciavillano, age 52, living in Frosolone, Italy. Frosolone is a city of about 6,000 people on the eastern slope of the Apennine Mountains, about 80 miles east of Rome. You are the eighth of eleven children of Donato Scacciavillano and Maria Teresa Pasquarelli. Your father passed away when you when 14 years old, in 1856, at age 59. Your mother, died in 1875, at age 75. Two of your siblings died as infants. Four other adult siblings have already died. One of your brothers was killed in 1852 “in the street of the Frosolone town square by two stabs of a knife”. The Scacciavillano Family is somewhat prominent. Your grandfather, Domenico, was a builder who made a good living rebuilding Frosolone after the earthquake of 1805, which destroyed most of the buildings in the town. Unfortunately, for your father, Domenico followed the Italian custom of passing along his estate to one, favorite son, one of your uncles. You are a poor, illiterate peasant farmer, raising vegetables and sheep. Southern Italy experienced a major cholera epidemic from 1881-1896. Malaria is common.
In 1869, you married Maria Giovanna Vitolone, daughter of Saverio Vitolone and Domenica D’Abate. You have seven children: Maria Donata, age 23; Domenico, age 18; Giuseppe, age 15; Donato, age 13; Giovanni, age 9; Teresa, age 5; and Nicola age 2. You lost one child at age six months in 1875. Your son, Domenico is in the Italian army – military service is compulsory at age 18. Italy is fighting the First Italo-Ethiopian War (1895-1896) hoping to build a new Roman Empire. For the rest of your life, your children immigrating to the United States will dominate your life. Your sons will send needed money back to Italy, but the cost will be the loss of your family.
| Jun 27, 1895 | Your daughter, Maria Donata, age 23, marries Cristofaro DiCristofaro, son of Nicola DiCristofaro and Maria Palangio at Frosolone. |
| May 14, 1896 | Your first grandchild, Nicola DiCristofaro, is born to your daughter Maria Donata, and her husband, Cristofaro DiCristofaro, at Frosolone. |
| March 1897 | Your son, Giuseppe, turns 18, he is drafted into the Italian army. |
| May 1897 | Your son-in-law, Cristofaro DiCristofaro, immigrates to the United States with two of his sisters and their children. He settles in Painesville, Ohio, joining his brothers-in-law, Nicandro Cardegna, Cosmo Cardegna, and Bartolomeo Colavecchio. |
| February 24, 1898 | Your ninth child, a son, Filippo, is born at Frosolone.You are 55 years old. Your wife, Maria Giovanna is 48 years old. |
| September 1898 | Your son, Giuseppe, age 19, immigrates to the United States. He travels to Painesville, Ohio, joining his brother-in-law, Cristofaro DiCristofaro. You will never see Giuseppe again. |
| November 1899 | Your son, Donato, turns 18. He is drafted into the Italian army. |
| February 1900 | Your son, Domenico, age 23, immigrates to the United States. He travels to Troy, New York, then to Painesville, Ohio. |
| September 1900 | Your son-in-law, Cristofaro DiCrstofaro, returns to Frosolone. |
| October 1900 | Your son, Giovanni, age 15, immigrates to the United States. He travels to Painesville, Ohio, joining his brother, Domenico. You will never see Giovanni again. |
| February 6, 1902 | Your second grandchild, Maria DiCristofaro, is born to your daughter, Maria Donata, and her husband, Cristofaro DiCristofaro, at Frosolone. |
| March 1902 | Your son-in-law, Cristofaro DiCristofaro, returns to Painesville, Ohio. He leaves his wife and two children in Italy. |
| Late in 1902 | Your son-in-law, Cristofaro DiCristofaro, returns to Frosolone. |
| July 1903 | Your son-in-law, Cristofaro DiCristofaro, returns to Painesville, Ohio. |
| November 1903 | Your son, Donato, age 22, immigrates to the United States. He travels to Painesville, Ohio, joining his brother, Giuseppe. |
| 1904 | Your son, Domenico, returns to Frosolone. |
| March 1905 | Your son, Domenico returns to Painesville, Ohio. |
| December 14, 1905 | Your son, Giovanni, age 20, marries Anna Antonia Cardegna, daughter of Nicandro Cardegna and Teresa DiCristofaro, at St. Mary Church, Painesville, Ohio. |
| March 28, 1906 | Your youngest child, Filippo, dies at age 8 years of age, at Frosolone |
| June 21, 1906 | Your son, Giuseppe, age 27, marries Anna Antonia Cardegna, daughter of Filippo Cardegna and Maria Giovanna Mainella, at St. Mary Church, Painesville, Ohio. |
| August 15, 1906 | Your son, Giovanni, has his first child, named Felice, at Painesville, Ohio. This is your first American born grandchild. He is the first grandchild that bears your name. Eventually, six of your grandchildren will be named after you. |
| October 1906 | Your son, Nicola, age 14, immigrates to the United States. He travels to Painesville, Ohio, joining his brother, Giuseppe. You will never see Nicola again. |
| 1907 | Your son-in-law, Cristofaro DiCristofaro,, returns to Frosolone. |
| 1907 | Your son, Domenico, returns to Frosolone. |
| October 20, 1907 | Your son, Giuseppe, has his first child, named Felice, at Painesville, Ohio. The child will die of pneumonia 21 days later. |
| February 29, 1908 | Your son, Domenico, marries Domenica Fracasso, at Frosolone. |
| 1908 | Your son, Donato, returns to Frosolone. |
| March 1909 | Your son, Domenico, returns to Painesville, Ohio. He will not return to Frosolone until after your death. |
| August 5, 1909 | Your son, Donato, age 27, marries Lucia D’Ianni, daughter of Gennaro D’Ianni and Incoronata Venditti, at Frosolone. |
| September 1909 | Your son-in-law, Cristofaro DiCristofaro,, returns to Painesville, Ohio. He takes his son, your first grandson, Nicola DiCristofaro with him. Nicola, age 13, will never see his mother again. Your son, Donato, returns to Painesville, Ohio, with his brother-in-law, Cristofaro DiCristofaro,. His wife on one month, Lucia D’Ianni, accompanies him. Donato will never return to Italy. |
| March 25, 1910 | You died at age 67 years, in Frosolone. Your five sons are in the United States. |
- Your daughter, Teresa Maria, age 20, immigrates to Painesville, Ohio, in 1910.
- Teresa Maria, age 21, marries Francesco Carlucci on August 17, 1911, at Painesville, Ohio.
- Your son-in-law, Cristofaro DiCristofaro,, returns to Frosolone permanently in 1914.
- Your son, Nicola, age 22, marries Lucia Rossi, on August 3, 1914, at Ashtabula, Ohio
- Your wife, Maria Giovanna Vitolone, dies on June 8, 1917, at age 68, at Frosolone.
- Your son, Domenico, returns to Frosolone permanently in 1919.
- Your son-in-law, Cristofaro DiCristofaro,, dies on February 18, 1920, at age 52, at Frosolone.
- Your daughter, Maria Donata Scacciavillani, dies on June 29, 1923, at age 51, at Frosolone.
- Your son, Domenico, dies in 1933, at age 57, at Frosolone.