NANCY VECCHIONE COLONERO
I have very few early photos of my mother and have always liked the smiles in the one above.
Nancy Vecchione is our 1st cousin 1x removed. Nancy and our parents were 1st cousins. Their mother's were sisters.
The Frank Coppola family lived at 15 A Street, next door to the Salvatore Vecchione family at 13 A Street. Salvatore is Nunzio's brother (Salvatore married Maria Saviano). The Nunzio Vecchione family lived for many years on Maple Street. Everyone was from Pomigliano d'Arco, Italy, and they came to America in the late 1890's and early 1900's, and settled in East Douglas.
I imagine Frances and Nancy were great friends as they grew up as little girls in East Douglas, and then as young women who faced the terrible days of WWII in the 1940s. They both got married in 1946 in East Douglas.
In November 2018, I completed a research project on the Vecchiones [2019 version]. I sent it to Nancy in December. She called in January 2019 to thank me. That was amazing! Just think, my mother's then 101-year old cousin called me (and didn't even know me). We talked for quite a while and Nancy "admonished" me for not having been to Douglas in many, many years. I promised her I would come one day.
So it was extremely important for me to journey to Douglas and meet Nancy. After all, she knew my mother as a little girl.
- Nancy Vecchione was born 23 Sep 1917 in East Douglas to Nunzio Vecchione and Santa [Santina] Sodano.
- Frances Coppola, my mother, was born 22 May 1918 in East Douglas to Francesco Coppola and Antonetta Sodano.
Nancy Vecchione is our 1st cousin 1x removed. Nancy and our parents were 1st cousins. Their mother's were sisters.
The Frank Coppola family lived at 15 A Street, next door to the Salvatore Vecchione family at 13 A Street. Salvatore is Nunzio's brother (Salvatore married Maria Saviano). The Nunzio Vecchione family lived for many years on Maple Street. Everyone was from Pomigliano d'Arco, Italy, and they came to America in the late 1890's and early 1900's, and settled in East Douglas.
I imagine Frances and Nancy were great friends as they grew up as little girls in East Douglas, and then as young women who faced the terrible days of WWII in the 1940s. They both got married in 1946 in East Douglas.
In November 2018, I completed a research project on the Vecchiones [2019 version]. I sent it to Nancy in December. She called in January 2019 to thank me. That was amazing! Just think, my mother's then 101-year old cousin called me (and didn't even know me). We talked for quite a while and Nancy "admonished" me for not having been to Douglas in many, many years. I promised her I would come one day.
So it was extremely important for me to journey to Douglas and meet Nancy. After all, she knew my mother as a little girl.
On November 20, 2019, Rich Lamoureux, husband of Beth Vecchione (Nancy’s niece) took me to see Nancy at her home. We arrived about 3:30 pm, and I came with many photos … of my mother and father, our grandparents, and the Coppola family.
Here’s what amazing, Nancy remembered all the Coppolas! She recognized everyone in the photos, called them by their nicknames (which I can’t now remember), and told many stories. It was truly unbelievable. At 102! For example, I showed Nancy the photo below, which wasn’t very clear. She immediately pointed out Annie, then Carmella, and then Frances. She said they were all very pretty (but she wasn’t so pretty). And they had so much fun growing up together. She knew Joe was the one in the Navy, Henry the baseball player, and Tony the mail carrier and writer. She knew the names of spouses. She remembered Frankie and Sully moved to the Washington area. Nancy’s recall was stunning and she really enjoyed talking about her Coppola cousins. Nancy told Rich and me many times how much she loved her family, and how proud she was of her Italian heritage. She said she had a great life. However, she kept saying she wasn’t very special … which was kind of amusing to us because at 102-years old she is the most special person in Douglas and is loved by all! After about an hour and a half, I had to leave. Nancy was still going strong. And this was a day I would never forget. |
Note:
1. Photos taken by Rich Lamoureux and Wayne Shumate, 20 Nov 2019.
1. Photos taken by Rich Lamoureux and Wayne Shumate, 20 Nov 2019.
Last Revised: June 23, 2020