Re: last name olivo, olivio
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In reply to:
last name olivo, olivio
2/03/01
Well, it has been like this: My great grandfather's last name is properly spelled: Olivo, we had to send to Italy for the documents, and we did get a correct birthdate for my uncle who was living at the time I had posted on the board, he passed away at the end of Feburary, and he was not born on 9/9/1909, but on 9/7/1907, and that Ellis Islands records are so hard to read, that the sevens looked like 9's. We still do not have much information on the family, but had wondered where the odd spellings came from, my grandmother had reports from the women's army corps during WWII, that listed her last name as, even better than Olivio, but Olive. I think that it is very sad how some families lose their heritage, because of those who could not understand the native pronounciations of those comming through the doors at Ellis Island and other places like it. It has been almost like : here is your new "American" name. My uncle who we had the disputed birthdate on, was born with the last name D'alessandro, which there and then got changed to Desander. I have met other D'alessandros, who have had their names changed to all kids of different 'americanized" versions of their names, so Thank you for your reply, I appreciate it very much, and as you had said, the correct spelling is usually Olivo, which it was long ago...