Carmella Macri (Zito) Born 12 March 1865. Died 18 August 1929

I'm still learning about this formidable looking woman who was my paternal Grandmother. Carmela Macri married Carmelo Zito on 1 September 1883 at the age of 18. They had 10 children, the 9th being my father Carmine. Carmela was born in 1865 in the Calabrian village of Molochio. Carmela died on the 18 August, 1929 just three years after her son Carmine migrated to Australia.  This is the only photo we have of her.

Francesca Mammone (Zito) Born 5 February 1916 - Died 17 November 1998

Born on the 5 February, 1916, Francesca Mammone was one of four children living with her parents in Piminoro, Calabria Italy. At the age of ten she began working carrying limestones in baskets on her head. At 18 she received a letter from a fellow Calabrian living in Australia. Carmine Zito wrote to her and I can only guess at the words in that letter and the ones that followed that convinced a young girl that she should leave her family and move to another country far across the seas.  Francesca left her small village in August 1937 after marrying Carmine by proxy in 1936.  She arrived in Australia and was met at the port by the handsome Carmine and together they settled in regional Victoria. They had 9 children and I am the youngest of those children. Carmine passed away in 1965 at the age of 59 and Francesca was left alone with five children still living at home. Many years later, in 1998, Francesca was finally reunited with Carmine. Her memory and Carmine's live on as long as we keep telling their stories!

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