News from San Antonio Church – Sept. 26, 2021

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Weekly Bulletin September 26, 2021

by Terrie Evans

The fourth interesting San Antonio Church  family to honor and introduce on Sunday October 3^rd,  is the Antonio (Anthony) (1897-1970) and Philomena (Nania) Serraino (1900-1954) Family.  Anthony was a young man when he emigrated from  Filadelfia, (Greek for Philadelphia) located  in the Italian region of Calabria  in 1916.  Philomena Nania journeyed from Savelli, Italy when she was 20 years old.   According to the 1920 census, Anthony  was single and living as a lodger in a boarding house, Mining Camp #2, Brooklyn Road, in Hibbing, Minnesota working in the Iron Range Mines located in the northeastern part of the  state.  Since the 1880’s, mining companies were recruiting immigrants to work at the Mesabi Range Mines that would contribute  about sixty percent of the country’s total iron ore output during the years, 1900-1980.  It was a subsidiary  of United States Steel with the Mesabi iron ore mined both underground and in open pits above the ground.  Because few skills were required, many Finnish, Southern Slav’s and Italian immigrants were prominent as laborers in the logging and mining industries of Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin and these were the most dangerous and lowest paying jobs.  After working a few years  in the mines, Anthony married Philomena Nania  in Hibbing, Minnesota  in 1924. 

The couple had two children born in Minnesota, Louise Ann (Serraino) Jackson (1926-2003) and Frank Serraino (1928-2008).  The Serraino  family left Hibbing and moved across the country to Cincinnati, Ohio so Anthony could take a job constructing  the Western Hills Viaduct when their son, Fred Serraino was born in 1930 during the time he was working here.  Employment during this time was hard to find when the Serraino’s  settled in the growing Italian community of Hartford, Connecticut  where a niece of Anthony’s was living.  Later on, they  welcomed daughters, Rose Serraino (1933-1992), Carmella (Cumi) Serraino Berger in 1936 and son  Wayne Serraino in 1943.  In the mid 1940’s, Anthony  who was then 45, registered with the Draft Board in Cincinnati, Ohio  when  they resided in “Little Italy”, at 2008 then 1930 Queen City Avenue.    

Sadly, Philomena passed away in 1954 when Louise (1926-2003) was 28 years old and married to Robert Anthony Jackson (1918-2005), Frank  (Head) Serraino (1928-2008) was 26,  married Lois Honokomp and were married for 62 years when she died in 2018, Fred Serraino born in 1930 was 24 and on his way to being ordained into the Holy Cross Order, Rose Serraino was 21, Carmella( Serraino) Berger  was 18 and Wayne Serraino born in 1943 was only 11 years old.  

Anthony lived to be 73 years old and witnessed his son Rev.  Fred Serraino C.S.C.  ordained on December 21, 1968 and be present at his Mass of Thanksgiving at San Antonio Church on June 1, 1969.

            The late Louise (Serraino) and Robert Jackson had two children Randall and Douglas.  Frank and Loise (Honokomp) Serraino had Mike, the late Mary Elizabeth, Sally, Amy, Terri  and Jenny Serraino.  Cumi (Serraino) and the late  Bob Berger siblings, Rob and Christy and the Wayne {Monk} Serraino Family consisted of  Andy and Vince.