PADELAWA-L Archives

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Subject: DANTE SCHOOL and ORPHANAGE Children
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2001 17:17:00 -0400

Hello,
Can any of you listers please help me find out about my grandmother who
was an orphan at the Dante School operated by the Sons of Italy?

Could you tell me when the school was opened?
Does anyone remember it? I believe it might have closed in the late
1950s.
Might anyone have had a family member who went there who could tell me
what it was like to live there?

I have been trying to find out about my great grandmother's mother and
father. I don't have my great grandmother's maiden name nor where she was
from in Italy. Without knowing that I can't find her in immigrant records
or in Italian records either. I thought it might be on papers in some
archive but I called the Sons of Italy and they sent their records to the
U. of Minnesota. I contacted the University and they said they only have
a few records and those are too late.

My grandmother was Mary (born Maria) Leonardi or Leonardo. The name was
changed much later in life to Leonard. I can't find her in the census for
1900 or 1910 in PA. There was a Mary Leonardi of about the right age but
it is only on the soundex as enumerated by someone named Keowin. There
was no other information. She went to the orphanage with at least one
sister. The other 2 girls were too little and went somewhere else. My
grandmother was born in 1896 and probably went to the orphanage around
1900, 1901, or 1902. It might have been a year or so later.

I have checked with the Chester County Historical Society as my
grandmother was listed as being born in Malvern in Chester County. They
could find no information about the family. I never found them in any
census.

I have been looking for years and an older friend of the family just
remembered the Dante School.

ANY information would be so greatfully appreciated.

Thank you,
Karen Stone in Massachusetts

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