Terry Fortuna: January 2008 Archives
Italian Grandmom lived at the head of Broad Street after leaving South Philly where she raised her family. I believe the big "B" is still there at the end of the very broad street. She was quite fair as a young girl and I was told she had strawberry blond or reddish hair.
She maintained a garden in her yard until her late 80's.
She raised several children including Grand-dad Fortuna who was her older sister's child. Italian Grandmom's name was Mary!
The children I knew about and/or knew were--Joe, Louis(boxer), Andy (Amadeo), Ida, Louise, Ester (who they called Celeste pronounced Cheleste) and of course Helen--.
She never learned English and would get on the phone to her daughters Helen and Ester when we would visit and talk about us--she referred to me as the "Americootize".
I didn't catch all she had to say but my college Italian had me believing she liked me. We never visited that she did not insist we eat!! The menu was always the same--roasted chicken and canned peaches!!
Many times Hersey kisses were thrown in and she always provided us with wrapped up food to take with us.
Unfortunately--her cooking was not very good and we usually donated the snack pack to the first homeless we saw. Once, when in Philly searching for a place to live--we stayed the night at her house.
Doc Joe and I were put into separate rooms (we had 3 kids at this point) and we were actually physically tucked in--I awoke in the middle of the night to her lovingly wrapping a cloth around my head to keep me warm.
By this time--she had caught on to the fact that I had a little Italian and spoke to us very slowly to facilitate understanding. This understanding came about during a visit when I needed the facilities and had to ask where the bathroom was--when I came down from the bathroom--she was on the phone to Helen frantic to tell her I had some understanding and wanting to know if she had ever said anything uncomplimentary! The family in Philly was a joy to me--When visiting South Philly with Joey, Treesy and George on a Sunday afternoon (when Doc Joe was working)--At Gilda would always bring out the white wine (and food), At Ester taught me how to make pizzelles and "gravy" (red sauce)and often treated us to Sunday dinner.. At Helen provided us with loads of new rolls of wall paper (flocked no less) when we moved to Malvern.
We once gave Granddad Fortuna a surprise b'day party at our house in West Philly and invited all his siblings that were still in Philly--he had been slightly or majorily estranged for years but they all came and treated him like the "Godfather" when he arrived. I think he liked it--there was a lot of Italian, hugs, kisses and tears!
We also hosted a 90th B'day for Italian Grandmom at our house in Malvern. Everyone brought something and it was hugely attended.
Once, Doc Joe and I appeared with the kids unannounced on a hot summer afternoon to find Italian Grandmom outside working on her garden tomatoes. She was working in the direct sun--bending over weeding. She quickly rose to her feet at our approach and dramatically lifted her hands to her head. She told Doc Joe she was sick--and reached for his arm. I slowly asked her symptoms--with hands and voice--she indicated she was dizzy. Always being the master of diagnosis--he advised her to "stop working in the Sun and stand up slowly"!
After her 90th B'day her late onset diabetes caused her to have first one leg and then the other amputated and she went into a nursing home.
She didn't like it there and basically starved herself--when I asked her what was wrong with the home--they seemed to be caring for her well there--she responded that she hated the food--they only served pasta on Wed!
I will always treasure the memories of these great people!
Granddad Fortuna (even long after his association with Trudy) spoke of his early time with Camille in affectionate terms. He described her as the most beautiful woman he had ever seen--protected and sheltered by her family (primarily her mother). I believe he met her when he was a sales person traveling from Philly to sell supplies to DC stores. I think he may have had her family's store as a customer. His favorite story was about having her appear unexpectedly at his mother's front door in South Philly one Sunday morning!! He said that was when he knew she was "the one"! He then moved to DC. I think he really loved her and that her decline was his great sorrow and he did not have the tools to deal with it (personally or for her). He always described her as being brilliant--I too think she was highly intelligent. We have all seen the photos--she was beautiful!
Granddad Fortuna took us to Canada one summer (this is another involved story). There we learned that many of the Fortunas made the trek to North America and to some went to Philly (I seem to remember their ship was turned away at New York) and some to Canada.
She maintained a garden in her yard until her late 80's.
She raised several children including Grand-dad Fortuna who was her older sister's child. Italian Grandmom's name was Mary!
The children I knew about and/or knew were--Joe, Louis(boxer), Andy (Amadeo), Ida, Louise, Ester (who they called Celeste pronounced Cheleste) and of course Helen--.
She never learned English and would get on the phone to her daughters Helen and Ester when we would visit and talk about us--she referred to me as the "Americootize".
I didn't catch all she had to say but my college Italian had me believing she liked me. We never visited that she did not insist we eat!! The menu was always the same--roasted chicken and canned peaches!!
Many times Hersey kisses were thrown in and she always provided us with wrapped up food to take with us.
Unfortunately--her cooking was not very good and we usually donated the snack pack to the first homeless we saw. Once, when in Philly searching for a place to live--we stayed the night at her house.
Doc Joe and I were put into separate rooms (we had 3 kids at this point) and we were actually physically tucked in--I awoke in the middle of the night to her lovingly wrapping a cloth around my head to keep me warm.
By this time--she had caught on to the fact that I had a little Italian and spoke to us very slowly to facilitate understanding. This understanding came about during a visit when I needed the facilities and had to ask where the bathroom was--when I came down from the bathroom--she was on the phone to Helen frantic to tell her I had some understanding and wanting to know if she had ever said anything uncomplimentary! The family in Philly was a joy to me--When visiting South Philly with Joey, Treesy and George on a Sunday afternoon (when Doc Joe was working)--At Gilda would always bring out the white wine (and food), At Ester taught me how to make pizzelles and "gravy" (red sauce)and often treated us to Sunday dinner.. At Helen provided us with loads of new rolls of wall paper (flocked no less) when we moved to Malvern.
We once gave Granddad Fortuna a surprise b'day party at our house in West Philly and invited all his siblings that were still in Philly--he had been slightly or majorily estranged for years but they all came and treated him like the "Godfather" when he arrived. I think he liked it--there was a lot of Italian, hugs, kisses and tears!
We also hosted a 90th B'day for Italian Grandmom at our house in Malvern. Everyone brought something and it was hugely attended.
Once, Doc Joe and I appeared with the kids unannounced on a hot summer afternoon to find Italian Grandmom outside working on her garden tomatoes. She was working in the direct sun--bending over weeding. She quickly rose to her feet at our approach and dramatically lifted her hands to her head. She told Doc Joe she was sick--and reached for his arm. I slowly asked her symptoms--with hands and voice--she indicated she was dizzy. Always being the master of diagnosis--he advised her to "stop working in the Sun and stand up slowly"!
After her 90th B'day her late onset diabetes caused her to have first one leg and then the other amputated and she went into a nursing home.
She didn't like it there and basically starved herself--when I asked her what was wrong with the home--they seemed to be caring for her well there--she responded that she hated the food--they only served pasta on Wed!
I will always treasure the memories of these great people!
Granddad Fortuna (even long after his association with Trudy) spoke of his early time with Camille in affectionate terms. He described her as the most beautiful woman he had ever seen--protected and sheltered by her family (primarily her mother). I believe he met her when he was a sales person traveling from Philly to sell supplies to DC stores. I think he may have had her family's store as a customer. His favorite story was about having her appear unexpectedly at his mother's front door in South Philly one Sunday morning!! He said that was when he knew she was "the one"! He then moved to DC. I think he really loved her and that her decline was his great sorrow and he did not have the tools to deal with it (personally or for her). He always described her as being brilliant--I too think she was highly intelligent. We have all seen the photos--she was beautiful!
Granddad Fortuna took us to Canada one summer (this is another involved story). There we learned that many of the Fortunas made the trek to North America and to some went to Philly (I seem to remember their ship was turned away at New York) and some to Canada.
