September 22, 1918

Antonetta Terino Tate, Providence, R.I.

Another child born to Concetta Rato Terino and Joseph Pasquale Terino in Providence, R.I.  This was not to be their last child and in the line up of the seven children they finally had, she was the second. This was Antonetta Terino called "Toni" in R.I. and "Etta" in WV and "mom" by her seven children.
 Soon the others would arrive as they are all close in age. Concetta only lived for two years after the last child, Evelyn was born. The girls in the household became Evelyn's mothers while Pasquale devoted his time to supporting his family and spending his evenings at home with them. Never dating but concentrating on raising his large family, he mourned the passing of the wife he loved; the wife that arrived through Ellis Island at 15 yrs. of age, a few years after he made his journey from their home land of Italy. How strange it must have been for the family to arrive in this country, unable to speak the language, finding a job during the time when ship loads of immigrants were passing through the portals to enter a country they knew nothing about.

They were a hard working family; a dedicated group of people wanting to bring their families here for a better life and these were my grandparents. I'm second generation born here in the USA to those immigrants.



Mom and friends



My mother worked in the mills and once in a candy factory in Providence. I remember the stories told about the candy factory but most of all, I remember the stories this city gal would tell about dressing up in all her finery and going out to dance. Her sister/sisters would accompany her and "jitterbug"  together or with the man that sallied forth to ask for a dance. Mom was a great stepper, shapely and beautiful so she had plenty of opportunities to dance through the night.  A drinker, she was not. Dancing was her passion. She loved listening and dancing to Benny Goodwin and I remember those stories. She was fortunate to get to see the big bands at the places she visited. We would now call it "partying" but to me that entails drinking and mom wasn't that. I remember the times growing up with her and how she would play the big band sounds and twirl about the room with her children.   Thanks Mom. I owe my love of dancing to you.

Left to Right: Dad, Mom and Best Man "Squirrel Williams" Wedding Day

Eventually a good looking sailor entered one of the places where she was dancing, and his bright, sky blue eyes and a mouth full of pearly white teeth in a wide smile captured her heart and the city life she left behind. They married in R.I. and had two children  before leaving for his home state of W.V.  More children were born to this couple, me being the middle one of the seven children they had. Two wars were a part of their lives; a Navy Seabee, he helped build the roads through the war zones in Okinawa and then in Korea.

Times were lean with seven children to feed and clothe. For the first 7 yrs. Mom with her brood of seven children lived in a house on family property. Three houses, built a mile or so apart and around curves in the road were not in sight of each other. It was more miles to get to the main road. My mother, the city gal, was moved from a city locale to an area that was difficult to access in rainy weather or winter snow falls. It must have been quite shocking for her and I'm sure, the worst part was the night life she used to enjoy was now in her past.

Eventually the family moved off this family land and to an area in the country just outside of Ripley, WV to Scycamore Creek then eventually to Little Creek. I think I might have been in the second grade when we made that first  move. Mom lived the live of the farmer's wife and also the construction worker's wife that was often gone from home leaving her to cope with the children.

Dad was a drinker and some times a violent one. His jobs would come and go and he would farm between jobs. I've long since dismissed any anger associated with how he lived his life. We all have an alloted amount of time here on this planet; that amount of time isn't shared with us. I like to think we do the best we are capable of doing and maybe how he lived his life was the best he could do.

Most of her children married and moved away. The economy in that town of Ripley was never a thriving growing source of employment. The whole state of W.V. wasn't rated high on growth and development and many people attributed this to the mountains that slowed  this state from being a commercial success.. The difficulty of trucking any production to the main roads for distribution  was not inviting to the big companies.  I too left the state.

As the years passed, Mom didn't get to make many trips to R.I. to see her siblings. Her children and the friends in her little town were her life and her family.

The other love of her life apart from the dancing was traveling. If you popped in and said "lets go ........", she could get packed in the space of minutes and be ready to leave. She traveled with me for 8 months from Texas to Pennslyvania and to S.C. and Arkansas and loved being a road gyspy.

Today would have been her birthday. I'm writing this as a little memorial to my mother. She is sorely missed by each and every one of her children.

We love you Mom. We miss you Mom. If only we could see you just one more time.

I'm sure all your children feel the same about this so this is from everyone of us.
Your children

Mom, five children later!



City Folk/family/ from Providence, R.I. to the hills of WV on a visit.

maternal Great Grandmother/Italy

Mom 1996, in Louisiana