Andrew Galiardi Family, Wakefield Michigan

Andrew met and married Mary Ozzello in March of 1902. Andrew had two sisters (Maria, Angeline) and four brothers (Tony, Pete, Bartolomeo, Jacco). Andrew changed his last name from Gagliardi to Galiardi somewhere between 1900 and 1905.....why he did so is not known.

Andrew, was an underground foreman in the Wakefield, Michigan iron ore mine (Sunday Lake Mine), but he retired early since he became afraid of cave-ins and also couldn't read or write English (which became a necessity later on when the foremen were asked to fill out reports). He and Mary lived on a farm in Fink location with cows, chickens, etc. They also ran a saloon for a while out of their home. The saloon was on the entire main floor, while Andrew and his family lived upstairs. Andrew once told Mary not to serve liquor in the saloon on Sunday, since it was against the law..... so Mary would invite people upstairs to her home to drink their liquor, therefore getting around the law.

In later years, Andrew enjoyed smoking peerless tobacco in his pipe (or chewing at times), and spending time on his porch outside-- either siting in a wooden rocking chair, or laying on a black leather couch. He also had a large garden with several tomato plants, beans, etc..... grapes for making wine, currents, and several flowers. Tomato plants would be grown from seeds with rich black dirt in mazzola oil cans and soup cans that were placed along the window sills in the porch starting in early Spring. He had 3-4 large barrels in his basement where he stored red wine, and had a glass with several of his meals. Andrew had his own table he sat at in the kitchen, everyone else sat at the main table. He was quick to hollar at folks if there was something he didn't like..... he'd hollar at the kids when they were noisey and got on his nerves (roonya, bah bah, shut up, bloody kids, SOB). He didn't want the TV on when he went to bed and would say "shut that bloody thing off".

Towards the end, his mind wondered in time.... sometimes he thought he had to get ready for work. He died March 18, 1963 of natural causes in his own bed........ just started breathing slower and slower, then stopped.

========== MARY OZZELLO============
I'm still trying to get early info on Mary, but here's what I've written so far:
Mary was born in Alsace Lorraine France (Grenoble), since her family went there from Locana, Italy so her dad could work in the coal mines. She lived in Grenoble for 6 years, then moved to Locana, Italy in 1890 and lived there for 2 years. Mary enrolled in school in 1891. In 1892 she, with three brothers (John, Dominic, Jacco) and two sisters (Marian, Joann), boarded a ship and sailed to America where she received two more years of schooling in Wakefield, Mich. She married Andrew Galiardi and lived on a farm with cows, chickens, etc.

Mary was a very kind, hard-working woman with a loving smile that made you feel warm and welcome just being with her. She was a good cook.... one of her dishes was Dandelion soup -- made from dandelion greens from the back yard, and perhaps some rice, potatos, and onions. She typically wore a very poor conservative dress, black shoes, and an apron. Her home contained just the bare essentials, and initially used wood for heat in the winter.

Mary and Andrew had 7 children: Peter, Mayme (Johnson), Mary (Delmet), Angeline (Rydeski), Elsie (Valesano), Julia (Wirpio), and Louisa (died before her 1st birthday).

She died January 8, 1961 of stomach cancer in Wakefield. A painful death in the Wakefield hospital, that I as a young boy will never forget.
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Regards,
Pete Valesano