This past week I was contacted by Virginia Columbo Noone about scheduling an appointment to do an interview about Italian Americans in West Virginia.

 

Virginia is a graduate of Bridgeport High School.  She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Greg Noone of Bridgeport.  Her maternal grandparents are Virginia and Gino Columbo.

 

She is currently a student at Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, North Carolina.  She was awarded a Richter Scholarship for undergraduate research, which included a grant of $6,000 for a study entitled “Architect Crossroads, An investigation into the American Italian Identity.”  Our interview was filmed and recorded.

 

We discussed the many factors involved in the Italian American Community in West Virginia and its correlation to Southern Italy.   Some of the subjects we discussed were customs, discrimination, religion, food, and early mining experiences.  She also was going to interview other residents in our area who could contribute to her project.

 

Virginia’s project will take her to San Giovanni in Fiore, Italy, where she will stay for approximately one month.  While in San Giovanni, she hopes to be able to interview some of the residents as well as visit the sites such as the churches, the graveyards, the Municipal building, and the local businesses.

 

Virginia’s family was very instrumental in getting the Italian Festival started. The family’s contributions contributed to the authentic presentation of customs and the Italian way of life.  Virginia has attended the festival many times and thoroughly enjoys it.

 

It was indeed a pleasure to talk with her and I look forward to seeing her completed project.

 

While working on this it reminded me of a grant I received from the National Italian American Foundation to record 50 interviews of Italian Americans in our area.  The taped interviews are housed in the genealogy department of the Clarksburg Public Library. The public can listen to them at any time.  It is remarkable to hear the passion in their voices as they talk, sing their rosary, and sing nursery rhymes of their time.

 

Just a reminder that the Clarksburg Farmers Market is open on Saturday mornings and is located in the Tractor Supply parking lot at Eastpointe.  It will not be long before we’ll be getting that first zucchini for a wonderful tiala. 

 

Take care, enjoy summer and until next week, “Now You Have Heard It Through The Grapevine.”