Moretto/Negri Letters – Draft

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Locana, April 10th, 1951

Very dear godmother, Today it is with great pleasure that I reply to your

letter, in which I read that you are all in good health. We are all [in good

health] too, thanking the Lord. This winter was very sad for all of us,

specially for the elderly people. I thought a lot of you, who are a bit old

too. I wondered how my godmother is doing, since many elderly people died here,

even some of our relatives. I told you already of the Casetti[s] in the letter

I wrote to your son-in- law Firmino. Take care of you and try to shelter you

from the cold, and also do not worry about us; here we work and have fair

meals, we are not starving. I thank you of your dear present. May the Lord to

repay you. Should you need anything from us, let us know. I will immediately do

it. Meantime, I wish you and all your family good health and luck. Many kisses

to you all and to your son-in- law Firmino. I think he should have already

received the letter I sent him. Take care and best wishes from all of us and my

wife. Yours godson Battista Gianotti

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Locana, October 8, 1951

Very dear godmother,

with great pleasure I reply to your dear letter, where I read that you are all

in good health as we all are, thanking the Lord. Dear godmother, you asked me a

pair of earrings but I do not know how to send them to you. I am afraid someone

could steal them on the way, and you will not receive them. Well, let me know

in your next letter how you would like them, big or small gold earrings? I will

then think of a way to send them to you. If someone steals them n the way, oh

well… I thank you with all my heart of the present you sent me. May the Lord

repay you. I should now say goodbye to you and your dear family with all my

heart. Say best wishes to your son-in- law Firmino and his family. Tell your

daughter to be strong. It was destiny's will. This [eartly] world is only a

passage. Best wishes and kisses to everybody. Best wishes from my wife. Stay

well. Yours, forever, godson Battista Gianotti

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LOcana, March 12th 2952

Very dear godmother and family, Today, with this letter I want to give you news

of our health. We are all well, although I am suffering a bit because of a pain

to my shoulder. I suffer from arthritis, and I could not sleep at all for

several nights. I do not know if [the cause] is that I walked in the rain, or

this winter is very cold and windy, or I am getting old and sicker. Anyway, I

reply with all my heart to your letter, that I [just] received. I am glad to

hear that you were in good health. May the Lord to keep it for a long time, we

wish you this very much. I heard that it was very cold there. Here too, it was

always windy but we had snow only once, just a little. Let's hope that nice

weather will come soon. Meantime, I thank you for your present. May the Lord

pay you back. Receive many wishes and kisses from all of us, and best regards

to all your dear family and to your son-in- law Firmino and his family. Receive

best regards from my wife. Dear godmother, take shelther from the cold and get

lots of kisses. Yours godson Battista Gianotti

Locana, May 14, 1952

Very dear grandmother and family, Today I reply with all my heart to your

letter I received, where I read that you are all in good health, though you too

have some minor pain to an arm and leg. I am very sorry you suffer. I know how

painful is, but I hope the warm weather will help you to recover a bit. Despite

this, the health is very good, as it seems is good for all of you too. Dear

godmother, I heard some time ago at the radio that vthere in Illinois you hade

floodings with a lot of damage. I immediately thought of you. Let's hope with

all our heart that you did not suffer any damage. Meantime, I thank you of your

present. You always worry about me. May the Lord repay you with a lot of good

luck. Receive best regards from all of us and many kisses to you and all your

family. Best regards from my wife and best regards to your son-in- law Firmino.

Yours, forever, godson Battista Gianotti

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Locana, December 13th 1952,

Very dear godmother, After a long time I did not hear from you, today I thought

to write you forst of all to give you news of us. We are all in good health, as

we hope you and all your family are too, my dear godmother. I often think of

you, who are already old, how were you doing this year, were you well? I hope

you did, always. This fall I had a strong back pain, I had to rest a while.

Then I found from a friend of my some American [incomprehensible]. I put it on

my back and the pain went immediately away, and now I feel no pain, I am

healed. I hope that also all your family is in perfect health, and your

son-in- law Firmino too. I have nothing left to say, so I send my regards with

all my heart. Best wishes of merry Christmas and happy new year to all of you.

And you, dear godmother, take care of you and receive lots of kisses. Yours,

forever, godson Battista Gianotti.

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Locana, August 14th 1954

Very dear godmother and family,

today I have to give you very bad news. My daughter gave birth to two twin

daughters on June 4th. The delivery went well, but then after a few days she

had a strong pain to her stomach. We thought we were going to lose her. She

always had high fever. The doctor then cut one of her breast. The fever went

away and the babies are well. This was not enough… On July 24th a tragedy

occurred to us, we will never recover from it. Our son who had a job at

Ceresole went fishing early in the morning. He slipped in the water and died

suddenly. You can imagine what sorrow for us when we got the news. He was our

only son, he was a pretty boy, tall and strong, 25 years old. He would have

married this fall. His fiancee was a good girl. He was our pride. Now instead

we only despair. We cannot be well anymore. We raised a son till he was 25

years old and now we cannot see him anymore. You understand, all the

neighborood is grieving. Everybody knew him and he was good to everybody. At

his funeral in Locana nobody remembers having seen so many people. But for us

this is not important. We lost our son, and we always grieve and think of him.

We send you his memento. The picture is not so good though. Receive lots of

kisses and kisses too to your son-in- law Firmino. Yours godson Battista

Gianotti

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Locana, April 15 1955

Very dear godmother and family,

it is with great pleasure that I reply to your letter, which I received some

time ago. I am sorry for the delay in replying to you. After we lost our son

Battista, we have no peace of mind left. We lost all interest in things, we do

not want to work anymore and do anything. Losing a 25 years old son chokes us

with pain, and as time goes by our life becomes harder and I hope this letter

will find you all in good health, as we all are, the children too are well.

Receive our best regards and lots of kisses to all you all. Best regards to

your son-in- law Firmino and his family. Take care of you dear godmother. Yours,

forever, godson Battista Gianotti thanking very much of your […] that you

always do for me.

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Locana, June 6th 1956,

Very dear godmother and family,

today I come with these few words to tell you that I received news of you in

the past days. I did not get news of you since last year. I read in your letter

that you wrote me after I sent you the picture of the kids, and that you

enclosed a present with the letter. We never received it. I do not know what

happened, I even asked the post office. Never mind, we were all happy to

receive news of you, and that you all are in good health, as now we also are.

This winter was very bad, specially February, it was the coldest [February]

since many years. Many people were sick with a bad flu, specially the elderly

and the children. Many elderly died, and we thought a lot of you, who are old.

Tare care of you, dear godmother, because you and aunt Francesca of Santo are

the only survivor of the Negri family; nobody else is left. We wish you and all

your family good health, and best wishes to your son-in- law Firmino and his

family. Yours, forever, godson Battista Gianotti. Many kisses to all of you.

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Locana, December 7th, 1956

Very dear godmother and family,

today I received your letter. We were very happy to hear that you are in good

health, as we all are here. Dear godmother, last time you wrote I immediately

replied. I also wrote that at that time Antonio Pezzetti, uncle Celetto of

Castigne's son [Note: the spelling could be different, I can't really decipher]

had just passed away, he was only 64. He has a throat cancer, ie a cancer in

his neck. We are very sad. Still we cannot convince ourselves this tragedy

really happened. We are almost alone here, [our?] daughter stays here just a

little, she has to go home because her son-in- law works in Torino. So we are

very sad, it would be better to be dead than to live this way, sometime we wish

not being alive. I would like to let you know that the mother of Bocia, whom

Marietta of Tonio got, [the meaning could be "whom Marietta of Tonio married"

or "whom Marietta of Tonio adopted"], Felicina is 100 years old and she is

still in good health. Okay, dear godmother, take care of you. Happy holidays

and happy new year to you and your dear family. Best wishes to your son-in- law

Firmino and his family. Many kisses to all of you, and happy holidays. We wish

you all the best with all our heart. Yours, forever, godson Battista Gianotti.

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Locana, January 9th, 1957

Very dear godmother and family, first of all I want to write you these few

lines to give you news of us. We are all well, as we hope you also are. I want

also to tell you that some time ago I received a certified letter from you, and

I immediately replied. I think you received it. Anyway, I want to write again

[that letter] to have news of you. Now we have some time to write you. Here it

snowed, about 35 centimeters, but it is not so cold. Anyway, this is winter so,

dear godmother, take shelter from the cold because elderly people are more

affected than us. We wich you with all our heart a happy new year to all of

you, adults and children, young and old. Take care of your health. Best wishes

and kisses to all your family and your son-in- law Firmino and his family.

Yours, forever, godson Battista Gianotti. Take care, I will look forward to a

reply.

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Locana, February 18, 1957

Very dear godmother, we thank you with all my heart for your letter, which we

received some days ago. We were very happy to hear that you all are in good

health, as we all are right now. I should tell you that it was not necessary

you troubled to write. It is sufficient you write me from time to time to give

me some news. You are in my heart because there are few Negri[s] left. Here

[only] Felicina is left, she is in good health and she still works like she

were young, and my wife's aunt, Ciesca di Santo. Now I want to tell you that in

the family of your uncle Michele, who had three sons, one of them married

cousin Mariella. They now live in Castellamonte and they are not doing so well.

He had much sorrow too. He lost two daughters, one was 25 years old and was not

married. She was a pretty girl. The other was 24, she was married and had a

daughter. [Her daughter] is now with her mom. Her husband was taken prisoner in

Russia in 1945 and nobody heard from him since. Now our cousin is living with

her son and her grand-daughter. Uncle Michele had other two sons. One died. He

was married and had a daughter, who was also married with two children. I have

nothing left to say than to thank you and your family very much with all my

heart. If it would cost only 30,000 lire, I would very much come to see you and

all my relatives there, and I would stay some time with you. But it is too far

away. We will see in the other world, if it is true what people say. Take care

of you and try to pass next year in good health. Receive lots of kisses from

us, and best regards and kisses to you all and to your son-in- law Firmino and

his family. Yours, forever, godson Battista Gianotti. Take care.

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Locana, January 4th 1958

Very dear godmother and family,

yesterday I received your letter. We were very happy to receive your news. I

could not resist and I really wanted to write to your son-in- law Firmino to

have news of you. In our family we wondered many times why my godmother does

not write anymore, is she ill, or what else did happen? I do not know anything

of her. But finally we were very happy to receive news of you and that you are

in good health. At your age, may the Lord to keep you in good health. You are

like Felicina here, who is still in a very good health. I would like to let you

know that on November 23rd we got the news that [Ghetto or Chetto] di Santo

passed away in America. He was only 64, but it was a long time he was

paraplegic. I read in your letter that you had flu this fall. The flu was

everywhere. I also had flu this fall, and my family members have it too. Now

they are all sick, my wife and daughter, and specially the kids. The doctor

came three times. I hope they will recover. We were very surprised that you

have many things in your yard. We have little here. Now I should thank you of

your present. May the Lord pay all of you back with good health and luck. I

wish you and your family a happy new year and lots of kisses from us, both to

you and your family. Best wishes to your son-in- law Firmino and his family. And

you, dear godmother, take care of you. Despite your age, it seems to me that

you are well. Yours, forever, godson Battista Gianotti, wishing you all the

best with all my heart, [I hope] to get a reply.

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Locana, February 19, 1958

Very dear grandmother and family, Today I would like to all my heart to give

you news of us. We are very well, as we hope you all are. I read in your letter

that your son was ill after going hunting We thought that he sweated a lot and

got pneumonia or some other fever. We hope he recovered by now. Once my good

[…] also got sick. He sweated a lot and drank cold water. He got a strong

pneumonia and thought he would die. So tell your sons to be careful because

getting sick is very quick matter, but it takes a lot of time to recover. You

asked me of my brothers. They are all here with me and they are in good health

and are well off. The two younger ones work at the electric company and are

well off. The elder is also well and all his three sons are already married.

One is a tailor, another is a driver [not sure] and the daughter married a very

nice guy who is also a driver [not sure]. They have a hotel and grocery shop.

The youngest also lost a 16 years old son because of tiphoid fever. But they

also have another son, who is now 12 years old, a daughter who is already

married, and a third son, who has two married daughters and a 16 years old son

who lives with him. Her daughter married in Castellamonte with a guy who was

living in the Pezzetti farm of Castigne, our relatives, and she has two sons,

one of whom has already been drafted and the other is younger. They are well

off.. [All the above is very confused] The important matter is to be in good

health and have your family close to yourself. This is the best thing. One does

not starve, it is OK even if one eats only grits. Rather, when you miss a dear

person, nothing is really well. It seems OK for some time, some other day one

falls into despair. But we should be patient… I have nothing left to say than

goodbye with all my heart and thank you very much of your present. You always

worry about us. Best regards to your son-in- law Firmino and his family and lots

of kisses from all of us to you, dear godmother, and all your family. Best

regards from all my relatives and Felicina. Take care.

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Locana, April 14, 1958

Very dear grandmother and family,

I am going to reply to your letter, which I received some time ago. I am sorry

if I reply with delay. We were very happy to hear news of you, that you were in

good health and your son recovered well too. May the Lord give us good health.

We're in a harsh world, let's hope at least for good health. We are also in

very good health and were happy to hear that your sons work as carpenters. It

is a good job. They will not have to go underground [in a mine]. My dear son

loved to be a carpenter, although he did not learn it [as an apprentice], but

now he is no more. that's life. Now I'd like to let you know that yesterday

and today it snowed a lot. There is 70 centimeters of snow on the plain.

Nobody remembers such a snow fall in this season, mid-April. It snowed a lot

everywhere, even in France and Switzerland, even on the sea coast. I have

nothing let to say than to thank you of your present. You always worry about

us. We wish you good health and luck. Receive our best wishes and kisses. Best

regards to your son-in- law Firmino and his family. Take care of you, dear

godmother, shelther yourself from the bad weather, you and all your family.

Yours, forever, godson Battista Gianotti and family. Take care.

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Locana, December 1, 1959

Dear godmother and family,

today I come to you all my heart to give you news of us and also to have news

of you. I wrote you a letter some time ago but I do not know if you received

it. As I did not get any reply from you I write again the news I had written in

my previous letter concerning (our) health, which is not so good. I had pain in

my knee and my wife had pain in her thigh. We do not know if it is because we

are aging or what it can be, but it is likely that the cause is the humidity,

as the doctor told us. We have to suffer and be patient. And you, dear

godmother, let us know how you are doing, you who are much older than us. And

let us know how your family is doing, we talk of your family as it were ours. I

would also tell you that this year it rained so much that we didn't need to

water the fields. In the last 3 or 4 days it rained and snowed, the weather has

been awful. If it were summer, the weather would cause much damage to us. Now,

I have nothing left to say than send my regards with all my heart, and lots of

kisses to you, my godmother, and all your family. And best wishes to your

son-in- law. Firmino and his family. Your godson Battista Gianotti Be all well.

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