Audenzia “Mary”  Migliore Obituary / life Story

Mary Migliore, daughter of a farmhand Cologero (Charles) and Vicenza (Virginia) Cicero was born April 7, 1889 in Sambuca di Sicilia, Sicily. She came to the United States in 1908 with her sister Antonia and aunt Theresa Cicero who was married to Francisco. Mary and Antonia were sponsored by their uncle Matthew Cicero. An older sister was supposed to come to the U.S. instead of Mary but she had a boyfriend and did not want to leave him (thank God!) They embarked at Ellis Island and then went to Chicago by train. The two sisters were separated in New York and were put on different trains. They met again in Chicago three days later where their uncle met them and took them to Rockford, Illinois. Antonia soon married so Mary went to live with her. She worked in a stocking factory (Ziockes) for two years to reimburse her uncle for her passage to the U.S. Her uncle knew this fellow that was working on the railroad so he made arrangements for them to meet. Soon after she married Peter Bonavia on September 10, 1911 in Rockford. Imagine going to live in a small town, Lena, Illinois, not knowing the English language or even her husband since they had only seen each other several times before their marriage. Their first homes were drafty old houses as that was all it was available. The railroad then bought a house for them to live in which was better but not much. There was no indoor plumbing or electricity so clothes had to be washed by hand and the children studied by kerosene lamps. Not until after the youngest of eight children, Jack (he was all was her little Davo – meaning darling) was born was electricity available. Mary then had her new Maytag wringer washing machine. Two big tubs of water was then panned into the washing machine. Plumbing by then was one spigot at the end of the pipe. Rain water was pumped from an outdoor cistern, carried by pail full into the kitchen and dumped into a boiler on the wood burning stove to heat. The hot water was then panned into the washing machine. Two big tubs of rinse water was also carried in and after the washing was done all of the water was again carried outside and dumped. The clothes were hung outside until winter and then lines were strung in the dining room.
Three wood burning stoves were kept hot during the cold months to keep warm. The two upstairs bedrooms were heated through grates in the floor so the heat was minimal. The stovepipe went through the boys’ room so they were the lucky ones. The boys have the corn husk mattresses on their beds so had to endure that.
The chickens had to have water and feed every day and when it was time to eat them, usually on Sunday, they had to be caught, killed, defeathered and the cleaned. The stove then had to be fired up with would she had shopped before cooking it could begin. The eggs were nice and fresh so with the homemade bread she would put two raw eggs in her husband’s lunch pail every day. Son George raised rabbits but guess who ended up taking care of them. No matter how busy the morning, daughter Antoinette had her curls combed by her mother before going to school.
Most of the clothes were sewed on her Singer pedal machine. Later when the family Studebaker was purchased, trips were taken to Freeport to do some of the shopping. Mary still had time to crochet beautiful buffet scarves and davenport sets. She couldn’t read so had to look at the pattern and memorize it. She taught her daughters Leonarda, Virginia and Mary how to sew and embroider. As a young teenager she helped a seamstress sew shirts so had learned to be very good with the sewing machine.
Mary’s husband’s brother Veto was left a widower with four children. When he returned to Italy to find a wife, he left the children with her for six months. There were 14 mouths to feed and take care of until they returned with a new wife and his mother. She was always caring for someone. Her brother Jack came to the U.S. as a 17-year-old boy and live with Mary and family for seven years. He often mentioned that his sister was also his “Mother.” During the summer months nephews from Rockford came to work on the railroad and they too joined the family. That was during the depression.
When the oldest sons Peter and Charles went off to college they would send their laundry home every week. The clothes were washed, ironed and sent back the very same day. These were the days before laundromats and postal rates were much cheaper.
Daughter Leonarda was left a widow with three small children so they came back to Lena from Freeport to live with the rest of the family. Mary took care of the children while Leonarda went to work in the office of the local hatchery.
Not until October of 1942 when the family moved to Rockford did Mary have a beautiful spacious home. Her husband and all of her children helped in some way to make that happen. In early 1950 the city bought the family home at 129 Oakwood Ave. and demolished it to extend a new street. A smaller brick bungalow was purchased at 2608 West State. All of the children were on their own by now. On January 19, 1956 Mary was left alone by the death of her husband. She later moved to an apartment she owned at 1110 Crosby St. next door to her son Peter and his wife Lena. She passed the time making afghans for all her family and also spent time in Waverly, Iowa with son Charles. In the fall of 1973 she went to Champaign, Illinois to live with daughter Leonarda. She knitted many neck scarves, afghans, little Christmas booties, bells and various other things.
Mary passed away January 19, 1981 in Urbana and is buried in Calvary Cemetery, Rockford. In her nearly 92 years no family member or anyone else ever heard one complaint and we are sure there could have been many. She was a wonderful wife, mother, mother-in-law and grandmother. She was loved by all and will never be forgotten.
Mary Migliore Bonavia’s parents Cologero Migliore and Virginia Cicero had six children:
Antoinette had two children; a daughter Elizabeth married Francesco Gagliano and they had two children – a daughter married to Cilio Baldassare and a son Cologerio; son Cologero married Guiseppa – no children. He was deaf and could not speak. All in Italy.
Margaret had one son who died at an early age. Stayed in Italy.
Antonia came to the U.S. and married Thomas Crapisi – five children:
Frank
Alex married to Reva – children Tom and Paula
Virginia married to Carl Moscato – children Marie and Donna
Carmella married to Alex Armato – children Sam and Margo
Rose married to Albert DiTomassi. All in Rockford.
Mary came to the U.S. married Peter Bonavia – eight children. Lena and Rockford.
Jack came to the U.S. married Mary Perrone – four children. Eleroy, Illinois.
Virginia married to Jasper Gullota – two children. Rockford.
Charles married to Tina – two children. Freeport.
Sam married to Betty – two children. Freeport.
Eleanor married to Sam Gullota then to Robert Wood – two children. Rockford.
Paul – first wife passed away, second wife Paula – three children. Italy.
Mary Migliore’s grandfather was Paul Cicero who was a shepherd and who was married four times. In Italy.
First wife Virginia Barthelona.
Children:
Francisco married to Theresa (Mary came to U.S. with her). All their children lived in Rockford.
Matthew (uncle who sent for Mary) son Paul married to Mable – they had two sons Matthew and Carl in Rockford.
Virginia (Mary’s mother) stayed in Italy.
Second wife had one son Alex or Calicio who had a son Jasper who came to the U.S. and then went back to Sambuca. He had a son Charles who lives in Rockford.
Third wife last name Nobili – one son Stephen who had two children.
Paul married to Diana – they had five children in Rockford.
Tony married to Sarah – they had two daughters, Alice and Rosalie in Rockford.
Fourth wife last name Leoni – no children.

Children:
(1) Leonarda Bonavia
(2) Virginia Mary Bonavia
(3) Peter G Bonavia Jr
(4) Charles Bonavia
(5) George H Bonavia.