I look at this photo and I get a real sense of who they were, not *just* the stories, which I will detail in subsequent paragraphs, but here we see them standing in front of the kitchen window facing out towards Greenside. A grandson, and from what one of my cousins has told me, this is me, a baby, born into this family. My grandfather had 3 sons, but now he had 2 grandsons, cementing his position as someone who passed on the family name, peering down at a young prince from within his castle walls. Carol beaming with pride that another adorable baby is now joining the family, someone that she can spend time with, and love.
They’re both very young in this picture. If this was me, Carol would be 41, and Jerome would be 44. Here I am 53, 2 children 17 and 20 still at home. Sometimes I think I got a late start, as my parents started having us in their 20’s. Yet my grandparents started way earlier, 16 and 19. In this day and age, there would be some issue with that. Would I condone my daughter at 16 getting married to a 19 year old?
Circumstances were different then. The circumstances were part of Great Grandma Elva Ellen McKinney’s decision. This is where the story starts, with her.
This is Elva and her sister. Elva is standing in the background. Born May 1st 1890 in Monett, Lawrence, Missouri, USA. Like many families trying to seek opportunity in the bountiful orchards of the valley. She came from a long line of American Settlers tracing all the way back to William McKinney II, who came to America from Scottland after his birth in 1650. The family had always been devout Catholics, and children were raised in the faith.
Elva would meet Hubert Charles Deisenroth, and they would marry. Together they would have 5 children. Unfortunately, Hubert also became an alcoholic, and Elva would have to leave him. Life for women then wasn’t what it is today, women couldn’t own property or even take out credit. Educational opportunities were scant. Elva would find jobs working as a caretaker of elderly and handicapped for the wealthy of San Jose. Her 6 children would almost raise each other. Berta, Charles “Chig”, Betty, Carol, Donny, and Amanda. They rented a house on the wrong side of the tracks off second street in Downtown. Carol was the second youngest, but she always knew that her family was poor, and was always compelled to take care of them. Cooking, cleaning, she was also tasked to help take care of the children of her older siblings. When they made extra money they’d go to the movies, or take a trolly up to Alum Rock park.
On the other side of this we have Vincezo Cortese. A man who by 1948 was well on his way to cementing his title as a magnate of hard work in San Jose. Vincente would marry Rose Carnova, who’s family also came from Sicily, but had been living in America in Baton Rouge Louisiana. Taken from https://madeintoamerica.org/vincenzo-cortese/
“In the year 1911, thirteen-year-old Vincenzo Cortese followed his father and older brother to Chicago alongside his mother and sister. The journey from Trabia, Italy to Chicago took eighteen days aboard the “Calabria.”Only three years later, the family of five returned to their home in Italy. During those few years, however, Vince worked full time, in Nabisco or pedaling strawberries or selling ice blocks door to door. Rugged individualism would prove to be the key to his success as time progressed.
Italians, much like Mr. Vincenzo Cortese were welcome because America needed their skills and willingness to work. It was only two weeks before Vince was cajoled to America– this time conquering the voyage alone. He set foot in San Jose, California with the aid of his uncle, Mr. Giacomo Teresi.”
I really couldn’t have written it any better myself. We had 2 families of similar work ethics, only the Deisenroth’s would be derailed due to Elva and Hubert splitting up, while Vincenzo and Rose formed a solid foundation and built on it. That’s not to say Elva didn’t love Hubert, and give him the respect as the children’s father. She absolutely did, and would tell her children often that she loved him. The complete story on Vincenzo can be read at the link above.
So the Cortese by this time were wealthy, and the Deisenroth’s while poor, managed to get by. These families would cross paths as the Deisenroth children made extra money working in the orchards of San Jose, picking fruit and cutting apricots, or working in the Canneries.
Another family that plays an important role in all of this would be the Aiassa’s. They owned plenty of orchards, and in those days Sicilians flocked together with other Sicilians. One of the sons of the Aiassa family was Raymond. Raymond was best friends with my grandfather Jerome. Raymond would marry Carol’s older sister Betty, which is how he became known as “Uncle Raymond” to us.
Jerome (in the center) was always described as “The workhorse of the family” When Vincenzo was first getting started, Jerome was his right arm. Jerome’s love and loyalties were absolute, even leaving school to help his father in the orchards. Jerome sacrificed education, and could barely read or write at a higher grade level when my grandparents married. However his love for my grandmother would test, and even break those loyalties.
Raymond was described as having a dirty old fruit truck that he would haul fruit plucked from the orchard down to the cannery. He’d drive past the Deisenroths, arm hanging out the window of his truck, banging on the door, “HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA!” he’d yell at the girls, laughing.
Raymond was with Betty Deisenroth, but always had a thing for Carol. One day he was hanging out with Jerome Cortese. “MAN I HAVE TO SHOW YOU THIS GIRL! SHE IS BEEEEEE YUTIFUL!” (This part of the story my grandmother would tell me)
Raymond drove Jerome over to the Deisenroth house, and it was his first time seeing Carol. To him, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life. Him and Raymond would visit several more times that summer, and he would get to know her kindness, how even as the youngest, she would take care of her brothers, sister, and mother. To him, she was a saint, and in his own wisdom he knew she was someone he could build a life with.
I will end this here, as I feel this is a good place to end it. The reader should have a good understanding of the two families, and how Jerome and Carol met. The next chapter will be the courtship.