Frank, The Franklin District that is mentioned in the obit is also near the Buhach Colony. It is on the border of Merced and Atwater near where eventually Castle AFB would be built, and both cities are mentioned throughout the obit. The Catholic Church that the Portuguese in the area attended and used to hold festas, was the Buhach Immaculate Conception Church (land donated by Azoreans Frank F Souza and Jose F Freitas from Faja Grande). This is a fairly small rural area of Merced, so our Portuguese relatives probably knew each other. The Franklin School (now Franklin Elementary) holds reunions for those who attended this rural school. Many of them are Azorean Portuguese, but there were also Italians in the Franklin District. If you Google Map Merced, CA you will notice that Highway 99 cuts through the southern part of the city. Franklin and Buhach Roads (off ramps) intersect Highway 99 to the west of the city. My best friend still lives in the Merced area and in-between the Franklin District/Buhach Colony area, now annexed into the Atwater zip codes. Merced is still a fairly small town where many know everybody's business. I'll see if she knows anyone with a Gervasio last name. It is not a common Portuguese name I remember from growing up in Merced. I remember lots of Pimental, Borba, Souza, Rodrigues, and Freitas families.
There is also another resource to check into www.mercedgenealogy.com. I did go into the 1910, 1920 and 1930 census records of the Franklin District (California Merced Township 2 District 148) on ancestry.com. There were two Gervasis families and one (John Gervasis age 48 in 1920) was from Italy. I found out a bit more information on ancestry.com through birth, death, travel and military records. Hope that some of this helps your researching! I did find your Gervasis relatives on Page 8 of the 1920 census records, along with other listings on ancestry.com. Jessie R Gervasio * Head of Household * Born 1861 Azores, Portugal * Died 24 Feb 1935 * Buried Evergreen Cemetery * Arrived USA 1880 * Naturalized 1889 * Married 3 years on 1910 census * Marriage #2 * Own Farm Free of Mortgage Maria Vieira Gervasio * Wife * Born 1888 Azores, Portugal * Died 24 Feb 1935 Merced, Merced, CA * Married 3 years on 1910 census * Marriage #1 * 2 Children Born / 2 Children Living Jose Rodrigues (Joseph) Gervasio * Son * Born 03 Aug 1907 * Died 28 Sept 1994 , Stanislaus, CA (SSA records Merced, Merced, CA) * Mother: Gervasis * Married Ruth F Whitney (born 1918) on 07 Oct 1965 in Shasta or Santa Claus Counties Jessie Gervasis Gunn * Born 01 Nov 1908 California * Died 10 Oct 1934 Merced, Merced, CA * Married to a Gunn about 1925-1934 Others Listed on ancestry.com Beatrice Vieira Gervasio * Born 15 Jun 1897/98 Portugal * 15 Mar 1989 Merced, Merced, CA (SSA records Studio City, Los Angeles, CA...often a child's mailing address) * Immigrated 1914 * Naturalized Jacento Rodrigues Gervasio Jr * Born 25 Feb 1893 Farenzena, Flores, Azores, Portugal * Died 16 Mar 1986 Atwater, Merced, CA * Immigrated 1911 * Naturalized Mary Vieira Gervasio * Born 22 Aug 1887 * Died 14 May 1943 Merced, Merced, CA * Mother: Sereneiro * Father: Vieira * Arrival 1907 Ferdinand Anthony Gervasio * Born 15 Feb 1918 Merced, CA * Died Aug 1986 Studio City, Los Angeles, CA * Mother: Vieira * Single 20 Sept 1941 WWII Enlistment * Evelynn Therese Ramos Gervasio * Born 15 Jun 1920 CA * Died 23 Sept 1997 Studio City, Los Angeles, CA * Mother: Corvello * Father: Ramos * Married Ferdinand Anthony Gervasio? Elsie G Gervasio * Born 04 Dec 1924 Merced, Merced, CA * Mother: Vieira Maria Vieira * Born abt 1893 Azores * Listed as sister-in-law of Jesse R Gervasis on 1910 census. Jacob R Gervasio * Born ? Azores * 1935 per obituary lives in Merced, Merced, CA Mary Gervasio Gomez * Born ? Azores * 1935 per obituary lives in the Azores, Portugal Debbie Wolgemuth Riverside, California Researching Azoreans: Jorge (Flores), Freitas (Flores), Enos (San Miguel), Silveira Matos (Faial), Rodrigues (unknown) Immigrated to: Merced, CA Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2010 15:54:29 -0400 Subject: [AZORES-Genealogy] Gervasio, Faial, Merced connection? From: fbartl...@wildblue.net To: azores@googlegroups.com Thanks to Debbie Wolgemuth's resent post re: graveyards.com. I was able to find a possible clue to the reconnection of my g grandfather and his brother. As young men during the 1860's they traveled from the Azores to New England. Where my g grandfather stayed on as a farm worker and changed his name to Bartlett.. And his brother went on to Merced to meet up with family or friends. For years my family referred to My g grandfathers Portuguese surname as Gerevas. But with the help of Cheri,"E", George, and now Debbie, his name probably is Jose Alves Gervasio b. Feb. 10, 1852 in Faial Although Jesse R. Gervasio (named in the obit) was 9 years younger and traveled to Merced at least 10 or 15 years later. However, he was born in the Azores and he is a Gervasio. This gives me a stronger chance of an existing Merced family connection. (I did search for and came up empty) All I want to confirm is that my g grandfather was born in the Azores, on what island, and what his name was. I've started ordering the Faial FHC films for 02-10-1852, but from what I've seen it's a tough task. Think I'll go back and look at Merced again maybe there are some live cousins. Thanks Debbie, And if anyone happens to run across a Gervasio from Faial or Merced, CA pass em on Frank Bartlett Pierson, FL Researching: Gervasio, Gerevasio, Gerevas, Gervais Faial Birth: 1861 Azores Region, Portugal Death: Feb. 24, 1935 Merced County California, USA Four Lodges Will Honor Rancher MERCED, Feb. 25 - Jesse R. Gervasio, 74, a rancher of the Franklin district for twenty-eight years and a member of Yosemite Lodge No. 99, Free and Accepted Masons for thirty-five years, died yesterday at his home of a heart ailment. Garvasio, who was born in the Azores Islands, came to California fifty-five years ago. He was a member of the U.P.E.C. Lodge of Atwater. He also was a member of the Royal Arch Masons. He leaves a widow, Mary Gervasio; a daughter, Jessie Gervasio; a son, Jesse R. Gervasio, Jr., and a brother, Jacob R. Gervasio, all of the Franklin district. He also leaves a son, Joseph Gervasio of Merced, and a sister, Mrs. Mary Gomes of the Azores Islands. Masonic funeral rites will be conducted in the Welch & Griffin Funeral Home at 2 o'clock to-morrow afternoon. Kenneth Robertson will sing, accompanied by Mrs. T. W. Fowler. Entombment will be in the Evergreen Mausoleum with rites by the U.P.E.C. and I.D.E.S. Lodges. Pallbearers will be members of the Masonic Lodge and honorary pallbearers will be members of the U.P.E.C. and I.D.E.S. Lodges. ~ Modesto Bee, 26 Feb 1935 Burial: Evergreen Cemetery Merced Merced County California, USA -- To unsubscribe from this group, send email to azores+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. Follow the confirmation directions when they arrive. For more options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the right that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my membership." -- To unsubscribe from this group, send email to azores+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. Follow the confirmation directions when they arrive. For more options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the right that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my membership."
