Marie Barbarossa

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Marie Catina Ocello Barabarossa

Marie Barbarossa
Image:Mcobarbarossa.jpg
Fact File
Birth Date: December 16, 1923
Family Information
Lineage: Angela Ocello Lineage
Parent: Angela Ocello
Siblings: Francesco Ocello
Josephine Benedicto
Children: Angela St. John
Michele Hansen
Debra Dorward
Mary Jo Barbarossa


Marie was born on December 16, 1923 in Norwich, New York, to Michele and Angela Ocello. Marie was delivered by her grandmother in the family home. For the first 7 years Marie lived with her brother and parents in her grandmother's home and then moved around the corner when her parents bought a house. She lived on and off with grandma Elia until she was old enough to get up by herself in the morning to go to school and care for herself, since her parents worked.

Marie graduated from Norwich High School in 1942. At 18 she had her first date with Ralph Barbarossa, who was the nephew of her Aunt Rose and Uncle Mario Modica. Ralph joined the army in 1945, so the couple corresponded during those years. While Ralph was in the army, Marie worked at the Sintilla, a factory in Sidney, NY. Ralph proposed to her in a letter, asking her if June 7th (1947) was a good day to get married. She said yes. Ralph went to Norwich to ask permission to marry Marie and then they went to the movies that evening. At the movies he lost his wallet with the money he was going to buy the engagement ring with. Since it was never recovered, Marie decided a nice wedding band would be all right instead. They toured New England in their 1928 Franklin for the honeymoon.

Ater the wedding, the couple moved to Kingston, N.Y. In July, 1948 they had a child Angela. In 1951, Marie's mother died and she and Ralph and Angela moved to Norwich. In 1951, another daughter, Michele was born and in 1954, Debra. She went back to work in the Knitting Mill until a fourth daughter, Mary Jo was born in 1959. In 1965 she went to work for TACO in Sherburne for nearly 20 years until the factory moved to Canada.

Marie currently lives in the house her parents bought in 1928. For many years, she and Ralph had the upstairs apartment and her sister Josephine and husband Frank had the downstairs apartment. The house at 22 Griffin Street has been the source of many great memories, not only for the Ocello branch of the family tree but for much of the extended Elia clan. Her grandchildren Steven St. John and Chris Hansen can probably trace their interest in doing a family web site not only to the great memories and warmth of the Griffin St. gathering place, but also to the wonderful collection of old family pictures that line the staircase leading from the Benedictos to the Barbarossas. The house was always warm and full of delicious Italian food (both upstairs and down), and Marie always had a special place in her heart for her grandchildren. They were always advised to eat as much of whatever they wanted - she would say this to them with a little wink. With the same wink at the end of a visit she'd always press a neatly folded twenty dollar bill in their hands. (They could usually expect the same from their Great Aunt Peppy downstairs as well.)

Marie enjoys crocheting (her patented zig-zag one or two color afghans are spread far and wide through the family tree), crossword puzzles, and her family. In her later years she has become a fan of the QVC home shopping network, to the considerable benefit of her kids and grandkids.

Ralph John Barbarossa

Ralph was born November 1, 1923 in Newark, New Jersey to Maria (Mary Modica) and Antonio Barbarossa. At age 5 he moved to Kingston, N.Y. with his sister Frieda and parents. Sister Marion was born in Kingston. He graduated from Kingston High School in 1943, then worked at the Modica dairy farm in Sawkill, N.Y., until he joined the army in 1945. He did his basic training at Camp Croft in South Carolina and then was shipped to Okinawa in 1945 . During the Korean Conflict he was a medic in the 71st Station Hospital in Pusan, Korea. He stayed there until 1947, returning to marry Marie Ocello. After he was married he worked several jobs, on a family farm, as an upholsterer in a furniture factory, a milkman for Jones Dairy and as a constuction worker (post hole digger) on the New York State Thruway. One of his more interesting jobs which took him to Canada and the midwest was as a helper for Sharkey, the performing seal.

In 1951 he moved to Norwich with Marie and Angela. He worked at an airplane parts factory, GLA, until he was laid off. For a couple of years he worked at Bennett-Ireland, a fireplace manufacturer, until he went back to GLA. He worked there until his retirement in 1985. He also worked with his father in law, Mike, as a groundskeeper/gardener for Mr. Hill.

Ralph had many interests and hobbies. He was an officer at the GLA Credit Union during his employment there and was an active volunteer fireman for the Norwich Fire Department. He was also an officer and treasurer of that organization for many years and still goes to the firehouse to visit the guys to this day. He has collected antiques, coins and stamps over the years, buying and selling and a member of various clubs associated with those interests. Also he liked to go fishing and often did so with his uncles. These activities take him all around Chenango County and it sometimes seems that everyone in the area knows the name Ralph Barbarossa. His basement was legendary in the family: a collection of treasures (to others, worthless junk!) purchased from auctions and garage sales or found at the fairgrounds with his trusty metal detector.

Ralph's latter years saw struggles with diabetes and stroke. He died peacefully in his sleep on June 6, 2005 of kidney failure. At his memorial service and funeral, he was lauded by the Norwich fire company and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and was memorably given one last ride on the back of a fire truck, pausing briefly at the fire house, before being walked in by the firemen to the Norwich cemetary. It was a reminder to his children and grandchildren of a life of service to his community.

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