Mary Elia

From Eliafamily

Mary Elia
Fact File
Birth Date:	December 23, 1910
Family Information
Lineage:	no children
Parent:	Maria and Nicola Elia
Siblings:	Angela Ocello Tom Elia Charlie Elia Rose Modica Sam Elia Angelo Elia Tony Elia
Children:	none

Mary Elia was born on December 23, 1910, in Brown's Station, New York. Her mother Maria had wanted to name her Natale, the Italian word for Christmas, but the hospital people recorded her name as "Mary" on the birth certificate. Maria called Natale for the rest of her life, but to most of the rest of the Elias, she was known as Little Aunt Mary.

Shortly after birth, Mary developed a very high fever and the doctors told her parents that she would probably not live. Maria nursed her and purportedly gave her a taste of whiskey every day until the fever finally broke and the baby recovered. She attended school until the 6th grade and became the caretaker, cook, babysitter, and later translator of the family.

Mary only grew to be a little over 4 feet tall (though her hands were large) and the speculation is that her illness at birth may have been the cause, for she was very short even by Elia standards. Her translator role came later when her mother would always speak to the grandchildren and great grandchildren in Italian who would then look to Aunt Mary for help.

She paid the bills for the household and her father's coal business, and had a large part in raising her neices Marie, Josephine, Jo-Jo, and nephew Nick.

She died of cancer in 1980.