More details on the Sharamitaro family may be found here:
The Guiseppe Ciaramitaro Family Genealogy Timeline
And here:
The Guiseppe Ciaramitaro Family Memory Page
Giuseppe "Joseph" Sharamitaro, son of Guiseppe and Rosaria Ciaramitaro, married Giovanna "Jenny" Ciaramitaro, daughter of Pietro and Eulalia "Laura" Ciaramitaro. Following their marriage in 1917, they first rented and then owned the store & home at the corner of West Park and Tamm Avenues.
After her husband died of a heart attack in 1912, Laura Ciaramitaro, widowed at 30 years old, packed up her six children; Jennie, Fannie, Grace, Joseph, Katie and Peno and moved to St. Louis, MO from Boston, MA. By 1920 she and the youngest three children were living with Jenny and Joe Sharamitaro at 6328 West Park
Note: Special thanks to Pete Sharamitaro for sharing this family photo above.
Rosaria "Sadie" Sharamitaro married Peter Palumbo, they had six children; Peter J., Mary Ann, James M. Joan Ellen, Anthony J. and Joseph F. Palumbo.
Joseph M. Sharamitaro married Mary Jane Mouldon, they had four children; Jeni Ann, Mary Jo, John J. and Joseph G. Sharamitaro.
Leo Sharamitaro who died at 6 years old of diptheria.
Peter C. Sharamitaro married Marian Linsenman, they had four children; Peter C, JoAnn, Michael and Laura Sharamitaro
Laura G. Sharamitaro married Donald E. Bruce, they had four children; Laura A., William R., Charles A., and Donald J. Bruce.
Note: Special thanks to Joy Richter for sharing this wonderful family portrait above.
Peter J, Mary Ann, James M., Joan Ellen, Anthony J., Joseph F. Palumbo (6315 W. Park)
Jeni Ann, Mary Jo, John J., Joseph G. Sharamitaro (1473 Gregg)
Peter C., JoAnn, Michael and Laura Sharamitaro (4053 Avenue F, Affton, Mo.)
Laura A. (1976), William R., Charles A., Donald J. Bruce (6135 W. Park)
Note: Special thanks to Joy Richter for sharing this darling family photo above.
The Joseph and Jenny Sharamitaro Family Story
Gueseppe "Joseph" Sharamitaro married Giovanna "Jenny" Sharamitaro in July of 1917 at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in St. Louis, Mo. The very next year, 1918, the couple moved into the home (and store) at 6328 West Park, where Jenny would open her home to her mother and younger siblings, Joseph, Katie and Peno.
Joseph Sharamitaro, was the second oldest son and namesake, of Guiseppe and Rosaria Sharamitaro. The family of six had immigrated to the St. Louis area from Terrasini, Sicily, in 1902, eventually settling in the Italian area of the city in a duplex at 1414 7th Street.
Joseph would join his father Guiseppe in the huckster trade, initially utilizing a horse and cart. Many, if not all, of the men of the Sharamitaro family would find work and/or business opportunities on Commission Row. But young Joe would eventually open his own retail fruit and produce store at 6328 West Park, where in the family quarters behind the store, he and Jenny would raise their five children.
Jenny Sharamitaro died suddenly in 1961, at that time she and Joseph had been married for 44 years. They are buried together in Calvary Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri.
This notice was published in the St. James the Greater Parish Bulletin for April 1928.
Leo Sharamitaro, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Sharamitaro, Tamm and West Park avenues, whilst convalescing from diphtheria at the City Isolation Hospital contracted pneumonia and died rather suddenly. His parents were expecting to be called to take him home when his critical condition was announced. Death came a few hours later.
He was buried on Wednesday, March 21st from St. James Church. Rarely has so large an attendance been observed at a child's funeral.
This notice was published in the St. James the Greater Parish Bulletin for May 1931
Joe Sharamitaro's vegetable store in Tamm Ave. was closed for two days to make space for a wedding celebration when Mrs. Sharamitaro's sister, Katie, on April 12th married Joe's brother. Nearly everyone of "The Hill" who has had any dealings at the store was invited and as the marriage took place on Sunday, few refused the invitation. There was a six-piece orchestra and "lashing and leavings" of everything. Unlike most Italian weddings a majority or the guests were Americans and they apparently enjoyed the lavish hospitality of their host and entered whole-heartedly into the fun and merriment. With permission of Father O'Connor, the marriage took place at St. Charles Borrorneo Italian Church where the groom resides.
The notice below is from the book: "History of Cheltenham and St. James Parish, St. Louis, Missouri 1860-1937", written by Father Patrick J. O'Connor, pastor
Joe's Place, at 6328 West Park Avenue, corner Tamm and West Park, was opened in 1918. The genial personality of both Joe and his wife, Jennie have endeared them to the community. They have an excellent line of all fresh fruits and vegetables in and out of season. The store is a popular meeting place for the parishioners of St. James. There is always a friendly greeting by Jennie.
Joseph Sharamitaro was born in Palermo, Italy. His father was Joseph Sharamitaro and his mother, R. Bomarito. Joe married Jennie Sharamitaro and they are the proud, parents of four children: Sadie, Joseph, Peter, and Laura.
Below is a transcription of a newspaper article dated May 8, 1977:
PASSENGER IN AUTOMOBILE KILLED IN COLLISION WITH AMTRAK TRAIN
A man was killed Saturday after an automobile in which he was a passenger was hit by an Amtrak train on the railroad tracks near Manchester Avenue in St. Louis.
Dead is Joseph Sharmitaro, 18 years old, of 6446 Villa Avenue (Note: Joseph was the grandson of Joe and Jenny Sharamitaro, son of Joe and Mary Jane Sharamitaro).
The driver of the car, Marc A. Greenwell, 17 of 4027 Magnolia Avenue, was able to walk away from the accident but was in shock and in serious condition at City Hospital.
Police said the westbound train collided with the car, which was headed south on Macklind Avenue, after the driver of the car apparently tried to beat the train across the tracks.
The car was shoved into a crossing guard by the train. It knocked down the guard before stopping about 50 feet from the area of impact, police said.
The train master, John Pearson, said the crossing guard was operating before the accident and that the car drove around the guard.
The train’s engineer, John Beedle, said he was about 80 to 100 feet away when he saw the car. He said the train was traveling 55 miles an hour, which is five miles under the speed limit for that section of track.
Below is a transcription of a newspaper article dated Dec 26, 1980:
FRUIT STAND OWNER 91, PULLED FROM HOUSE FIRE
An Owensboro, Ky., man, visiting his parents in St. Louis for the holidays, pulled a 91-year-old fruit stand owner from his burning South Side home Christmas Day, authorities said.
"I don't know if I was scared or not. I just did it," said Dave Schremp, 26. "I've known the man since I was a kid (growing up in St. Louis)."
The fire, which broke out about 2:30 p.m., extensively damaged the one-story home of Joseph Sharamitaro at 6328 West Park Avenue . Sharamitaro, who was not injured seriously, had operated a fruit stand called Joe's Place in the front of the building for many years.
Fire officials have not determined the cause of the fire, which apparently started in the kitchen.
Schremp said he was driving to his parents' home across the street from Sharamitaro's when he saw smoke and fire coming from the building. "I parked my car, ran in my folks' house, and told my mother to call the Fire Department," he said this morning.
Schremp and several neighbors then ran to the rear of the burning building, "and someone opened the door and I walked in," he said. "I guess I took one or two steps and I saw him (Sharamitaro). It was very smoky in there. "
Schremp shouted at Sharamitaro. "But he didn't move," Schremp said. "I didn't know at the time that he cannot walk very fast. When he didn't come, I grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him out."
By that time, neighbors had gathered in the back yard, Schremp said. "I just handed him over to them. He was OK, but his eyelashes were burned."
Sharamitaro was treated for smoke inhalation at Deaconess Hospital, 6150 Oakland Avenue, and released.
Memories of Joe and Jenny Sharamitaro
From Peter C. Sharamitaro, nephew and son of James and Katie Sharamitaro:
I don’t know when she(Grandma Laura) started living there (6328 West Park) but I always assumed that my mother lived there too. She always told the story that Jenny made her quit school to watch Sadie and Laura so Jenny could work in the store. I think my mother only went to 5th grade but not sure of that. My mother always said she raise those two girls.
Pete shared this information on his Sharamitaro cousins:
Peter and Sadie lived in Dogtown on West Park with all their children. As the children got married they moved on
Don and Laura. They lived in Dogtown. First on Tamm in an apartment then build a house next to Sadie on West Park.
Joe and Mary Jane lived in Dogtown with all their children. I think on Villa but not sure. (Note: I found them in a 1956 City Directory as Joe & Jane at 1473 Gregg)
Peter and Marian moved to South County when they got married. None of the children lived in Dogtown.
There was a pecking order on naming your kids. Fannie had a Laura (Lovena) Vogel; Jenny had a Laura (Bruce); Peno had a Loretta (Baum); Gracie had Laura (Ashley). They were all supposedly named after the grandmother (Laura Ciaramitaro).
Note: This was a well established Italian "naming tradition", and though Peter did not mention it, there were nearly as many Rosaria's (Sadie's), Guiseppe's (Joe's) and Pietro's (Peter's) in this large and extended Sharamitaro family.
As the story goes, my mother's dad (Pietro Ciaramitaro) was a fisherman in Boston and died of depression following the drowning death of his son. Her mother (Laura) took the children and moved to St. Louis and moved in with her daughter Jenny. That is how they ended up in St. Louis
Again as the story goes, when my grandparents came from Sicily they only spoke Italian and never learned English so my parents talked to them in Italian. They were subject to how the custom people wrote their papers which is why there is two spelling for the last name. 7th Street (St. Louis) was all Italians. The corner grocery store (grocer) spoke Italian, so there was no need to learn another language.
From Rosalie Sharamitaro Kiernan, niece and daughter of Grace and Charles Sharamitaro:
On where Grandma Laura lived, she lived with Aunt Jenny and Uncle Joe. Uncle Joe's fruit and produce store, had a very large room right in back of the store. This is where he cleaned and packed the fruit and produce before he took it out to the store. Right off of this very large room was a good size room with a door and that is where Grandma Laura use to live. Also off of this large room is where you would go into (like a back door) Aunt Jenny and Uncle Joe's house. (The kitchen) The front door, at the other end of the house, opened on to that side street. I can't remember the name of the street (West Park).
On some Saturday evenings, a lot of relatives use to go to Aunt Jenny and Uncle Joe's just to be together. In that back large room, Grandma Laura use to play the tambourine and all us cousins use to dance or jump around or whatever to have a great time.
Did you know, you probably do know, that my dad, Charlie, Uncle Jimmy, and Uncle Joe all married their first cousins, who were all sisters? My dad Charlie married Grace, Uncle Joe married Aunt Jenny and Uncle Jimmy married Aunt Katie.
I am named after Aunt Rose. My sister Sadie, the oldest girl in the family, was named after Grandma Rosalia(Sadie), then Laura, was named after my mom’s mother, Grandma Laura, then came me. I would be named after my father’s oldest sister, Aunt Rose. The song “Rosalie" was very popular when I was born, so my name became Rosalie, but it did have a “Rose” in it. Jeanette, (the youngest was named) after my mom’s oldest sister, Aunt Jenny. It is a shame they changed all that. OR, is it!!!
From Joy (Sharamitaro) Richter:
As for memories, I could write so much, and am happy to. I had good memories of the relatives. When attending (Sharamitaro) family weddings, receptions, and get-togethers, I always felt welcomed and embraced as a member of an extended family. So many of the women relatives, most notably Mary Jane Wiss, Aunt Marion, Aunt Katie, and most especially, Mary Jane (Mouldon) Sharamitaro (my former mother-in-law) were so kind to me. Definitely, the Italian all-encompassing love of family was always present. Jane was a kind, considerate, and a giving person and lived out her faith in so many generous ways.
Joe and Jane (Mouldon) Sharamitaro first lived in a 4 family flat at 1473 Gregg, later they moved to Villa, but I can't think of the address. An interesting note is that when John and I first married, we rented the very same flat apartment there at 1473 Gregg that Joe and Mary Jane had first lived in.
When my daughter Karen Joy was born in 1977, Aunt Sadie stopped by our house with a gift for the new baby--so kind. When John's brother Joey died in an accident in May of 1977, we truly felt that Karen--Jane's first grandchild-- was a great blessing in her grief. My son Leo can carry on the namesake of an older Leo that passed away at a young age.
On mine and John's wedding day (August 9, 1975) we dropped in to see the elder Joseph at his produce shop there on Tamm and West Park. He gave us a wedding gift of $100. John told me Joseph ate spaghetti every day (made by one of his daughters).
I have 2 photos of my children, Karen (Spain) and Leo Sharamitaro in front of Joe Sharamitaro's produce store. The year was 1980 and we had walked up (we lived at 1508 Gregg) to see Great Grampa Joe, but he was taking a nap. (see above)
Living in Dogtown and attending St. James the Greater Church, stopping in at Tamm Avenue Drug to pick up a prescription, Lehman's Hardware, or purchasing a few food items at the small grocery store on Tamm and West Park was a special time in my young married life, and I remember it with fondness. Truly, the Sharamitaro family has such a rich and interesting heritage, I am honored to have been a part of the lineage. One regret is that I never really knew Joe Sharamitaro (produce store owner). He was the last living connection to an ancestral history to be respected and celebrated.
From John Corbett:
I remember when Jenny lost her sight and yet continued working as the cashier at the store. She had help from her customers who loved her and Joe! Old Joe made everybody laugh, he was loud and funny!
From Jack Weaver:
Love this story....my great aunt Mary Jane Mouldon married my uncle joe and had mary jo, jenny , john and joey...sadly we lost Joey at the age of 18...they are some of the last remaining relatives i have on my dads side of the family...my grandmother was a Mouldon and they all lived on Nashville....uncle Joe and aunt jane eventually moved to Villa ave...spent lots of time in that house!!!
I have decided to stay here in Dogtown instead of selling my home....would love to be able to reminice about the fruit store and all the time we spent there as kids.
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