Family Trees and Branches: 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2026 Week 2

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2026 Week 2 - A Record That Adds Color

The prompt this week is "A Record That Adds Color". I knew as soon as a saw it that I am meant to blog this week, because I just this week came across a newspaper article. While small, it adds color to the story.

This week I have been researching my grandfather's first cousin, Angelo D'Ercole. He was married at least three times, so I have been spending time getting to know his first wife this week. Angelo married Nellie Sambasile in Omaha, Nebraska 6 Jan 1945. A local Italian language newspaper announced the marriage and included the fact that "an excellent lunch in honor of the newlyweds was served at the Fontenelle Hotel."

Liete Nozze Ellie Sambasile e Angelo D'Ercole Wedding Announcement Jan 29, 1945 The American Citizen (Omaha, Nebraska) Newspapers.com

I didn't pay much attention to that line until the next day when I found Nellie in the local city directory. The line about Nellie lists her parents living at the same address. What caught my eye was the information following their names that listed her father's employment; Charles Sambasile is listed as a pastry man at the Hotel Fontenelle! That little tidbit got me thinking about what it meant for Nellie's wedding lunch. I'm sure it was very excellent. Her father was listed in the 1930 census at a hotel cook, possibly also at the Fontenelle. I'm sure his coworkers took extra care in preparing and serving the lunch and making it a nice experience for the newlyweds.

I then spent a little time learning about the Hotel Fontenelle. The Fontenenlle was an upscale hotel that opened in 1915. Through the years it hosted many celebrities from dignitaries including Harry Truman and John F Kennedy to sports personalities including Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. The distinctive feature of the 18-story building was the tall castle-like spires at the top. The hotel transferred ownership several times until it closed permanently in 1971. Sadly, the hotel was demolished in 1983.