Elisabeth Caso nee Panacciulli ~ a found gem

In my last posting I shared the wonderful wedding photos of Elizabeth Panacciulli to Guy Thomas Caso (1947). Hoping to find some additional information or details on their wedding I turned to newspapers.com and genealogy bank to try and locate something. I had no luck in either but in newspapers.com, I noticed a mention for an Elizabeth Panacciulli, the year 1937, in a Louisiana paper. It didn’t match my search criteria but I had to take a look.

From The Town Talk – 1937 – 10 – 29 – Page 14

The article highlights 2 letters, the 1st by Rabbi Baum who shipped ‘Louisiana bounteous products’ up to his sister Mrs. Harold Abrahams to share with her public school pupils.

A check on ancestry.com, I located a Sylvia Abrahams (29) living with her husband Harold, at 12 W. 72 St., N.Y.C.. Her occupation was listed teacher – public school. This seemed as the most likely person but the fact she was living in the city and not in Queens, I wanted to confirm this. My next step was to try and prove that Sylvia was actually Sylvia Baum, sister of Rabbi Baum. I was able to locate a marriage license for August 8, 1933 for Harold L. (Leonard) Abrahams to Sylvia Baum, Brooklyn, N.Y.. The marriage took place on the August 15th. I had our sister and teacher.

The 2nd letter highlighted was written by Queens, N.Y. 4th grade student Elizabeth Panacciulli. Her letter starts at the bottom of the article, Dear Dr. Baum. She writes they were learning about Louisiana in class and goes on to say her teacher, Mrs. Abrahams let them taste the peanuts. She wrote “we wish the children down there could see the biggest building in the world. It is the Empire State Building.”

We know that Elizabeth was born in 1 Jan., 1927 which would have made her 10 years old in 1937. The right age for a 4th grader. A check on ancestry and she was the only Elizabeth Panacciulli living in Queens. I feel very confident this is our Elizabeth.

I can only assume that she and her family were made aware that her thank you letter had been chosen to be highlighted in the newspaper. What a huge honor and thrill that must have been. And if for some reason this never was made known – it now has for her descendants.