Josephine (Catalano) Elliott (1900 - 2003)

This is (Privacy Protected grand-daughter) writing this. These accounts are from memory and what was told to me by my grandma.

Josephine was born in Amite, Louisiana in 1900. Her father died (no one knows exactly from what or where he is buried) when she was only 3 years old and could not tell me anything about him but that the elders use to call him Paulo (though his name was Ippolito). Josie's mom Dominica remarreid about one or two years later to Biaggio Oddo and eventually they moved from the country of Amite, La. to the city New Orleans. Josie had only a second grade education but through the years, every time someone said a word, after they left she would go get the dictionary and teach herself the meaning/meanings of that word; she taught herself all that she knew. In watching her do this, I still to this day do this myself from her example. Josie went to work in the Cotton Mill on Tchoupitoulas St. in New Orleans when she was only 12 in order to contribute to the family to survive.

Josie married Ramose Narcise Elliott in 1925 and they bought the house at 4520 Constance St. in New Orleans, Louisiana for $400. At that time the house was old and worn. They added on the front living room and fixed up the house to be very nice. Josie's husband was a merchant marine cook on ships and was always gone. Josie's husband was a drinker and I remember him coming home one night drunk, fell on the floor and my grandma put a pillow under his head and a blanket to cover him and left him there to sleep it off. But, it wasn't always like that, I remember times when he was in the kitchen cooking. Once he brought home some live blue crabs and he let one get on the floor and us kids were jumping on top the chairs, a fun memory.

Josie was such a sweet wonderful caring person, very devoted to her Catholic faith. I think she took in every family members children at one time or another to care for them. My sister, brother and I lived with our grandma Josie from around the time I was 6 until I was 9 years old. At one point it was very hard on Josie to care for 3 children on her own, so my dad came off the ship and found a place where either the children were orphan's or parents who could not take care of their children, at the time it was called the German State Street Home on State St. in New Orleans, La, we satyed there for about one year. Josie would come on the bus every weekend and take us home with her, wash our clothes and then bring us back. We were in this home for about one year I think. My dad was always on the ship, he took us away from my mom to live with my grandma cos one day when he came home off the ship he said my mom was cheating on him and unfit to care for us cos she would leave us alone.

Josie traveled later in life to visit family in California or her son Ray would take her to many places with his second family. Josie lived a full life, some hard times and some very loving fun times. I never heard her complain about anything but she had a way that when she said something, you listened. She never had any surgeries!

Again in 1975 I lived with my grandma, while trying to get back on my feet. I remember one day I came home from work and she told me she was robbed coming home from the store, the robber tried to grab her purse but she fell on top of it and started screaming, the robber fled after seeing people coming to her rescue, the robber didn't get anything.

Grandma tried to teach me some Italian, as I wanted to learn but she only taught me a little. I remember her speaking it sometimes but very little, only when needed. She use to bring us to her half sister Lucy's house all the time. I remember once meeting my step great grandfather Oddo, he was laying in a hospital bed in Lucy's house, he only spoke Italian and Josie and Lucy use to tell us what he was saying.

In the 1980's, the house was getting to be to much for Josie to keep up with and her son Ray helped her sell it and she moved into a duplex in Metairie, Louisiana next to Wayne Catalano (a relative) which was owned by Wayne's family. Later, Josie would move in to a Catholic nursing home in Gretna, Louisiana and remained there until her passing from this life.