Joseph Leo Rasico (1894 - 1980)

Born 1894 in Saint Francisville, Lawrence, Illinois, United States

Husband of Harriet (Leighty) Rasico — married 22 Jun 1922 in Daviess, Indiana, United States

Died 3 Aug 1980 at about age 86 in Vincennes Township, Knox, Indiana, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Robert Rasico [send private message]

Biography

Joseph was born in 1894. He died in 1980 at the age of 85 - 86.

Josesph was a veteran of World War I Army trained in Machine Gun Division at Sherman Camp in Ohio. He was also registered to serve in World War II.

Joseph was married two times.

Spouse #1: Harriet (Leighty) Rasico 1901 - 1935. Findagrave #14910835

Spouse #2: Dorothy Janie (Seward) Rasico - . They were divorced, 11/10/1968.

Joseph grew up in St. Francisville, Illinois. He was a descendent of early pioneer French families their births and deaths are registered at the Old Cathedral Catholic Church in Vincennes that came from Boucherville, Canada. The name was originally spelled Racicot.

He married Harriet Leighty. They moved from a home in town in Lawrenceville to a 40 acre farm in rural Lawrenceville, Illinois. It was a very hard life. Their first child Joseph Theodore Rasico died at birth. Harriet went on to have six more children, all were girls. She died shortly after her last child was born. They named her Harriet Ann. Joseph was left to raise the six little girls all by himself.

He hired a nanny later to help him. Her name was Dorothy Janie Seward who he married in 1947. She was 21 years younger than him. Joseph deeded his large 2 story home with the 40 acres over to his daughter Geneva and her husband. He had Dorothy sign a prenuptial contract that she could not inherit any of property that he owned before he married her. By this time, all Joseph’s six daughters were raised and living on their own.

Then Joseph purchased a home in Ragsdale, Indiana for him and Dorothy. It was a small shotgun style home with no running water and no facilities except an outhouse. There were three rooms in this home - living room with a coal stove, one bedroom with no heat, and a kitchen with a wood burning stove to cook on. There was a hand pump in the kitchen used to get their well water to drink. In order to take a bath the water was heated by a tea kettle then poured into a metal tub that was kept on a hook on the outside of the house. There was electricity but Dorothy cleaned the family clothes on a ringer washer and hung the clothes on a clothes line to dry with clothes pins. It was a very hard life for her. She made most of the clothes for her daughters on a treadle sewing machine along with homemade quilts for their beds. The property did have around a half acre where Joseph and Dorothy grew a garden to supply vegetables for the family. Dorothy canned many of the vegetables they grew. They grew many vegetables, such as green beans, potatoes, peas, tomatoes, melons, sweet corn, cucumbers, plus strawberries. Dorothy would make sauerkraut, pickles along with jams and jellies. She also made her own lye soap. Joseph would catch fish in his John boat from the White River. He made his own nets which allowed him to catch several types of fish for the family to eat. Dorothy later worked at Brown Shoe Factory and Gossards bra factory as a seamstress and earned enough money to put an addition on the home. She added a bathroom and a kitchen with running water.

Joseph and Dorothy got a divorce Nov 10, 1968. Joseph passed away in a nursing home in Vincennes at the age of 85 of heart disease. Cindy (Rasico)Davis

Sources

• Joseph is buried at the Zion Cemetery in Billett, Lawrence County, Illinois, USA. His page lists and has links to 1 spouse, 2 children. There are pictures of him, his medal and of his headstone. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14910832/joseph_leo_rasico#add-to-vc

• 1930 United States Federal Census

MyHeritage.com [online database]. Lehi, UT, USA: MyHeritage (USA) Inc. https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-10134/1930-united-states-federal-census

• https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10134-162893539/harriet-e-rasico-in-1930-united-states-federal-census

Harriet E Rasico in household of Joseph L Rasico Year: 1930; State: Illinois; County: Lawrence; Township: Lawrence; NARA Publication: T626; NARA Roll: 532; Enum. District: 15; Sheet: 15-B; Page: 904; Line: 71

• Harriet E Rasico (age 28

Birth: Circa 1902 - Illinois, United States Residence: 1930 - Lawrence, Lawrence, Illinois, USA Husband: Joseph L Rasico (age 35 born Illinois, USA Occupation: Farmer) Children: Mary E Rasico (5), Cecelia Rasico (4), Geneva Rasico (2), Nancy J Rasico (6 mo) All children born in Illinois

• Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959

MyHeritage.com [online database]. Lehi, UT, USA: MyHeritage (USA) Inc. https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-30010/indiana-marriages-1811-1959

Record: https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-30010-472392/joseph-leo-rasico-and-harriett-elizabeth-leighty-in-indiana-marriages Joseph Leo Rasico & Harriett Elizabeth Leighty Country: USA; State: Indiana; County: Daviess; Folder: 4476685; Film: 1434560; Page: 544; Image: 636

• Joseph Leo Rasico

Birth: Oct 9 1894 - St Francisville, Illinois Marriage: June 20 1922 - Daviess, Indiana Wife: Harriett Elizabeth Leighty Parents: John Rasico, Elizabeth Caddeiser

• Harriett Elizabeth Leighty

Birth: Nov 12 1901 Lawrenceville, Illinois Marriage:June 20 1922 - Daviess, Indiana Husband:Joseph Leo Rasico Parents:Theodore Leighty Nancy Jane Gray