The AROLFO’S

Giuseppe (Joe) and Orsola (Ursula) Arolfo were both born in Cercenasco, Italy. They married April 28, 1895. They were farmers in Cercenasco and heard that in the United States there was a lot of fertile land to farm. So, Joe and Ursula and daughter Katie departed from Le Havre, France, aboard the ship La Bretagne, and disembarked at Ellis Island, New York, on February 2, 1897. In New York, they took the train to Texas and got off at the last stop, which was Galveston. (They had taken bread and water with them on the trip). The Italian vice consul Clemente Niccolini, went to meet them and helped them to begin a new life in America. Joe and Ursula settled in League City.

They worked for other farmers in the area where everyone raised fruits and vegetables. Besides Katie, they had four other children Lawrence, Antoinette, Dominick, and Beatrice (Theresa). They lived in League City on the corner of Galveston and Interurban Street. The house they lived in is now located in League City’s Historic District on Main Street, where it has become a local store “Nana”. Joe died at age 33 due to a ruptured kidney when he fell against a table in a coffee shop. Ursula continued raising the five children until her death at 38 due to appendicitis.

The children were left on their own - Katie married, Lawrence began working for other farmers at age 14 and later married Katie Daro and together bought over 100 acres which they farmed. Antoinette, Dominick and Theresa went to the orphanage in Galveston. Dominick only there a couple of months and ran off and joined the Navy and later married. As they became older, Antoinette became an elevator operator, and Theresa married and helped Lawrence on his farm and other area farms. In time, the Arolfo family became farmers, builders, produce buyers. They were involved in church activities, civic organizations, and Lawrence’s son, Johnnie, became 1st Mayor of League City and continued for 16 years.

Future generations have also branched out into teachers, real estate, bankers, insurance, builders, medical fields, owners of their own companies, managers for major companies, top executives for major corporations, etc. Throughout the generations our Italian roots and traditions run deep.

By Carolyn Arolfo Graham, great granddaughter of Giuseppe and Orsola Arolfo