Family History - Joseph Melvin St. Marie

1. Joseph Melvin St. Marie,¹ born 9 December 1920 in Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin (parents not determined);^{1, 2} died 25 April 2000 in Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee.^{1, 2} Joseph married Ann Marie Casserly¹ (born 8 October 1923, parents not determined;¹ Ann died 27 November 2011 in Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee^{1, 3, 4}). Joseph and Ann are buried in Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee.¹

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Joseph Anthony St. Marie, born 5 June 1946 in New London, New London County, Connecticut; died 2 July 2009 in Groton, New London County, Connecticut. Married (1) Elizabeth Ann Sprafke Partnered with (2) Ann Dustin Wilson.

1. Record of conversation between Carl and Diane (Chapel) Zaccara, Lee and Peggy (Krupowski) Gazlay, and Shirley (Chapel) Smith, 13 August 2012. The discussion summarized information shared among these individuals over several years, both from Carl’s personal knowledge and information provided to him by his paternal grandmother.
2. Social Security Death Index (SSDI), Rootsweb (website). St. Marie, Joseph; no. 042-32-5390; died 25 April 2000; born 9 December 1920; issued in Connecticut; last residence in Knox [County], Tennessee.
3. Social Security Death Index (SSDI), Rootsweb (website). St. Marie, Ann M., died 27 November 2011; born 8 October 1923; issued in New York.
4. According to Carl, he was known as Carl Joseph St. Marie (the name shown on his birth certificate) until his early teens, when he started using the name Carl Zacchara, that being an ancestral surname on his (step) mother’s side of the family. His legal name change was finalized on 9 December 2009. Carl’s birth father, Joseph Anthony St. Marie, married Elizabeth Ann (Sprafke) St. Marie in 1967, and Carl was raised with the belief that Elizabeth was his mother. A few years before her death in November 2011, Carl’s paternal grandmother, Ann (Casserly) St. Marie, wanted Carl to know that his birth mother is Ann Dustin Wilson, and that his birth name was Dustin John Wilson. Presuming this as fact, then Elizabeth is actually his step-mother and she apparently adopted Carl shortly after his birth; his birth certificate is likely a post-adoption certificate since it names Elizabeth as the mother. Other information on the certificate, including his birth date and place, may also be incorrect. Carl grew up with the understanding that he and his brother, Joseph Carl St. Marie, were twins; both celebrated 26 March 1968 as their birthday during their childhood. However, it appears that Carl and Joseph were half-brothers, sharing a common father and having different mothers, and it is unlikely that they were actually born on the same day.

2. Joseph Anthony St. Marie² (Joseph¹), born 5 June 1946 in New London, New London County, Connecticut;^{1, 2} died 2 July 2009 in Groton, New London County, Connecticut.^{1, 2} Joseph married, first, 10 May 1967 in Willimantic, Windham County, Connecticut, Elizabeth Ann Sprafke¹ (born 13 October 1946, the daughter of Carl R. Sprafke and Julia _____¹). Joseph partnered with, second, Ann Dustin Wilson (born ____, parents not determined). Joseph is buried in Union Cemetery, Niantic, New London County, Connecticut.^{1, 2}

	4	i.	Joseph Carl St. Marie, born 26 March 1968.1
	5	ii.	Julia Ann St. Marie, born 24 August 1970.1
	6	iii.	Elizabeth Ann St. Marie, born 3 November 1973.1

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Carl Joseph Zacchara (born Dustin John Wilson), born 26 March 1968 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Married (1) Christine Morrell Married (2) Diane Marie Ross (née Chapel) .

1. Record of conversation between Carl and Diane (Chapel) Zaccara, Lee and Peggy (Krupowski) Gazlay, and Shirley (Chapel) Smith, 13 August 2012. The discussion summarized information shared among these individuals over several years, both from Carl’s personal knowledge and information provided to him by his paternal grandmother.
2. Obituary, The Day, New London, Connecticut, 5 July 2009, Joseph Anthony St. Marie, died 2 July 2009 in Groton, Connecticut; born 5 June 1946 in New London, Connecticut. The Obituary names his parents and surviving wife, children, and siblings, and provides a brief biographical sketch.

3. Carl Joseph Zacchara (born Dustin John Wilson)³ (Joseph,² Joseph¹), born 26 March 1968 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.^{1, 2, 3} Carl married, first, 2006, Christine Morrell² (born ____, parents not determined). Their marriage ended in divorce on 5 June 2008 in Norwich, New London County, Connecticut.^{2, 4} Carl married, second, 24 December 2009, Diane Marie Ross (née Chapel) (born 16 August 1969 in New London, New London County, Connecticut, the daughter of Robert Elwood ‘Red’ Chapel, Jr. and Dale Mae Strickland⁵).

1. Birth Certificate, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Certificate No. 97949, File No. 42169-68, Carl Joseph St. Marie, born 26 March 1968 in the City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania; father: Joseph Anthony St. Marie; mother: Elizabeth Anne Sprafke; date filed: 3 April 1968; date issued; 22 July 1968.
2. Record of conversation between Carl and Diane (Chapel) Zaccara, Lee and Peggy (Krupowski) Gazlay, and Shirley (Chapel) Smith, 13 August 2012. The discussion summarized information shared among these individuals over several years, both from Carl’s personal knowledge and information provided to him by his paternal grandmother.
3. According to Carl, he was known as Carl Joseph St. Marie (the name shown on his birth certificate) until his early teens, when he started using the name Carl Zacchara, that being an ancestral surname on his (step) mother’s side of the family. His legal name change was finalized on 9 December 2009. Carl’s birth father, Joseph Anthony St. Marie, married Elizabeth Ann (Sprafke) St. Marie in 1967, and Carl was raised with the belief that Elizabeth was his mother. A few years before her death in November 2011, Carl’s paternal grandmother, Ann (Casserly) St. Marie, wanted Carl to know that his birth mother is Ann Dustin Wilson, and that his birth name was Dustin John Wilson. Presuming this as fact, then Elizabeth is actually his step-mother and she apparently adopted Carl shortly after his birth; his birth certificate is likely a post-adoption certificate since it names Elizabeth as the mother. Other information on the certificate, including his birth date and place, may also be incorrect. Carl grew up with the understanding that he and his brother, Joseph Carl St. Marie, were twins; both celebrated 26 March 1968 as their birthday during their childhood. However, it appears that Carl and Joseph were half-brothers, sharing a common father and having different mothers, and it is unlikely that they were actually born on the same day.
4. Connecticut, Judicial Branch, Civil/Family Case (website).
5. Information provided from personal knowledge by Shirley Ellen (Chapel) Smith and Diane Marie (Chapel) Ross