27 DEC 1888  -  05 JUL 1955

Ben was born in Baselga di Piné-Tressilla, Italy, on December 27, 1888 (source birth certificate). He was the fifth of five children born to the marital union of Giacomo Mattivi and Domenica Anesi. It appears he was raised in the area and remained there through age 17. The details of his childhood remain unknown. On December 29, 1906, at age 18, Ben boarded the S.S. Le Bretagne at the port of Le Havre, France, and began his journey to the United States. Ben arrived at the Port of New York on January 6, 1907, and was  processed at Ellis Island. According to the ship manifest, Ben was 5’9” tall, single, and a farmer by occupation. He declared $28 in currency and indicated he had paid for his own passage. Ben’s stated destination was Silverton, Colorado, where he intended to join his brother, Giovanni (John), who had immigrated in 1900 (source 1920 census). At the time of Ben’s entry, Silverton was a popular destination for Trentini immigrants due to its booming gold and silver mines.

Sometime prior 1909, Ben migrated to Novinger, Missouri, where he and Rosa’s paths intersected. They subsequently married on March 13, 1909 (source Ben’s naturalization application), and shortly thereafter began their family. Their first child, James, was born on January 14, 1910, in Novinger. In typical tradition, he was named after Ben’s father. Based on vital records, the family probably remained in the Novinger area for a couple of years. The 1910 census record indicated Ben, Rosa, James, as well as Ben’s brother John, were living together at that time. (The census record also indicated Lena (Girotti) Merlo and her children lived next door.) Between 1910 and 1912, Ben moved the family to Dawson, New Mexico, where their second child Evelyn was born (September 6, 1912). The family likely migrated to Dawson in order to join the various other migrants who had flooded the area to work the mines. Ben and family were joined in Dawson, although the timing of each couple’s arrival remains uncertain, by Joe and Lena (Girotti) Merlo, Rosa’s older sister and brother-in-law. On November 6, 1911, Lena Merlo died of unknown causes and was buried in the Dawson Cemetery. One year later, in November 1912 (source Ben’s naturalization application), the family returned to Novinger.

From this point to 1916, Ben and Rosa’s movements remain undocumented, as there were no births, deaths, or census collections during these years. Their next recorded appearance came on June 11, 1917. On that date, Rosa sent a postcard to her brother John Girotti indicating the family was living in Radley and/or Pittsburg, Kansas, where Ben and others were attempting to obtain work. Most likely they were seeking employment in the mining industry, as Pittsburg, Kansas, was a mining town, like the other areas they had been. The length of their stay remains unknown, but ended prior to 1920. Although Ben and Rosa left the area, it appears John Mattivi (Ben’s older brother) stayed and spent his remaining life in the adjacent town of Frontenac.

By 1920 (source 1920 census), Ben and Rosa had returned to their Novinger beginnings.  Rosa subsequently passed away on June 26, 1921. The cause of death (source death certificate) was documented as Septicemia, an infection/bacteria of the blood stream.  the secondary or contributory cause was identified as a pelvic abscess. Rosa was treated for this condition for approximately one-and-half months prior to her death, and underwent an unsuccessful operation on June 2, 1921, in Kirksville, Missouri, where she passed away several weeks later. Ben and Rosa were married approximately 12 years and this was Ben’s longest enduring marriage, but by no means his last.

In 1923, approximately two years after Rosa’s death, Ben married Oliva Grisenti, another Trentini immigrant. The marriage occurred in either Novinger, Missouri, or Chicago, Illinois, with the exact location unknown at the time of this writing. They eventually settled in the Chicago area, where a number of former Novinger residents resettled after the collapse of mining. This marriage was short and produced one child, Corine.

Ben and Oliva had Novinger, as well as Baselga ties, facilitating there union. Oliva immigrated to the United States from Baselga di Pine on December 13, 1920. She first settled in Novinger with her sister, Angela Avi. (For years, Oliva has mistakenly been identified as Oliva Avia, which appears to have been a misspelling of Avi, her sister’s married name.)

Following dissolution of this marriage, Ben apparently returned to Novinger, while Oliva and Corine remained in the Chicago area. Corine reported little contact with Ben during her formative years. At age 16, she contacted Ben and visited him in the Novinger and/or the Kansas City area. Following this visit, she lost touch for a while and subsequently rekindled the relationship after marriage, visiting occasionally.

Ben's third marriage was to Loraine "Dutch" Robinson, a Novinger native.  This relationship was another in a string of short-lived romances.  Based on birth records, it appears Ben and Dutch were married in approximately 1925.  They subsequently had two children, Joselyn and James "Bud." The marriage ended in divorce in 1929.  It appears Dutch took custody of Joselyn and Ben retained Bud, who was only a year old at the time.

In approximately 1938, Maggie (Girotti) Sandretto returned to Novinger, after a 20-year absence from the area.  It appears that shortly thereafter, she and Ben married.  The dynamics of this marriage are very curious, as Maggie was Rosa (Girotti) Mattivi’s older sister and at one time Ben’s sister-in-law. The pair divorced on October 17, 1939 (source divorce order) and Maggie returned to the Sandretto name. No children were born to this short union.

Ben’s fifth and final marriage was to Theresia Hurst. They lived in Gladstone, Missouri, and operated a small restaurant in the area for an unknown period. Naturalization records indicated Ben moved to the Gladstone area around 1945, from his former home in Northmoor.

During this time, Ben played in the KMBC orchestra, which was broadcasted on a local radio station. It appears Ben continued to work during this period, but was seeking citizenship and social security. He subsequently passed away on July 5, 1955. No children were born to this marriage.