Domenico Toretich

Domenico Toretich was born on the island of Koločep, present-day Croatia, on 10 Jun 1829. His parents were Giovanni Toretich and Maria Bujković. Koločep was also known as "Calamotta" during this time period. Parish records denote several different occupations for Domenico, including fisherman, seafarer, industrialist ("industriante"), and land owner. He married Anna Cavaletto in Koločep on 26 September 1858. The couple had two children, Giovanni (1861) and Anna (1862-1866). Domenico's wife Anna died young in Koločep in 1863, as did their daughter in 1866. In 1864, Domenico married Maria Zlovačera on the island of Lopud. They lived in the Gornje Celo area of Koločep and had six children together: Maria (1865), Pietro (1868), Nicolo (1869-1942), Michele (1871-1939), Emilio (1875), and Elena (1877). Domenico died on 12 April 1908 in Koločep, according to his death record, and was buried there in the cemetery at Sv. Nikole. Notes on Domenico's children: Giovanni (John), Pietro (Peter), Nicolo (Nick) and Michele (Mike) all became naturalized American citizens. While we don't know the precise date John was naturalized, he was living in Astoria, Oregon, as of 1900 and returned to Koločep in 1907 to marry Anna Lujak. The couple moved to Seattle that same year, where he was a commercial fisherman. They had three children, John, Anna and Nicoletta (Nettie). John and his wife are buried at Calvary Cemetery in Seattle. Peter was a fisherman and was naturalized in Seattle in 1892 on the same day as his brother Michele (Mike). Peter applied for a U.S. passport in 1906 and returned to Koločep as a U.S. citizen. In 1907, he married Ana Šoletić in Koločep. Since there are no further records of Peter in America after his passport application and marriage, we presume he remained in Europe with Ana. Nick was also naturalized in 1892 in Seattle and was a fisherman there for many decades. He married Nelly Lilly in Seattle in 1898, but a 1902 newspaper article appears to show they soon divorced. Nick was John's half brother and Nick lived with John's wife and children in West Seattle after John's death. John's children are mentioned in Nick's obituary. Nick died in Seattle and is buried at Calvary Cemetery. Mike lived in Seattle and worked there as a fisherman until the late 1890s, after which he moved to Chena, Alaska, an area outside Fairbanks. He was known there as a fisherman. Mike died in Chena and his death record notes the name of his nephew in Seattle, John Toretich, as his living relation. While his death record notes his birthdate as 17 February 1871, Mike's Koločep baptismal record states he was born 9 December 1871. Maria, Emilio (Emilj), and Elena all married in Koločep and do not appear to have immigrated to the U.S. with their brothers. Maria married twice in Koločep. She first married Vincenzo Soletić in Koločep in 1877. After Vincenzo's death, she remained in Koločep, where she remarried to Matteo Lujak in 1893. Emilj also married twice. He married Ana Mandosija in Lopud in 1902. She died in 1911 in Koločep. In the same year, Emilj remarried to Ana Kobilić in Zaton. Domenico's youngest child, Elena, married Steffano Superak in Koločep in 1897. Note on Domenico's wife, Maria Zlovačera: There are mistakes on three of the baptismal records for Maria's children. Maria's first name is written as "Cattarina" in Nicolo, Emilio, and Elena's baptisms. Her name is correct in Maria's and Pietro's baptisms, and it was clearly corrected by the priest from "Cattarina" to "Maria" in Michele's baptismal record. Domenico's sister Cattarina Toretich married Michele Zlovačera in Koločep on the exact same day that Domenico married his wife Maria Žlovacera in Lopud (a different island): 26 Sep 1864. This appears to be the most likely reason for the mistake.