Initial Notes from a Conversation in 1998

We must begin at the beginning. We were told from our parents that we were related to Henri Matisse the famous French painter. The source of this information was my grandmother, Vera Daconta (God rest her soul). Her mother was Olympia Matisse (hope that spelling is correct and will confirm shortly via her birth certificate).

After purchasing the book, The Unknown Matisse in 1998, I noticed that I could not find the names my Grandmother had told me about. So, I called her and my grandfather. These are the notes I scribbled down from that conversation in exactly the way she told me...

12/25/1998

• Henri, Carl, Eugene Matisse, Albert Matisse
• Eugene Matisse married Vincenza ______ (seamstress)
• Olympia Matisse was the daughter of Eugene and Vincenza.
• Olympia Matisse married Genarro Barrone
• Vera Barrone (my Grandmother) was the daughter of Olympia and Genarro.
• Eugene Matisse was from Paris. Eugene was the oldest.
• Albert and Carl were inventors. Invented Search lights.
• Eugene painted the flower on her dress.
• Olympia was born on the ship coming over.
• "They were here from the 1800's"
• Grandma was born in 1909.
• Came over in New York.
• Grandma had 5 sisters and 3 brothers.
• Lucille is her older sister (Note: she told me most of this information is from Lucille).

All of this needs to be painstakingly researched, corroborated and where possible proven via objective documents.