Source Information

Order Sons of Italy in America
Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, U.S., Order Sons of Italy in America, Enrollment and Death Benefit Records, 1910-1968 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2012.
Original data: OSIA: PA Grand Lodge Mort. Fund Data on Individual Deaths, Member Data Cards, Cancelled Member Data Cards, Monthly Death Lists by Lodge, Mortuary Fund Reports, Mort Fund Deaths and Cancellations, Enrollment Cards. Washington, DC: Order Sons of Italy in America.

About Pennsylvania, U.S., Order Sons of Italy in America, Enrollment and Death Benefit Records, 1910-1968

This database contains documents relating to mortuary benefits for members of Pennsylvania chapters of the Order Sons of Italy in America.

Historical Background

The Order Sons of Italy in America (OSIA) was established in 1905 in New York as a mutual aid society to assist Italian immigrants coming to the United States. The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania was founded in 1913 and quickly grew to become the nation’s largest. Among its efforts, OSIA offered members scholarships, help with obtaining citizenship, aid to the poor, and life and mortuary benefits.

This database contains a number of different document types related to OSIA mortuary benefits and individual deaths. These include enrolment cards, mortuary fund reports, death benefits lists, cancellations, and member data cards. Records typically include names and death dates. Enrollment cards may also list

  • address
  • date of birth
  • registration/enrollment date
  • marital status
  • spouse’s name
  • spouse’s death date

Some records are in Italian.