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WINNING ANSWER: This might possibly be Zita Fouts. It probably is not but I am throwing out people who are close. Carlene Shackelford, Hazard, KY
We asked Carlene how she solved the mystery:
"I thought it was Zita before I guessed but you never mentioned
Italian so I figured it is not Zita. Her Dad's picture did help.
That was a very good mystery. I enjoyed thinking about it.
The car wreck cinched it for me because I remember it. Thank you
so much for doing the mystery person. I got a lot of emails from
Ida Lee while she was trying to figure it out. I knew the Lothair
tie which helped me. I enjoyed it. If you had mentioned the
chocolate pie everybody would have guessed it." Carlene
Shackelford, Hazard, KY
I enjoyed remembering Zita. Jean Willoughby Moates, Americus, GA What a nice tribute to a very special lady. Charles Bianchi, Somerset, KY. Great Guessing this time, huh? My friend, Billie and I were weighing the idea it could be Zita and Frances or Ernestine and we talked about her brothers, etc. and we let it go as naught. I saw a picture of Zita at a young age last week and it didn't register. Good going, Carlene. Wish I could have another piece of her chocolate pie. What a memory!!! This was a good one, Shane. I knew Don had Don Marshall and Jitter and then she had Gene Porter and Susan. This was a good one and it kept people guessing. I think it was enjoyed by all. The last I seen Susan when she probably was 10. Maple Street was my second home. I think the people that lived on that street were sincere neighbors and seemed to be in one accord. It was just a good street for kids to grow up and play on. I called my friend, Billie Sowders several days ago and we talked about the Bianchi girls. Billie told me she went to Mr. Bianchi's funeral. She knew the family real well and one of her sisters dated Billie's uncle. I remember when Ernestine worked in the ten cent store. Small world, and one of the best ones you have had out there. My friend, Margaret, and myself babysitted for Gene Porter and his little sister. How on earth did I miss this one? Again, it was great and me and Carlene had a good time guessing. Idalee Hansel, Spartanburg SC I remember Zita well. She partially raised me on Maple Street as I was her next door neighbor. I remember many evenings knocking on her back door and she'd be making some of her delicious pies for Don's Restaurant. She's handed me many a bowl of butterscotch pudding out the back door and I'd set on her back steps and enjoy it immensely. Oh, how our memories become treasures from the past. I loved Zita like a mother. Her passing was truly a great loss for the entire community of Hazard and especially Maple Street. Joe Lynn Johnson, Hazard, KY
Zita's father Roberto Bianchinotti
sailed to America from Naples on April 21, 1906 when he was 18
years old in search of work to raise money for his mother and
family. He arrived in New York. His future wife,
Beatrice Giacommetti was born at Brescia in northern Italy.
She sailed to America with her mother and brother and arrived in
the Port of New Orleans in 1905. Beatrice and her family
moved with their Italian friends to Newcomb, Tennessee where they
had heard there was work for them in the coal mines. Roberto
& Beatrice met in Newcomb, near Jellico, Tennessee where many
Italians were engaged in coal mining. Roberto and Beatrice
were married in Whitley County in 1913. They later moved to
Eastern Kentucky and worked at various mines in Blackey, and
Hazard, KY.
Roberto's ultimate goal was to save enough money, return to
his home in Italy to pay off the family farm. He felt
it was his duty to help his Mother financially and physically.
Roberto and his family made the trip to his birthplace in
1922. He, Beatrice, and children Leon (age 9), Ernestine
(age 6) and Zita (age 3) stayed on the family farm in Italy with
his mother. The Italian government (Mussolini) discovered
that Roberto had never served his obligation in the Italian Army
and was not yet an American citizen, so he was ordered to be
drafted. Roberto hurriedly got his affairs together and
spent most of his money to help buy his way out. He returned to
the United States with his family in 1923 and became a
proud citizen in 1929. He added to his family his son,
Geno (born in 1923) and daughter Francis (born in 1925).
Roberto was injured in a coal mine in Hazard during a cave in on
August 1st 1944. He died three days later.
We want to thank Zita's daughter, Susan Fouts Melton, for providing the amazing clues for this Mystery. We also had help from Susan's brother, Gene. Don & Zita Fouts were special people and so are their children.
Idalee Hansel, Carlene Shackelford, Elizabeth Duncan, Carol Williams, Bob Byrge, Mary Jo Gregory Edwards, Sherry Smith, Jack Martin, George Pendleton, Lyndon Combs, Lois Reynolds Farler, Carole Bowling, Harold Lloyd Baker, Jayne Marsh, Jeanna Ratliff Caldwell, Billie Reda, Bobby Brock Fouts, Faye Eckles, Gail Osborne, Laura Sandlin, Connie Deborde, & Nancy Campbell Flaherty |
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Congratulations
to Carlene Shackelford, the first to identify Mystery Person #56 as Zita
Fouts. Zita Bianchi Fouts was born at
Alais, Kentucky in 1916. Her mother and father came to East Kentucky
from Italy. At age five, Zita returned with her family to Italy but
only stayed a few months because of the political situation there.
During high school she lived in Lothair and helped baby-sit for her room
and board as her parents lived in Fourseam. Living in Lothair made
the city high school more accessible. Zita once
volunteered to be in a play while she was at Hazard High School.
Emma Ross, the director of the play, was impressed by Zita's performance which was unusual since Ross seemed
partial to boys. Zita graduated from Hazard High School in
1936. Graduation from high school during the depression era made
college an impossibility, thus she worked as a waitress and later was
employed at the power company's store in Lothair. Her brother Geno
played football at Hazard and served in the Navy during World War
II. Zita was hired by Don Fouts, owner of Don's Restaurant in
Hazard. They were married and Zita suddenly had a ready made family
of two wonderful little boys to which she would add another son and
daughter. They lived on Maple Street in Hazard. She was chosen
to teach waitress training as a pilot project in Hyden which she
thoroughly enjoyed. After work and prior to her nightly regime of
pie making, she often enjoyed quilting with her sister and neighbor for
relaxation, as well as her afternoon coffee with her next door
neighbor. She and her husband enjoyed playing bridge in a Hazard
Monthly Bridge Club convening at a different member's house each
month. Another hobby she loved was antiquing and she enjoyed making
kettles of Italian soup for her neighbors after she retired. Her
husband, Don Fouts, served in two political offices, first as City
Commissioner until he was elected Hazard Police Judge which he served
until the office was replaced by District Court. Once she decided to take
her daughter to the movies. They watched Cat On A Hot
Tin Roof with Elizabeth Taylor when it opened at the local
drive-in. Although the movie is tame by today's standards,
it was considered risqué for the '50s. Embarrassed, our
Mystery Person told her daughter, "Do not tell your dad
that I took you to such a movie." On another occasion
the Mystery Person took a trip to New Orleans with her daughter
and some friends. They toured the "French
Quarter", thinking it was an architectural site. She
was horrified to find out differently and again told her
daughter not to mention anything about it to her father.
Zita allowed her kids to go to the Virginia Theater on Sundays as her
brother in law - Pete Cassinelli, part owner of the theater, was a good
informant for her. The kids knew not to misbehave. In 1967,
the Mystery Person and her husband were in a car wreck on Versailles Road
in Lexington. Her husband was driving their blue 1964 Chevrolet when
the accident happened. They were traveling to their son's graduation from Civil Engineering at the University of
Kentucky. The Mystery Person and her sister were only two years and two months apart and were
very close. When the horses were running, she liked to read the paper and pick a
winner. She took it very seriously.
Her
favorite TV program? The Perry Como Show. Zita's
sister, Frances Bianchi married Pete Cassinelli who operated the Virginia
and Family Theaters for many years. 
The
original name Bianchinotti was difficult for many people in Kentucky to
pronounce so the name was shortened to Bianchi. 
