The CuCu Club was started by a group of women from Cape Verde - Sao
Nicolau. My gram was a member. It was a very important social club for
the ladies, some of whom did not yet speak English - some would always
have a hard time with it. My gram never spoke it.
I can only identify a few members. I am almost certain that # 1 is
Clara Brito Livramento (who we called Nha Clara). # 5 is my grandmother
Maria Antonia Encarnacao (Almeida/Varella) Santos Cruz and # 6 is Maria Dominga (Maria
d' Minga de Oliveira Soares). When I am in New Bedford next time I will ask
around to see if anyone can identify the other ladies. Someone helped me identify them before but I can't find the note. My gram was born
in 1892 to give an idea of the age of these ladies.
My thoughts: I was at a funeral in NB in 2019? & a woman chastised me for using the words Coo Coo Club. Well, first of all she wasn't even a "Snook" and secondly, the ladies took on that name (from what I understand) b/c their HUSBANDS teasingly called them that. And she was about my age. Consider this --- on the other side of my family - who were non cape verdeans - my mother could barely and rarely leave the house on her own. She had to be in the company of my father or one of my father's sisters. How liberating then to go to New Bedford and see Ladies who had formed their own CLUB and were doing charitable works and having parties & enjoying the community of other women. If they called themselves COO COO then it could not have been too objectionable. And don't we do that still? Don't we appropriate names to make them sting less? But I can't imagine it "stinging". These were STRONG women from where I sat. Weigh in at the comments section to tell what you know about the naming of this CluB or any other tidbits of information about these amazing ladies.
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1. Clara Rosario de Brito do Livramento
"Nha Clara"
Clara Rosario de Brito do Livramento was born in Sao Nicolau in 1896.
She was the wife of John Livramento, Jr. / Joaquim Mochino /' Jack
Livramento. She was the daughter of Antonio de Brito dos Santos & Antonia
Felicia do Rosario. Mother of 9. Grandmother of 19. Sister of Ana
Cabrito dos Reis & Maria Rosario Brito. She came to the US in 1917
or 1919. In the 1920 census she is 24y, wife of John Levermento (sic).
Her obit was published (? in Standard Times) on 10/11/1984. "Clara B.
do Livramento ........". I remember her as an elegant, stately lady. I can't think of her without using the word "Nha" - which means "Our". Our Clara.
2.
3.
4. Carolina Fortes Almeida Rocha
Carolina Fortes Almeida Rocha was b. on 3/17/1894 in Boa Vista. She was
the daughter of Luis Fortes Almeida of Boa Vista. She came into the US
on 7/27/1921, traveling from Lisbon to Providence on the Ship CANADA.
She indicated that she was a "domestic". She was 26y, & expressed
that she would join Severiano Francisco Rocha. She left her father Luis
Fortes Almeida in Boa Vista. The ship manifest indicates that she was
born around 1895. She appears on the 1930 Census in NB on Acushnet Ave,
36y, w/o Silveron (sic) 38, w/kids Frank 5, Mary 2, & Grace
infant. She can be found on the 1940 Census, NB, 211 Acushnet, w/ her
husb Severino 48. She is 42. Also with kids Frank 15, Mary 12, Grace
10, Isabel 8, & Louis 1. The US Social Security Apps and Claims
indicated that she is Caroline F. Almeida, spouse of Severiano F. Rocha,
& her child is Francisco Severiano Rocha. The Mass Death Index has
her death as 1/4/1981. The Social Security Death Index indicates that
she was b. 3/17/1894 and died 1/1981. The US Obit Collection has her as
Caroline Rocha, maiden name Almeida and that her child is Ezabel
Andrade (this is Isabel)
5. Maria Antonia Encarnacao/Varela/Almeida Santos Cruz
"Maria d' Main"
Maria Antonia Encarnacao Santos Cruz was b. on 7/8/1892 in Sao Nicolau -
Pico Agudo (which is on the top of a mountain up from Estancia de
Bras). She was the daughter of Antonia Roza Encarnacao & Manoel
Roza Varela/Manoel Joao Almeida, 1/2 sister of Antonia Roza Encarnacao
& Josepha Antonia Encarnacao, wife of Joao Antonio dos Santos (from Sao Vicente but his father's family was from Sao Nicolau and his mother's family was from Santo Antao - surname Josefa) &
Francisco Pedro "Pasheek" Cruz. She was baptized in Sao Nicolau at
Nossa Sra da Lapa on 3/18/1894, the baptismal certificate
indicates that her parents were "trabahadores naturaes" /agricultural
workers. Her paternal grandmother was Roza Antonia Varela & her maternal grandmother was Roza Maria da Cruz # 2 (d/o
Manoel Jose Duarte da Conceicao & his second wife Maria da Cruz Boa
Vista). Her godfather was Jose Joao Almeida (1/2 brother of her father & son of Joao Manoel Almeida & Antonia Anna Gomes de Brito)
& her godmother was Antonia Maria de Brito, a single woman. She immigrated on the
Ship ACCAO on 6/22/1921 & she noted that she had been living in SN -
Villa Ribeira Brava. She married Joao Antonio Santos on 7/7/1923 in
New Bedford (under the maiden name Varela which was her paternal
grandmother's name & her father's "proper" name as he was never legitimated by his father). She appears on the 1940 New Bedford census at age
47. She was the mother of Tanya & Nita Santos. She worked briefly as a mill worker. She died in the early
1970's & is buried with her first husband at St. John's Cemetery.
6. Maria Dominga de Oliveira Soares
"Maria d' Minga"
b. 2/4/1899 in Sao Nicolau, "Madreminga", w/o Antone Soares / Joseph
Soares, mother of Joseph Antone, Michael Antone, Anna, Dominga "Denny",
Pauline Mary, Edwin. She immigrated on 6/15/1921, on the ship Bark
Greyhound, Sao Vicente to Providence, She was 21, she left her mother
Domingas Julia de Oliveira at Villa Ribeira Brava, Sao Nicolau. She
would join her godmother Margarida Ramos at 142 Acushnet Avenue. In the
1930 Census she is 28y with her husband Joseph. In 1932 her daughter
Anna died. In the 1940 Census she is 41y. She is buried at St. John's
Cemetery in NB. On her US Applications & Claims her spouse is
listed as Antonio Soares. This writer knew her very well as she was my
grandmother's best friend. They would spend hours on the telephone
giggling, gossiping, and laughing to the point of tears. My grandmother
(# 5 above) had a little telephone table (which was a seat attached to a
table where the phone was placed). She would sit in that seat talking
to Maria d' Minga for hours. I remember mostly that Maria d' Minga wore
the most feminine dangling earrings. She lived in Bay Village and we
were always at her house. Beautiful smile. Very warm person.
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Arcangela "Canja" Fortes was an active CuCu Club member but she does not appear to be in this photo.
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