Clara Cannucciari

Clara Cannucciari
Born
Cologira Bonfanti[1]

August 18, 1915
Melrose Park, Illinois, U.S.
DiedNovember 29, 2013(2013-11-29) (aged 98)
Skaneateles, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)Web series host and author
Years active2007–2011
SpouseDino Cannucciari
Children1

Cologira "Clara" Cannucciari (née Bonfanti; August 18, 1915 – November 29, 2013) was the host of the web series Great Depression Cooking with Clara and author of the book Clara's Kitchen.[2]

Biography

Born in Melrose Park, Illinois, on August 18, 1915, Cannucciari went on to live through North America's Great Depression.[3] During these difficult times, her recently-emigrated Sicilian American parents (Giuseppe and Giuseppina Bonfanti) were hit especially hard by North America's economic woes. Clara's mother found inventive ways to stretch the family's meals and they emerged from the Depression safe and healthy. Clara has recounted that she had to drop out of high school because her family couldn't afford stockings.

In 2007, her grandson Christopher Cannucciari began filming Clara preparing her mother's Depression meals and assembled the footage into the YouTube series Great Depression Cooking with Clara.[4][5][6] She retired shortly after her 96th birthday and her last video was posted on April 18, 2019 (Fried Fish). But activities on the channel had since been renewed as her grandson Christopher announced on March 25, 2020, that he'd be uploading more videos of his late grandma onto her YouTube channel. [7]

Death

Cannucciari died November 29, 2013, aged 98. She is survived by her daughter-in-law, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.[3]

Her son, Carl, died in 1992 aged 42.

References

  1. ^ "About Clara | Clara's Kitchen & Great Depression Cooking with Clara".
  2. ^ Cazentre, Don (November 3, 2009). "Wit, wisdom and weeds: 94-year-old Internet sensation from Skaneateles publishes a cookbook". The Post-Standard. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Clara (Bonfanti) Cannucciari". The Post-Standard. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  4. ^ Black, Rosemary (February 7, 2009). "Clara Cannucciari is a YouTube sensation with 'Great Depression Cooking' show". Daily News. Archived from the original on March 2, 2009. Retrieved December 23, 2009.
  5. ^ Kirst, Sean (March 4, 2009). "Skaneateles grandmother cooks up memories on YouTube". The Post-Standard. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  6. ^ Enna, Renee (February 28, 2009). "'Great Depression Cooking With Clara' videos are a YouTube sensation". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 18, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  7. ^ Great Depression Cooking. (2020, March 25). "New Videos Announcement" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdC2_Iq3IPo&t=25s.