Family History: Chapter 1

My Father, Stephen was born and raised in Italy. He was married to a woman whose name was Maria. They had two sons, Gaspare and Vito. His wife was expecting another child when he decided to come to America to live a better life for him and his family.

The time came when he did make the move to Detroit, Michigan. While he was here trying to find work to help bring his family and support them, his wife gave birth to a baby girl and was named "Michelina". A short time later Maria became ill and passed away. My father's sister took the children home with her to care for them.

After some time, my father met a woman by the name of Archangela, "Lena" for short. When they began their life together, his wife asked him to send for his children so they could raise them together in America. So he has his sister, also named Maria, bring the children and then she returned to Italy.

After I was born, my father opened up a small grocery store and butcher shop. My brothers and my mother helped him and my sister Michelina took care of me at home.
When I was about three years old, my dear brother Gaspare became ill and passed away at the age of 19. He was such a wonderful young man! Both of my brothers were so handsome.

In the meantime my sister Michelina met and married a man that had the very same first and last name as my father, but no relation. My sister and her husband had four children, Carmela, Jimmy, Mary and Steve. Carmela was just e few years younger than I and I loved spending time with her, we were very close, I felt like she was my little sister.

Tragic News

Sunday morning,February 4th, 2007, Al and I were getting ready to go to Church. We were going to stop and pick up Lydia, our daughter-in-law Lucy's mother to take her with us.

Our son Tony and Lucy had gone down south to spend the weekend with their daughter Andrea and son-in-law Chris.

While we were preparing to dress, the phone rang and it was Tony. He told me to open the back door and as I went to do that, I saw his car coming up the driveway. As he got out of the car I could see that he looked troubled and I asked him what was wrong. He said, "I'll tell you later, where's Dad? We walked into the bedroom where Al was and Tony told us he had some bad news. We couldn't imagine what he was about to tell us. Then with a bit of hesitation, he said Alvin, Lucy's brother had died of a massive heart attack late last night. Al and I were both in shock and couldn't hold back the tears.

Alvin was a Dear Heart and a "Jack of all trades", No matter what you needed done, he was there to help whether it was plumbing, gardening, electrical, etc.

He was 55 years old. What a tremendous shock for all of us, especially for his Mother and his sister Lucy and for his loving son Aaron who lives in Merced with his wife and adorable baby whom Alvin loved so much.

Yesterday, Feb.8th was the Memorial Service at our Church in Lindsay. The building was filled with so many people whose lives Alvin touched.

The service was beautiful, our son Tony gave a very touching sermon with many fond memories of Alvin. Then Brother Jess Guerrero read a beautiful poem and several people stood up and spoke about the kind and tender ways of our dear Alvin Cavallaro.

So many Plants and beautiful Floral arrangements! If Alvin were able to see all that went on at his funeral he would have been overwhelmed to know how everyone loved him. We're all going to miss you Alvin!

If he was able to see all that went on at his funeral he would have been overwhelmed to know how everyone loved him.

May our Dear Father in Heaven receive Alvin into His Heavenly Kingdom.

God rest his soul!