My maternal grandfather Peter (Petar) Babarovich died the year I was born – 1935. I was born on February 21st of 1935, but he died a month later on March 5th of that year. As a result, I never knew this unique man. Nonno Babarovich was born April 12, 1861 in the village of Splitska on the island of Brac in Croatia off the coast of Split in the Adriatic Sea. Peter was the second child of his father, Ernest…
The Great Molasses Flood, also known as the Boston Molasses Disaster, occurred on January 15, 1919, in the North end neighborhood of ‘Boston. According to This Day In History https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/molasses-floods-boston-streets it happened this way: “The United States Industrial Alcohol building was located on Commercial Street near North End Park in Boston. It was close to lunch time on January 15 and Boston was experiencing some unseasonably warm weather as workers were loading freight-train cars within the large building. Next…
On January 24, 2002 William “Bill” Taylor died in Anacortes. He was one of Anacortes’s most successful basketball coaches. He also was a positive influence in so many young men’s lives, including mine. He was a great coach and mentor to me. I’ve published a full account of my high school relationship to this great coach and his profound influence in my life: https://paulluverajournalonline.com/weblog/2013/01/william-taylor.html . In addition, I published a background of this unique man who was so important in…
Fred Lee Roy Lahrmann, 93, was born on November 27, 1920 and died in a tragic accident on January 14, 2014. My wife Lita and I became friends with Fred when we hired him to do remodeling work at our home in Mount Vernon on Laventure Street. He was a very experienced and skilled carpenter. More importantly, he was a very kind and decent man. Over the days he worked at our home, we developed a friendship with Fred and…
My sister Phyllis Luvera Ennes died on January 7, 2013. She was the oldest of the three Luvera children leaving the second child, Anita Mayer, and I as the youngest. See more information on my previous post about Phyllis https://paulluverajournalonline.com/weblog/2013/01/phyllis-luvera-ennes-1928-2013.htm She was born to Paul and Mary Luvera in Anacortes on January 29, 1928. She graduated from Anacortes High School in 1946 with honors and attended the University of Washington where she obtained a degree in English and in 1953…
I last shared lyrics from songs that inspire. On that same theme I’d like to share some random excerpts from various sources that might provide some motivation or inspiration in your life. The Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776 “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The war inevitable March 1775 –…
Two members of our family died on the same day, but years apart and in different places. My paternal grandmother, Phyllis Flippa Luvera, born in 1870 died in Anacortes on December 20, 1946, My wonderful mother in law, Elizabeth (Betty) Barnett was born in 1910 and died in Pierce County December 20, 1985. Nonna Luvera, dad’s mother, was an Italian grandmother who looked and sounded like what an Italian grandmother should look and act like. She spoke no English, but she…
Someone has suggested that the great poets of the past are writing song lyrics today. Whether that’s true or not I’ve found great inspiration from lyrics as well as poetry. There’s wisdom, theology and ideas to meditate over in many lyrics. This long post are examples of some that have meaningful ideas to consider. Past Glories When we find ourselves living in past accomplishments instead of considering each day a new gift to enjoy and use to grow, you should…
More than once we learn about the power of a bond of love between two people. Here are two reported cases involving such a bond between married couples. Both of these examples are from the state of Iowa. The first report is from July of last year about a husband and wife who had been married for 73 years and died within hours of each other in Garner, Iowa. Wanda Wold was born on March 24, 1925, in Merrill, Iowa,…
Today is the anniversary of the death of my father, Paul Nicholas Luvera Sr. He was born on March 25, 1898, he died in Anacortes, Washington on November 4, 1990 at the age of 92. I’ve published details of his extraordinary life many times. See https://paulluverajournalonline.com/weblog/2013/11/dad-1.html for a complete history of his life. Dad was born in Reggio Calabria, Italy, the son of Niccola and Fillippa Luvera. His father and oldest brother left for Canada where they worked for the…
