Paul Luvera Journal

Nick  Petrish died in Anacortes on December 19, 2011. We had a long friendship. We went from grade school through high school together. We played sports in school on the same teams.  We had a common background of purse seine fishing through school and parents with a Croatian background. After college Nick ended up working with me in my law firm as our investigator and legal assistant. We worked together from 1977 until his illness in 2011 forced his retirement….

Read More Read More

The year I graduated from high school in Anacortes, Washington, my maternal grandmother Marija Babarovich died. Her story of immigration is one of great courage and sacrifice that I have described in writing about my mother. But, on the annversary of her death I want to reprint it again. She was born September 21, 1863 in Splitska, Brac, Croatia and died August 8, 1953 in Anacortes, Washington. I remember her vividly. A tall erect woman with hair piled high on…

Read More Read More

My father in law, Hollis Barnett died on March 22nd, 1990. He was a unique and wonderful man. You can read about his extraordinary wife Betty Barnett and more about this couple who I grew to love. https://www.paulluverajournalonline.com/weblog/2010/03/i-write-this-in-memory-of-my-wifes-father-hollis-hall-barnett-whodied-in-puyallup-washington-on-march-22-1990-at-the-a.html Hollis Hall Barnett died in Puyallup, Washington at the age of 83. Hollis was born in Buckley, Washington on May 3, 1907 and spent his younger years at Mt. Rainier National Park where his father, Herman "Herm" Burke Barnett, was a National Park…

Read More Read More

My maternal grandfather Peter (Petar) Babarovich died the year I was born – 1935. He died on March 5th of that year and I was born in February of 1935 so I never knew this unique man. Nonno Babarovich was born April 12, 1861 in the village of Splitska on the island of Brac in the Adriatic Sea. He died in Anacortes, Washington March 5, 1935. Peter was the second child Ernest Babarovich and his wife Louise Setelich. The family…

Read More Read More

My sister Phyllis Luvera Ennes died on January 7, 2013. She was the oldest of the three children with Anita Mayer in the middle and I as the youngest. For my previous post about Phyllis see  https://www.paulluverajournalonline.com/weblog/2013/01/phyllis-luvera-ennes-1928-2013.htm  Born to Paul and Mary Luvera in Anacortes January 29, 1928,  she graduated from Anacortes High School in 1946 with honors and attended the University of Washington where hs obtained a degree in English. In 1953, the year I graduated from high school,…

Read More Read More

PHYLLIS FLIPPA LUVERA 1870 – 1946 My grandmother – dad's mother – died December 20, 1946 in Anacortes. She was an Italian grandmother who looked and sounded like what an Italian grandmother should. She Nonna spoke no English and was a wonderful cook who was always feeding us children something whenever we visited. I've written about her before: https://www.paulluverajournalonline.com/weblog/2013/12/phyllis-flippa-luvera-1870-1946.html.htm ELIZABETH "BETTY" BARNETT 1910 -1985 Betty Barnett was my wife Lita's mother who died December 20, 1985. I've written about this remarkable…

Read More Read More

Today is the anniversary of the death of my father, Paul Nicholas Luvera Sr. 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://www.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 Canadian Pacific…

Read More Read More

On an early Friday morning, July 7th 2000, my mother Mary Thelma Babarovich, died in her sleep at the San Juan Care Center. Her death was not unexpected. After all, she was born on December 28, 1905 and was ninety four years old when she died. She had been in failing health for some time. Her passing was, in fact, a personal blessing to her as she had been ready to meet her maker for some time. She and dad…

Read More Read More

My grandfather, Nicola Luvera, was born in Italy where his father, Paolo Nicola and mother Rosa Luvera were were sheepherders And sharecroppers in Gallina Italy. He worked with his father until he was 16 years old when he decided to move to Reggio Calabria where a cousin Antonio working in a slaughterhouse. He was able to get a job with his cousin and lived with his family for four years. Then he married woman from his village. They had a…

Read More Read More