Petals From Roseland

As I write this column my bags are packed and I’m heading out with the Veneti nel Mondo to visit the east side of Italy. I will also have the opportunity to visit the streets my parents walked when I go to Mezzaselva di Roana above Bassano Del Grappa. I will, of course, be reporting on my visit in future columns and might also share a few photos. I know I will have a great time meeting my cousins Flavia Mazzolini and her daughter Elena Migliorini when I visit Lago di Como and Lago Maggiore. My December and January column …

  A significant event on the Far South Side, the 42nd annual Pullman House Tour has garnered more attention over the years as former area residents felt the need to connect with their roots. They have found that the tour is the perfect time to return to Pullman/Roseland/Kensington for a glimpse into their past. This year marks the first year that Annual Pullman House Tour will be taking place in the newly proclaimed and designated Pullman National Monument. I mention this as a cautionary statement to those of you have given thought to attending the Pullman House Tour. Due to …

It seems that this time of year always presents itself with so many different avenues to choose from insofar as a topic for Petals from Roseland is concerned. That is why this column covers a number of different topics. So, sit back and relax as we journey down many paths. Let me begin by saying I really enjoy being a member of the Veneti nel Mondo. They are a jovial and fun-loving group. Even those members who aren’t laughing every minute due to physical pain or the agonies of life manage to laugh at the wisecracks. This is the group …

  Let me say that many of us have left Roseland but we’ve never left behind the people, places or good times that Roseland gave us. The rich history and connection that we have carried with us these many years is borne out in the respect we have for many of those we knew in our youth who are now elderly. Among these “precious gems” from our youth that have always shined brightly when we recall them is the late Anne Ronzani. Anne Ronzani (nee Lavarda), passed away June 5, one day before her 97th birthday. She was the wife …

  As I sit at my retiree desk writing this column, summer is still working its way into being a consistent season. My next-door neighbor Al Davis is burning some logs in his fire pit and the smell is wafting up through my barely open second floor window. The scent is playing time machine games with my mind and drawing me back to those days of burning leaves and other smells of the good old days. Those simpler days were full of memorable aromas and some smells that we’d like to forget. (Why is it that we always sniff again …

  Summer has begun for sure and once again, we’re all about making use of the season for which we’ve waited many months. When people describe Chicagoans, one adjective that always comes to mind is “resilient.” We always bounce back from the reality given to us to create a new reality for ourselves. That translates into us Roselandites and Pullmanites looking forward to the opportunity to get together at reunion opportunities that come our way. This year, with Pullman having been given the honor of being designated as the Pullman National Monument of the National Park Services, everyone has a …

  As of Thursday, February 19, 2015, I have been living within the boundaries of the Pullman National Monument! After many years of hard work and progressive effort by numerous residents and supporters, Pullman has become part of the country’s National Park System. As a voting member of the Executive Board of the Pullman Civic Organization (PCO) I received a ticket to attend the Presidential signing at the Gwendolyn Brooks Academy, (formerly Mendel and Pullman Tech). I did all the right planning to get myself a center seat in the sixth row, directly in front of the dais with all …

It seems that every family tree boasts an artist — whether near or far historically. Many of us have hidden talents that we’ve never explored, but some of us have offspring whose talents have flourished. When our children take part in an art exhibit at school and then carry on with that interest into their adult education we swell with pride. If those children of ours become successful commercial artists — whether they are actors, sculptors, musicians, singers, songwriters or performers – our joy knows no bounds. As we see our relatives persevere and endure through the hardships that are …

During this past holiday season I kept seeing ads and hearing stories about the holiday traditions that people maintain. Everything from when to put up the tree to how to decorate it were enthusiastically debated, along with what to serve on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. All this discussion got me to thinking about Roseland and the traditions its residents maintained. I’m sure one thing we can all agree on is that the good people of Roseland were all traditionalists. I easily recall the annual tradition of the Gately’s Peoples Store sponsoring the Michigan Avenue Christmas parade. I remember that …

“Valentine’s Day was met with the same excitement no matter which grade school you attended. St. Anthony’s, St. Louis, St. Salomea, Pullman, Poe, VV, Scanlon or Gompers — it didn’t matter — the exchanging of Valentine’s cards was always a big deal and for some, a terrifying ordeal. My guess is that it became less of an ordeal for those who rarely got a Valentine once the nuns/teachers made sure that the kids brought enough cards for each student. For me, there are only a couple of Valentine’s that I remember. I recall the time my sister Tootsie and I …