Joe's Family

In 1900, Carlo Ravoira and his wife, Onorata (Nona), came from Milan or Torino, Italy to this country. They brought their family (some children already grown and married, others very young) with them and settled in a small rural section of Western Pennsylvania known as Westland, PA. Carlo and Onorata had seven children. Four sons, Louis Ravoira (--my husband's grandfather), James, Mario, and George; and three daughters: Madeleine (I believe she was also known as Mining), Virginia, and Mary.


Louis Ravoira was already a grown man when he came over with the family and he brought his wife, Delfina (maiden name: Picco) with him. Louis ran a grocery store and lived in Manifold, PA. Louis and Delfina had four children: Josephine (also known as Nina, born 1902), Joseph (born 1904), George (also know as Babe) and Caroline (Carrie). Louis was returning to Italy for a visit when he died (not sure how or why but I believe he died on the boat.) I don't know what happened to Delfina but Louis's sister, Mary, ended up raising Louis's daughters: Josephine (Nina) and Carolyn (Carrie).


The older son, Joseph Ravoira was married briefly to a woman named Anna May. The marriage ended and there were no children. With his second wife, Mary Schevinin Cox, Joseph had a son, Joseph Jr. (my husband., born 1951.) Joseph Sr. was in the Navy, had his own plane, and worked in a local glass factory, Hazel Atlas. He also was an electrician, had his own business wiring houses. He died in 1983.


My husband, Joseph Jr. married me, Janet Alley, in 1973. At that time he adopted our daughter, Heather (born 1970, mine from a previous marriage.) Joe works in Pittsburgh as a computer system's engineer.


Our daughter, Heather Ravoira, has a daughter, Lauren Ravoira (born 1993). Heather and Lauren live near us in Washington, PA.


George (Babe) Ravoira never married and died when he was a young man (before my husband was born.)

Josephine (Nina) Ravoira, my husband's aunt, never married. She too worked at Hazel Atlas, the local glass factory, most of her life. She died in 1995.

Carolyn (Carrie) Ravoira married a man with the last name of LeReau. They had no children but Carrie raised her cousin Nora's daughter, Myra Langdon. Carrie died in 1976 or 1977.


James Ravoira was also a grown man when the Carlo Ravoira family came from Italy. James' wife, Katherine, accompanied him. They settled in Weirton, WV and also ran a grocery store. A greatgranddaughter, Karen Ravoira Gensheimer, recalls stories of her greatgrandmother (called 'Nenen'), notorious for keeping a picture of Mussolini on her wall all thru WWII. She insisted he was a hero for Italy and adamantly refused to hear otherwise. Jim and Katherine had five children: Dora, Charles, Rose, Mary, and Jim Jr.


Charles married Mary Macek and lived in Weirton. They had two children: a son, Carl Louis Ravoira, and a daughter, Louise.


Carl Louis Ravoira was married twice. First to a woman named Ruby. They had four children: three sons-- Robert, John, and Tim; and one daughter, Carla. Carl and Ruby were divorced in 1962 or 1963. In 1964, Carl married a woman named Joan. They had one child, a daughter: Ann Marie Ravoira. Carl was in the US Navy and stationed at the naval air base in Newfoundland when he became ill with cancer. He died in Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada on April 14, 1970 at the age of 40 in Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada.


Ann Marie Ravoira MacIssac contacted Joe and I through the internet this July, 1999. She lives in Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada She was only five when her father, Carl Louis Ravoira passed away and she has been searching for her half-brothers, Bob and John Ravoira, for many years. She knows they lived in Mississippi and Alabama but has no idea where they are residing now. If anyone has any information regarding her half-brothers, please contact me at jravoira@bellatlantic.net and I will pass the information on to her.


Jim Jr. worked for Weirton Steel until retirement and, shortly after, passed away (1969). He was married to Josephine (Josie) also now deceased. They had two sons and a daughter: James, Virgil, and Alberta.


James Ravoira married his wife LaWanda 21 years ago. They live in Jacksonville, Florida. Jim was a teacher. Now he writes poetry and does stone sculpture. James and LaWanda have no children. However, James has two children from a previous marriage: a daughter, Karen Ravoira (Gensheimer) and a son, James Ravoira.


Karen Ravoira Gensheimer was born in 1953 and has three children. She found Joe & I through the internet in May, 1999. Karen provided the neat story about her greatgrandmother.

James Ravoira was born in 1954 and has no children.


Virgil Ravoira, now deceased, had an adopted son, Tommy.

Alberta Ravoira (Hindman), also now deceased, married Bill Hindman. They had two daughters: Joyce and Lois.


Joyce has three children: Jodi, Jara and Billie.


Mario Ravoira married a woman named Sybillina and they lived in Elsworth, PA. They had two daughters: Rose and Tina.

Rose married a man whose last name was Bugnone. They lived in Warren, OH and had two daughters, Connie and Eleanor.

George Ravoira was the youngest, only 8, when the Carlo Ravoira family came over to this country. George grew up and married Helen. They had a daughter, Geraldine. Helen Ravoira died just a couple of years ago. Before she died, she and her niece, Josephine (my husband's aunt Nina) were both in the same nursing home.


Geraldine married Harold Martin. They had 2 daughters: Vivian Hathaway and Donna Makel, and a son, Barry Martin-- (all have children of their own.)


Madeleine (Mining) Ravoira married Joe Giacometti and they had a son, Joe Giacometti.

Virginia Ravoira married a man whose last name was Arcuri. They lived in Canonsburg, PA and had eight children including: John, Teresa, Mary, and 5 others.

Mary Ravoira, age 10 and the youngest daughter when the Carlo Ravoira family moved to this country, grew up and married Tom Funka. They had two children, Carl and Nora. Mary also raised my husband's aunts, Josephine (Nina) and Caroline (Carrie) Ravoira after their father (& her brother) Louis passed away.


Carl Funka married a woman named Ann. They had a son named Tom, who is an ordained minister. Carl died a few years ago.


Tom Funka is an ordained minister. He is married and has children.


Nora Funka had a daughter, Myra Langdon. Nora died in 1992.


Myra Langdon was raised by her aunt, Caroline (Carrie) Ravoira. Myra married a man whose last name is Berty. They have children and live nearby, in Cecil, PA.

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