Alice (McGinnis) Schiavon – Page 4 – Many Branches, One Tree

Ralph Schiavon – Part Three: Halcyon Days

Ralph Schiavon Halcyon Days (Third of a four-part series about my maternal great-grandfather) A self-made man, my grandfather, Ralph Schiavon, was not afraid of anyone. Not even “Scarface” Al Capone. In the late 1920s, Ralph was working as a supervisor for the Internal Revenue Service and lived on the South Side of Chicago with his … Continue reading

Ralph Schiavon – Part Two: Young Immigrant in a New World

Ralph Schiavon Young Immigrant in a New World Ralph Schiavon, Boston, about 1910 (Second in a four-part series) Like most newly-arrived ethnic groups during the turn of the century, Italian immigrants dreamed of becoming successful in America. This meant owning their own home. To the former peasants who for decades had endured … Continue reading

Alice Gaffney (McGinnis) Schiavon

Alice Gaffney (McGinnis) Schiavon Born June 14, 1895, in Conneaut, Ohio Died January 1, 1963, in Chicago, Illinois My beloved grandmother, Alice (McGinnis) Schiavon, was a bit of a rebel. Charming, but a rebel nonetheless. As a child, she did not want to go to school. She would line up in the morning … Continue reading