A Tribute to my Family

by Robert Maisano

My grandfather Ignazio Buffa purchased 2 35' x 130' lots in Monessen, PA in 1913. He and his brother built an apartment building on one lot and kept the other lot for the garden. They erected terrace walls, a large chicken coop and a storage shed.

In 1919 my grandmother Caterina Atria arrived, and they were married in Jan 1920. I think these were the happiest years of their lives. Two daughters were born. The garden flourished. Each year 100 chicken peeps were purchased. The chickens were raised on corn grown from the garden. And they were sold by the end of each year.

My grandfather got sick with tuberculosis in the mid 30's was hospitalized by 1935 and died in the hospital in 1945. It was then that my grandmother took over responsibility for raising two girls and maintaining an apartment building.  For income she cleaned homes, washed and ironed clothes and raised chickens.

She maintained a garden from 1920 to 1970. The chickens were raised on corn from the garden. The garden included tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and multiple varieties of lettuce and a fig tree. Half the garden was for corn for the chickens. About 25% was for tomatoes. She also grew peppers, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and multiple varieties of lettuce and a fig tree. She used two grow boxes to start seeds and for herbs. They had storm doors and screen doors for covers. She and the girls canned everything for winter including at least 30 quarts of tomato juice for sauce.

My parents lived in the apartment building. I was the third of six children and fortunate enough to be able to help my grandmother for the last several years of her gardening. I helped with everything from preparing the soil, planting, watering, weeding, supporting with actual sticks and ties torn from cloth and harvesting. I remember getting frustrated with her when she would ask me to get something for her from the "shundina". (That's what the word she used for the shed sounded like to me.) She would ask me to get her something but always said the name of the item in Sicilian. I tried to guess what it was, based on what she was doing and would get it wrong most of the time. Eventually it would get to "No, no, Bobbi, stupido!" I told this story recently to a friend and she said my grandmother was trying to teach me Italian. Sorry Nana.

During harvest time she would wrap up an extra head of lettuce or something and tell me to deliver it to one of the neighbors. And she would tell me to stay and visit a little while. This still touches my soul.

The garden provided so much for my grandparents and our family and friends. And it provided me with life lessons I will never forget.