Sacramento County
Biographies
MRS. LUCINDA GIROLAMI
MRS.
LUCINDA GIROLAMI.--A native daughter who has seen much of the improvement
and growth of her native city, the capital of the great commonwealth
of California, is Mrs. Lucinda Girolami, a
daughter of pioneer parents, Frank and Maria (Raggo) Guisto, who were natives
of Genoa, Italy. Frank Guisto, when a lad of seven years, came
with his parents to Philadelphia, Pa.,
where he received a good education in the public schools of that city. In 1852 he came to California,
around Cape Horn in a sailer, to Jackson,
Cal., and there he followed mining, and
there, too, he married Miss Raggo, who was brought from her native Italy when a
babe in arms by her parents to Philadelphia and to Jackson, Cal., when she was
a girl of seven years, arriving there in 1853 or1854. In that pioneer mining town she attended
school, and grew to womanhood. Soon
after their marriage they located in Sacramento,
so they were through the flood of 1861 and 1862. Mr. Guisto engaged in farming, purchasing
twelve acres of land, now in the city limits, where he raised asparagus until
his death in 1899. His widow afterwards sold the place to Mr. Carmichael, who subdivided and sold it
as the Casa Loma Addition, and it is now built up. Mrs. Guisto lived to the age of seventy
years, passing away in 1917. They were
granted two children: John, who resides
in Casa Loma, and Lucinda the subject of this
interesting review. She received her
education in the Riverside School
and assisted her mother competently in presiding over the home until her
marriage on December 25, 1881, being united with Constant Girolami, who was
born in Lucca, Italy. He made his way to Sacramento,
Cal., when thirteen
years of age. He began at the bottom and
paddled his own canoe, in time becoming a farmer, and he demonstrated his
ability to succeed and with the aid of his estimable wife accumulated a
competency and became influential in their community. They owned a ranch at Thirty-fifth and B.
Streets, and also one on Riverside road, where they
engaged in growing asparagus. However,
he was not permitted to enjoy the fruits of his labors for he was called to the
world beyond on February 8, 1906, a man who was deeply mourned by his family
and friends.
The
union of Mr. and Mrs. Girolami was blessed with three children: Estelle is the wife of Peter Lagomarsino, of
Sacramento, and has two children, Earl and Doris; Eva is the wife of John B.
Lagomarsino, and also lives in the capital city, and has a son named John Bert,
Jr.; and the youngest of the family is Justine, Mrs. Vincent Matteucci, of San Francisco, who has a daughter, Justine
Marie.
After her husband’s death, Mrs. Girolami
continued farming, specializing in asparagus for a few years, when she rented
her
ranches and now devotes her time to looking after other
interests. She manifests a deep interest
in civic and social conditions
in her native city, for whose prosperity she is very
zealous. During the World War she was
active in the Red Cross and other
allied war work. Mrs.
Girolami is a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and
being a firm believer in the principle of
protection for America and Americans, she is a strong
Republican is (sic) political views.
Transcribed by Barbara Gaffney.
Source: Reed, G. Walter, History of Sacramento County, California With Biographical Sketches,
Pages 805-806. Historic Record Company, Los
Angeles, CA. 1923.
© 2007 Barbara Gaffney.