Monti Family FUnd
St. Ignatius Church and School were foundational in the lives of our parents, Josephine and Mario Monti, and in the lives of their growing family. Jo and Mario first met in Vernonia, Oregon, when Mario was working in the logging camp. Jo would go to the camp on weekends with her mother, Maria, to visit her Dad, John, who worked there as did other family members; all of whom were Italian and most of whom were also immigrants like Mario. As Mario told the story, on one of her visits he took one look “and then a few more,” at the shy, sweet 16 year old and decided he was VERY interested. Jo had grown up on Mt. Tabor and attended Franklin High School. Mario was her first and only love. Her brothers put him through a few tests to make sure he was a good one, and Mario prevailed. Stories of the logging camp were part of family lore and that of many of their friends.
Mario came to Portland from Italy in 1935 at the age of 18 to avoid being drafted into Mussolini’s Army. He was raised in the small town of Cervarolo/Case Pelati in North Central Italy and, as was common at the time, was made to leave school to tend the cows after 5th grade. He was never able to complete his education yet through hard work and a continual interest in learning, he was able to become a very successful salesman and support a family of which he was very proud. Jo’s parents emigrated from Italy – she was born in Crooked Finger, Oregon and raised near Mt. Tabor. Mario and Jo celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with extended family in Cervarolo and renewed their vows in the small village church where Mario had been an altar boy. They were married for almost 72 years - recognized as longest married Distributions Catholic couple in Oregon in 2016. In March 2016, the love, honor, and dignity shown by the St. Ignatius congregation and staff for Mario’s funeral is another beautiful memory for our family.
Mario was stationed in Panama during WWII and played in the Army Band. On July 23, 1944, while on a three day pass, they were married at Ascension Catholic Church in Portland. They spent their early marriage at Ivy Park near Ft. Stevens where Mario was stationed after Panama. They soon saved enough money to purchase their first home on SE Woodward St. near St. Ignatius Parish, where they raised their three children, Jan, Carol and John. They later built a duplex home on the adjoining property to generate extra income. It later helped pay for their retirement and still does for Jo. Though money was tight in the early years, they made sure all their kids attended St. Ignatius School to get a “good Catholic education!” Jo was a member of several church guilds, Mario was a long time usher, and both Mario and Jo were very involved in the St. Ignatius Church Italian Dinner for many years. The dinner was started by Mario’s aunt, Lena Farioli around 1935, who lived with her husband George across the street from the Church. She was also from Cervarolo along with her sister and our Great Aunt, Aurelia Muscolo who lived nearby. Auntie Lena lovingly hand made the ravioli with several other Italian ladies and things took off from there. You could always see Mario and Jo there with their aprons and big smiles. It was such fun to go and see so many friends. We never missed the dinner.
St Ignatius Parish was a shared spiritual home for many Italian immigrants and first generation Italians like our family. These traditions permeated our lives helping us to form many lasting friendships with these families of common origin including the Bernunzio’s, the Trinci’s, the Monaco’s and the Scopacasa’s, to name a few. We grew up with the mantra to study hard and get a good education which the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary made sure we did! They included Sister Mary Genevieve Ann, Sister Mary Aloysius, Sister Patrick Mary as well as beloved lay teachers like Mrs. Bedney. Kick ball on the playground with them, their habits flying in the wind, was pure joy.
Life was a lot simpler then. We also learned some hard truths. Like the times we were instructed to hide under our desks or gather on the altar at Church during the Cuban Missile Crisis in the event of a potential strike.
Though frightened, we felt protected and loved.
The Monti kids all went on to college and have had successful and happy lives. Carol and her husband Bruce Kapteyn live in Roswell, Georgia and have three grown children and three grandchildren. John and his wife Irene Hultman live in Brooklyn NY and have a grown son. Jan and her husband Jim Miller live in Seattle with Jo who celebrated her 101 st birthday on December 23, 2023!
Jo is a continuing source of joy for her family with her sunny disposition and desire to “not miss anything,” which means we keep her involved in everything we do. We took her on a cruise to Alaska in summer of ’23 and she was honored as the most senior passenger at 100 yrs. ;-) Jo and Mario loved to dance, and at a March 2024 concert of the Glenn Miller band in Seattle; she was applauded by the entire audience of 2500 at Benaroya Hall when introduced at age 101 as having heard his original band in Portland in the late 1930’s and early ‘40’s.
Jo and Mario want to pass on their Parish legacy by supporting an endowment to the St. Ignatius School Foundation. Their gift will be multiplied by subsequent contributions over the years and hopefully will inspire some deserving young people to build a life foundation with a strong Catholic education.
Thank you Mom and Dad! Grazie’ Mille - Ti Amiano!
Mario came to Portland from Italy in 1935 at the age of 18 to avoid being drafted into Mussolini’s Army. He was raised in the small town of Cervarolo/Case Pelati in North Central Italy and, as was common at the time, was made to leave school to tend the cows after 5th grade. He was never able to complete his education yet through hard work and a continual interest in learning, he was able to become a very successful salesman and support a family of which he was very proud. Jo’s parents emigrated from Italy – she was born in Crooked Finger, Oregon and raised near Mt. Tabor. Mario and Jo celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with extended family in Cervarolo and renewed their vows in the small village church where Mario had been an altar boy. They were married for almost 72 years - recognized as longest married Distributions Catholic couple in Oregon in 2016. In March 2016, the love, honor, and dignity shown by the St. Ignatius congregation and staff for Mario’s funeral is another beautiful memory for our family.
Mario was stationed in Panama during WWII and played in the Army Band. On July 23, 1944, while on a three day pass, they were married at Ascension Catholic Church in Portland. They spent their early marriage at Ivy Park near Ft. Stevens where Mario was stationed after Panama. They soon saved enough money to purchase their first home on SE Woodward St. near St. Ignatius Parish, where they raised their three children, Jan, Carol and John. They later built a duplex home on the adjoining property to generate extra income. It later helped pay for their retirement and still does for Jo. Though money was tight in the early years, they made sure all their kids attended St. Ignatius School to get a “good Catholic education!” Jo was a member of several church guilds, Mario was a long time usher, and both Mario and Jo were very involved in the St. Ignatius Church Italian Dinner for many years. The dinner was started by Mario’s aunt, Lena Farioli around 1935, who lived with her husband George across the street from the Church. She was also from Cervarolo along with her sister and our Great Aunt, Aurelia Muscolo who lived nearby. Auntie Lena lovingly hand made the ravioli with several other Italian ladies and things took off from there. You could always see Mario and Jo there with their aprons and big smiles. It was such fun to go and see so many friends. We never missed the dinner.
St Ignatius Parish was a shared spiritual home for many Italian immigrants and first generation Italians like our family. These traditions permeated our lives helping us to form many lasting friendships with these families of common origin including the Bernunzio’s, the Trinci’s, the Monaco’s and the Scopacasa’s, to name a few. We grew up with the mantra to study hard and get a good education which the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary made sure we did! They included Sister Mary Genevieve Ann, Sister Mary Aloysius, Sister Patrick Mary as well as beloved lay teachers like Mrs. Bedney. Kick ball on the playground with them, their habits flying in the wind, was pure joy.
Life was a lot simpler then. We also learned some hard truths. Like the times we were instructed to hide under our desks or gather on the altar at Church during the Cuban Missile Crisis in the event of a potential strike.
Though frightened, we felt protected and loved.
The Monti kids all went on to college and have had successful and happy lives. Carol and her husband Bruce Kapteyn live in Roswell, Georgia and have three grown children and three grandchildren. John and his wife Irene Hultman live in Brooklyn NY and have a grown son. Jan and her husband Jim Miller live in Seattle with Jo who celebrated her 101 st birthday on December 23, 2023!
Jo is a continuing source of joy for her family with her sunny disposition and desire to “not miss anything,” which means we keep her involved in everything we do. We took her on a cruise to Alaska in summer of ’23 and she was honored as the most senior passenger at 100 yrs. ;-) Jo and Mario loved to dance, and at a March 2024 concert of the Glenn Miller band in Seattle; she was applauded by the entire audience of 2500 at Benaroya Hall when introduced at age 101 as having heard his original band in Portland in the late 1930’s and early ‘40’s.
Jo and Mario want to pass on their Parish legacy by supporting an endowment to the St. Ignatius School Foundation. Their gift will be multiplied by subsequent contributions over the years and hopefully will inspire some deserving young people to build a life foundation with a strong Catholic education.
Thank you Mom and Dad! Grazie’ Mille - Ti Amiano!