NEIGHBORS

The Buchignani Clan
It may be the largest of all Healdsburg’s old Italian families. The web this family weaves stretches across races and continents. When typed out in small print on sheets of butcher paper, the Buchignani family tree spreads the length of three ancient picnic tables.
Six years ago, 289 Buchignanis gathered at Lake Sonoma. This year, on July 28, approximately 190 Buchignanis gather at the Villa picnic grounds. We’re talking six and seven generations, mostly Healdsburgers––many would never live anywhere else; others are scattered around the globe. This is truly a gathering of the tribe.
Let’s start with the four family matriarchs who I meet here today. Ninety-two-year-old Louise Buchignani is already a friend because she and her husband Leo (now deceased) were my first Neighbors interview. But there’s also Alice Buchignani, age 93, Alma Buchignani, age 88, and Dolly Buchignani (matriarch of the Dry Creek Buchignanis as opposed to the Narciso Buchignanis). Frank Pastori, who was married to Edie Buchignani, has missed the event due to illness.
Louise tells me that Narciso Buchignani (born in 1845) immigrated to California from Tuscany in 1896. He and his wife, Rosa, first lived with the Puccionis (friends from Italy) out in Mill Creek. Narciso and Rosa had four children: Isola (married Alberto Giovannoni), Dalida (married Angelo Puccioni), Rizieri (married Fanni Sbragia) and Oreste (Leo’s dad, married Natalina Del Fava). Natalina was a “mail order” bride from Italy. When Oreste kissed Natalina upon her arrival in California, she slapped him, having no idea who he was! After their marriage in May 1905, they had eight children: Leo, Rosie, Nivan, Deno, Lella, Caesar, Leah and Edie. Leo was born in 1914 at the family home on Walling Road in Geyserville. Narciso, the patriarch of this line, died in 1919 and is buried in the Healdsburg cemetery. For the sake of sanity, I’ll be using Leo and Louise as my reference point.
Today I’m picnicking with Narciso’s great-grandson, Ken Buchignani (Leo and Louise’s son), Ken’s daughter, Jennifer, and her son, Joshua––three current generations of Healdsburgers.
“I’m Healdsburg, born and raised,” Ken tells me. “I went to San Francisco and met and married Suzie, of Japanese descent. I wanted our children to be raised here, so we returned, were married in the Asti Church and have now been married 44 years.”
“And I met Joshua’s father in Germany,” Jennifer adds. “But I wanted Josh to be raised here. He’s a high school sophomore and an amazing musician––the lead drummer in the HHS band.”
“Now, including Mom (Louise), four generations of us live within a few blocks of each other,” Ken tells me.
Oh, but that’s too simple and straightforward. Let’s up the ante a bit by talking with Ernie Domenichelli, another fourth generation, who once pitched for the San Francisco Seals baseball team.
“Oreste’s daughter Rosie married my dad, Albert Domenichelli,” Ernie tells me. “As a kid, I was playing high school baseball in Geyserville when a scout from the Seals came and signed me up as a pitcher. I pitched for the Seals during the 1951-52 season. In 1953, I played for the Cloverdale semipro team, pitching against Clarence Ruonavaara who played for the Prune Packers. I also pitched a no hitter when I played for the Army. I lived in Geyserville with my wife Diane for many years and am now in Modesto with my daughter, Tina Garrett.”
Tina from Modesto has already identified herself to me as the granddaughter of Rose Buchignani Dominichelli, Louise’s sister-in-law. Tina tells me, “I grew up in Cloverdale, but haven’t lived there for 25 years. Today I’m here with my dad, husband, daughter and grandson.” There we have it. Seven generations since Narciso got off the boat.
Now there’s also Alma Chiosi Buchignani, wife of Leo’s first cousin, Cerri (now deceased). Alma’s here with her daughter Shirley and son Rick. Her parents met in 1942 at the old Redwood Service Station in town. Alma’s uncle worked as both a barber and a bartender there, making his famous Italian highballs of red wine and 7-Up. Alma now lives with Shirley and Rick on the Buchignani Ranch in Dry Creek Valley.
Rick tells me: “The property which Dad (Cerri) bought in 1958 is in the location of the former town of Reinersville. At the turn of the century, Reinersville, 1.5 miles north of Dry Creek Store, had a bar, a blacksmith, a store and a winery and distillery. It was the local watering place on the way to Skaggs Springs Resort where Alexander Skaggs established a hot springs retreat in the 1850s.”
And there’s 93-year-old Alice Buchignani, wife of Leo’s brother Caesar (now deceased). Originally from Petaluma, Alice came to Healdsburg at age 14 to work at the old Miller’s packinghouse out on Grove Street. She met Caesar and they stayed on the ranch for awhile before moving to 433 North Street where they lived for over 50 years and raised their kids––Norman (deceased) and Carol. Alice also worked at Sunsweet Prunes––“write prunes, not plums!” someone instructs me from further on down the table––and she took care of 20 to 30 kids of the plant workers.
“I watched kids from 5:30 a.m. until 12:30 in the morning,” Alice says. “I also had five kids who were court wards and I got a dollar a day per kid…”
At this point, Alma’s son Rick chimes in: “When I was in junior high, Alice had Alice’s Kitchen at the bowling alley. In the 1970s, we kids went there three times per week for P.E. and enjoyed her French fries. When the bowling alley burned down, Alice’s Kitchen moved.”
“I moved it to across from where McDonald’s is now,” Alice says. “During the late 1970s through the 80s, I sold great frozen Italian take-out food and pies––food to just pop in the oven.”
Then Alice adds something just to confuse me. “I’m also Clarence Ruonavaara’s aunt!” she exclaims proudly, pulling a Prune Packers T-shirt out of her bag.
“I was in a real pickle when both my nephews––Ernie Dominichelli and Clarence––were pitching against each other in the 1950s! We were all involved in the lighting committee and I never once missed a Prune Packers game.”
Next I connect with Ron Puccioni. Narciso’s daughter Dalida married Angelo Puccioni. John Puccioni (their son) and Dorothy Mazzoni were Ron’s parents and Ron taught P.E. and science at Healdsburg Junior High for 33 years––from 1965-98.  
And now Cheryl Dilworth greets me. What is Cheryl doing here?
“I can’t explain it,” she says. “But my sister will.”
Cheryl takes me to meet Debbie Zahn and their mother, Gloria Magnani Patteson. I learn that Dalida Buchignani and Angelo Puccioni also had a daughter named Rosie, who married Settimo Magnani. They gave birth to Gloria, who had four girls: Debbie, Cheryl and twins Patricia and Pamela. Now, here’s the zinger… Debbie tells me that her dear friend Gary Magnani (who is here) is also a relative from a completely different side of the family and they were just at another reunion together.
Do you know a Buchignani? Stay tuned for more on this family and some surprises in the next Neighbors…
Shonnie Brown is a local author and memoirist who is interested in fostering connections between people and their community. Shonnie writes personal and family histories through her business, Sonoma LifeStories, and is also a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She can be reached by e-mail at sh*****@so***.net or on the web at www.sonomalifestories.com.