In Memory of Charles Cereghino

Cover of the September 1976 Oregon Historical Quarterly Teodoro Cereghino Family 1898 in Portland, Oregon	Charles & Peter Cereghino with mother Candida Tacoma, Washington Charles passed away 2004	Charles Emanuel Lewis Cereghino 20 Dec 1926 - 19 Jun 2004

In June of 2002, Alice Cereghino of Chicago, Illinois told me she had a book that was sent to her by Charles Cereghino of Tacoma, Washington. They had supposed they were cousins but could not prove any connection. They had met years ago by a chance meeting of Alice’s brother-in-law, Lawrence Droghetti, and Charles brother, Peter, during the World War II. Their families became close and there were visits back and forth between Chicago and Tacoma.

Charles sent this booklet to Alice since it had a few pages about Portland Italians and a Cereghino relative of Charles was mentioned in the article. Alice kept this booklet for over 20 years. When she heard I was writing a genealogy book on the Cereghinos, she sent me this booklet. The booklet was a September 1976 edition of the Oregon Historical Quarterly.

I have made reference to this booklet from time to time and have contacted the Oregon Historical Society about photographs used in the Italian article. I never questioned any other photographs in the booklet as I was only concerned about the article about Portland Italians.

On August 11, 2004 I was again looking at the booklet when my eye concentrated on the family featured on the cover. I knew I had seen that family before. The caption for the cover photograph read as follows: “Identified only as Portland Italian family (c 1900). Perhaps recently arrived in U.S. Note richly ornate native dresses. OHS Cols.” It finally came to me that Victor Cereghino of Madera, California had just sent me this photograph since it was the family of Teodoro Cereghino, his grandfather.

I was amazed that a Cereghino family, although unidentified, was on the cover of a historical booklet. Charles Cereghino had sent this booklet to Alice Cereghino not even realizing that a Cereghino family was prominently shown on the cover of the booklet. Alice Cereghino had given it to me also unaware that she was giving me an important piece of history that connects the Cereghino family to Portland.

Although we still have not been able to find a connection of Charles and Peter Cereghino families to any of the Cereghino ballad singers families, we are encouraged that some day we will find a connection. We know we are somehow family by blood, but more important we are family by love and spirit.