JJ Carvalho - A Short Biography

With the sea at his toes and an inquisitive and adventuring mind, 

the Portuguese natural orientation is towards the west. 

The 17th century Portuguese writer, Antonio Vieira wrote, 

"God gave the Portuguese a small country as a cradle 

but all the world as their grave."

JJ as he looked when he first arrived.

It is true.

We Portuguese love to explore.

We love adventure!

We love to move about.

My grandfather, JJ Carvalho was born December 24, 1884 in the village of Santa Cruz, on the island of Flores Island, Azore Islands. We are still unsure if his name was Joao Joaquim, as he said, or José José, as told to me by my cousin in the Islands. This has made records of him before he came to America very difficult to find.

Grandpa gave his immigration to America as June 16, 1903 on the ship "Patria," 
and he arrived in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
 I have found a record of what appears to be his arrival 
on 14 December 1902 on the ship "Donna Maria."  
Viera family members have said that JJ came with Joe D and Maria de Freitas Vierra. 
I have found a record of the ship Patria, with a friend, Jose Reunaldo, 
who lists my grandfather as a friend. 
However, I do not see my grandfather on the ship's register. 
I do see the Viera family on the list.

Grandpa was just one of a wave of young Portuguese people
 to leave the Islands and head for America and Brazil. 
At the time in history, there was a lottery for military service.  
And in 1880, a new Portuguese law required that $300 be deposited 
for any male of military age leaving the country legally.  
After this, stowing away on a whaling ship became common, 
and soon other types of ships cruised the Azores to "steal Portuguese."

There really wasn't much in Flores to convince JJ to stay. 
People were starving, and in those days, 
the youngest son was the one to inherit the family farm, 
probably in exchange for caring for the elderly parents. 
Older boys had to make their own way 
and he felt there was no future for him on the island.

My Great Great Grandparents' house in Flores.
I have a photo of this house still be used by my Tio Alfredo in 1996.
I'll try to find it and post it.

My grandfather JJ did not stay on Flores
 to see if his name would be shaken out in the lottery for military service
 or if he might find a way to make a living.
Instead, he left home and sailed for America, looking for a bright future.
 He was 17 years of age.
He had cousins and possibly a sister who had immigrated to the San Joaquin Valley,
Hanford, California, and that is where he headed.

In California, JJ worked herding sheep 

and as a general ranch hand for Manuel Thomas. 

Manuel was part of a large family originating on the island of Pico, Azores.  

JJ milking cows (on right)

Manuel had several beautiful daughters, 

and one of them was Emma, my grandmother.  

Their marriage was what we'd call an arranged marriage. 

They certainly had no plans to marry each other!

The way Emma told me the story (told again in the section on Emma),

one day she passed the barn where JJ was milking cows.  

He said hello to her and they began to have a conversation.  

Before this day, they had barely spoken.  

She was barely 15.
He was much older, I think 25.

He said something funny.

He WAS a bit of a comic,

and while they were laughing, 

Manuel came into the barn 

and was enraged that his daughter was talking

to the farm hand.  

Grandma told me, 

"My father said,

 'There won't be any lovers on this ranch!' 

and within weeks we were married!"

December 4, 1909 - Marraige photo
(See how his hands are black from the sun)

My grandmother Emma really didn't WANT to marry JJ. 

She had her sights on another boy. 

And I don't think JJ really wanted to marry her either. 

But that's the way things went in those days. 

He needed to keep his job in order to stay in the United States, 

and a Portuguese girl was under the control of the nearest male relative, 

whether it was her father, her brother, or her husband. 

She really had no say in which direction her life took. 

I'm not sure who this is with JJ,
but I believe it is his sister.

I thought for years that the ranch was a gift 

from Grandpa Thomas, but my cousin Carolyn Carvalho

told me today that she had the receipts and that

my Grandma Emma paid $150 each month for that ranch,

so I was wrong! 

I don't remember where I got my info.

I thought for sure Grandma Emma had told me,

but I'm happy to be corrected.

At any rate, it is the house I grew up loving, and was there
until my Aunt Alice (JJ and Emma's youngest daughter) died,
and her husband's new wife sold the place off for beer money.
 The barn still stands, though rickety.
I have a lot of wonderful memories of this property -
many days running barefoot in the fields!

10164 Elder Avenue, Hanford, California

Working this ranch suited JJ, 

and other Azorean cousins soon arrived,

needing help to get a start. 

At various times, the ranch has produced a variety of crops
including pumpkins, walnuts, apricots, 

corn, wheat, and dairy cows.

Grandpa and his pumpkins

The crew drying apricots
JJ is in the middle

Lots of cousins lived and worked here!
JJ holding the mules

JJ, second adult male from right, with high boots and holding hat.
Emma stands behind him with her hand on his shoulder.

JJ had some pretty good luck, marrying Emma, 

and soon cut a fine figure of a man.

JJ was patriotic, and he loved this country, 

but he never became a citizen.

(UPDATE:  I also was told by my cousin, Carolyn,

that Grandpa JJ DID become a citizen.

Apparently, her father, Uncle Alfred Carvalho

helped him with the test!)

He did receive an award for supplying the military with milk

during WWII.

I have a plaque at home given by the US Government in thanks.

JJ is back center

JJ and Emma reared their family
which included my Uncle Alfred Carvalho,
my grandmother Mary Carvalho,
 and my aunt Alice Carvalho.

Alfred, JJ
Mary, Alice, Emma

JJ liked to drink quite a bit.

I remember times he would go off on a drunk. 

He'd have those overall pockets filled with silver dollars 

and he'd give them away to children. 

I can remember him coming up the dirt road one morning 

after being gone all night. 

He had on a funny hat 

and was singing a Portuguese song at the top of his lungs. 

My Grandmother Emma was so angry. 

She stood on the porch and swore at him in Portuguese,

 and he just laughed and sang louder!  

She finally gave up and went inside 

and cooked him some breakfast to sober him up.

Just a little in his cups...

And an earlier photo of the comical cross-dresser!

Portuguese and Spanish men have this weird thing,

they love to dress up in women's clothes.

It's not serious,  

it's rather a joke. 

They think it's real funny,

especially if they've had a drink or two of wine.

Grandpa did this more than once that I remember.

Boy, it would make my grandma mad!

Grandpa was a musician.

Hey played guitar, and quite well.

I have fond memories of JJ sitting in the shade of a loquat tree, 

strumming his guitar and singing me songs in Portuguese.

Later, the guitar was sold at a yard sale

by the barfly who inherited the ranch.

But that's another story.

JJ playing guitar. Uncle Al is on the left.

JJ loved to carve wood.
My Grandmother Mary's husband, Fred, built him a little workhouse.
We called it "the boat house" because that is what he made there.
I'd sit and watch him for hours as he carved beautiful ships,
adding such details as canvas sails and tiny people.
One of the neighbor girls, Nadine, would sometimes come over

and help make the sails,

and paint the tiny people before he put them on the boats.
It was fascinating.

JJ and his boats

Me with Grandpa's boats

Years later, after my Aunt Alice passed away,
I went out to the ranch and found 

the roof of the boat house had fallen in.
I dug around in the ruins and rescued several boats.
I am sure I gave some of those to my cousin Carolyn,
but in a recent conversation 

she says I did not,

so I'm not sure where else they would have gone?

I kept one and haven't begun work on it,
but hopefully someday one of my grandchildren will restore it.

When I visited my relatives in the Azores,
they chuckled as they remembered a visit by JJ years earlier.
They told me that JJ "really liked wine"
and that he would get a little drunk then buy rounds for the house and pass out money.
My cousin Joaquina told me that he spent all the money

 he had saved up
and when it was time to return home to America, 

the money was gone.
He asked Grandma Emma to wire him a ticket home
and when I asked her about this story,
she said she wanted to just leave him there!

He got the money somewhere

because Carolyn said one day he just showed up at home!  

Grandpa JJ didn't speak English.
When he tried, it was with a very thick accent.
He'd tell me I was a "purdy" gurl and make me laugh.

Grandpa used to make me kites.
He would use a tiny nail to fasten two pieces of balsa wood together
in a cross.
He would put string all around the ends to make a triangle.
Then he would use newspaper, folded over the string,
to make a wonderful kite!
We would tear rags to make a tail
and I'd be entertained all day!

My Grandpa loved to "feesh!"
And so do I!
I guess I inherited that from he and my Ma Cato.

Grandpa also used to make me fishing poles from bamboo.
The old slough was just a 10 minute walk 

at the other end of the pasture.
I learned how to swim before I could walk,
and in those days, people just didn't worry about kids
like they do now.
I guess I wasn't much more than 4 or 5 years old
when I began going fishing alone.
I'd take my bamboo pole,
and a can of worms Grandma helped me dig,
a bucket,
and I'd head to the slough.
I'd sit and fish for hours,
watching the dragonflies,
listening to the bullfrogs,
and catching a bucket full of carp.
I'd carry the fish home,
and the 38 farm cats would come running for a treat
when they saw Grandma turn on the water at the chopping block.
She'd chop those fish into pieces,
and the cats would go nuts!

JJ died on April 13, 1964.

I believe he passed away from complications of diabetes.

It was a very sad day for me.

There was nobody left to call me "purdy,"

or to make kites, or boats, or "feeshin" poles.

What a sweet, funny fellow he was.

I look forward to seeing him again someday.