THE REINEROS, OUR NEIGHBORS

While we were growing up on the fig farm, the Reinero family lived across the road from us, a distance of about 300 yards. The property on which they lived was a ten-acre vineyard with a nice stucco house which they had had built near the road. Although they had a nice living room and dining room, those were rarely used; all activity took place in the large kitchen and the screened-in porch where they ate. Just north of our property, they had another 20 acres or so of pastureland with a substantial barn there. They had six or seven dairy cows which they milked by hand twice a day and put the milk in regular milk containers which were picked up by the milk processors daily. I can remember Ted and Ed trying to teach us girls how to milk the cows, but our hands just weren't strong enough to be effective. When the milk was squirt in our direction, we hurried away.

 

Mr. Reinero was born in Italy. His given name was Frank, but we never called him that. He stood about 5 feet 10 inches and was of medium build. I don't recall ever seeing him dressed in anything but overalls with a cotton shirt in summer, a plaid flannel one in winter, and a red bandana around his neck. If we went to his place around noon, we would likely see him sitting under a tree with French bread, a chunk of salami and an open pocket knife for cutting off eating portions plus a bottle of wine; that was his lunch. He had no outside job, but seemed to make enough from the milk and grapes to support the family.

 

Mary Reinero, whom we always called "Mrs. Reinero," was a small-framed woman about 5 feet tall. She came from a part of Northern Italy close to the French border and was very fair skinned. Although she seemed to be frail, she did all the work in the house and also had a garden to tend. She was an immaculate housekeeper and a good cook. She taught Mom how to make raviolis using chicken and spinach, which were a real treat for us.

 

There were two boys in the family -- Ted, the older, was one-and-a-half years older than Lumie, and Ed was a year younger. Ted was a serious youngster, while Ed was the mischievous one. Since Lumie had enough female company with three sisters around the house, he spent what time he could with Ted and Ed.

 

When electricity was brought to the farms, the Reineros got an electric range immediately. The boys gave us our first lesson in the power of electricity by having us all hold hands next to the stove and then one of them would touch an element sending a shock through all of us. We only fell for that once.

 

When Ted was graduated from grammar school, he went to work full time on the farm and also helped work his uncle's farm. Ed went to high school, but not for long. During World War II Ted served with the 10th Mountain Division Ski Troop and was wounded in Italy in 1945. When he came back to Merced, he bought into a restaurant and bar business in town. He married, had three children, and ran "Reineros" bar. In his later years, he just worked part time while his son, Philip, ran the restaurant part of the business. Ted passed away in 1998.

 

Somehow Ed was able to avoid going into the service. He did marry, but I don't remember much of that marriage other than the fact it didn‘t last very long. I think he stayed with farming, but became an alcoholic and died at an early age.

 

In the late 1930s, when Mrs. Reinero's brother, Jack Pettinotti, moved to Merced from Italy, the Reineros subdivided a couple of acres of their pastureland for him where he then had a house built. He married and had a son, James. Jack worked in town for the power company, but had a heart attack and died at an early age. His wife continued to live there until her death in 2000. When James finished school, he moved to Southern California and we never saw him again.

 

When Ted married, another couple of acres adjoining the Pettinottis were given to him for his home. In later years, when they sold the vineyard, Mrs. Reinero had a small house built for herself next door to Ted's. She continued to live there alone, helping baby-sit Ted's children and grandchildren. She took care of herself and her garden until 1990 when failing health caused her to be moved to a nursing home. When she died in 1991 she was 94. Mr. Reinero had a heart attack and died in the 1960s

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The Reineros were friendly neighbors, but seldom did we exchange visits as a family. However, we children walked to school together and in the summer went swimming as a group. One time when Mrs. Reinero was ill and had to go to San Francisco for surgery, the boys took care of themselves, but Mom would do some baking or cooking and take it over to them.

 

I don't recall the Reineros ever going away from home for a vacation. Mr. Reinero had a brother with three sons living on a farm a few miles away, and those families did exchange visits on occasion.

 

Although the Reineros were Catholic, they only went to church on Easter and Christmas.

 

Ed and Ted Reinero at the Dam with Helen and Vlasta - 1934