The last 18 months have brought profound challenges and changes for me. In June of 2025 I unexpectedly lost my best friend and baby sister, Lori.  People often mistook us for twins, and we loved traveling the world together on our yearly trips. Since 2013, Lori and I lived side by side, supporting each other through life’s hardest moments and celebrating its most joyful ones.

In 2018 Lori and I bought a new home and moved closer to family. My daughter and grands, my sister and brother along with numerous nieces, nephews and their children are all within 15 minutes of Lori and I. How I wish we’d all have had more time with Lori!

In September of 2024 my sister Holly and I decided to take a trip to Chicago. We wanted to visit with our younger brother Tony who had some health challenges. Home was calling to us.  As always, we packed a ton of activities into the trip. We had friends and family to see and trips down memory lane that had to be made. 

Holly and I stayed in Oakbrook Terrace. One day we visited the “pond” where we used to ice skate and St Pius Church.  We stopped in at the Villa Park train station (now a historical museum), toured Willowbrook High School and visited with the family who lived in the home we grew up in. I have no idea how we fit our family in that tiny home! Mom & dad, 8 kids and Grandpa Gilbert in a 1600 square feet house.  Grandpa and the 3 oldest boys slept in a room in the basement. There were 3 bedrooms on the main floor. One for mom & dad, one for us 3 girls and one for Lori & Tony.  For several years dad’s mother and step-father lived upstairs.

We spent several days with our brother Tony, playing cards, bringing him treats (beef sandwiches) and watching old home movies. We couldn’t have imagined that our time together would be our final visit. Tony passed away this past January.

One day was set aside to visit Mount Carmel and Queen of Heaven Cemeteries in Hillside. Holly and I cleaned up headstones and toured the magnificent stained-glass panels inside the Mausoleum. What a glorious structure that is! 

Several relatives told me that Elvira and Pietro’s monument needed some attention.  It was true that the words were barely legible and that the statue of Jesus was covered in moss and lichen.  When we returned to Oregon I was tasked with finding someone who could restore the monument and Holly set up a go fund me account to help pay for restorations. Thank you for helping honor our past and protect our family legacy for those who come after us.

We hired Glen, the owner of Memories in the Making. He removed the lichen growth from the statue and cleaned the dirt and stains from the granite. For the second phase he applied a dark grey Lithichrome paint to the engraved letters and the background of our family name. Lastly Glen cleaned and caulked the area surrounding Elvira and Pietro’s cameo photos. Thank you to all who contributed!

Another highlight of this trip to Chicago was our Ciolli & Del Principe Family Reunion.  The photo above is of my sister Holly, Vickie (great granddaughter of Bibbiana Ciolli, myself (granddaughter of Gilbert Del Principe), Sandy (great granddaughter of Emil Del Principe), Susan and her daughter Sandra (daughter and granddaughter of Otto Del Principe). Fun fact, Susan was our mother’s flower girl. Standing is Mary and her father Greg (great granddaughter and grandson of Antonio Del Principe).

I can’t express how amazing it was getting to know one another. I had met Vickie, Mary and Greg on earlier trips to Chicago, so it was wonderful to reconnect with them. We all showed up with photos and keepsakes to share, and we laughed and reminisced until the afternoon vanished in a blur of joy.

Until we meet again, Chicago…