The Stefani family
Frank Stefani had a hard life in his early years, but the adversity only served to strengthen him.
He was born in 1863 in Austria. Money and food was scarce, so he left home at age 12 to help support the family. He immigrated to Michigan in 1883. Soon after he met and married Italian immigrant Angelina Tinetti. They moved to Issaquah in 1892.
Frank’s propensity for hard work paid off for his family. He started out in the Issaquah coal mines, but soon owned and operated his own laundry. It was located near the corner of First Avenue SE and Bush Street, and the family lived in a house that still stands near Rainier Boulevard and Bush Street. Frank and the children kept the business running, while Angelina was in much demand as a midwife.
By 1919, the Stefanis had saved enough money to buy the Berry Farm in the Tibbetts Valley. It was the last farm to the south before the road petered out into just a trail heading south. Frank was a big, husky man and he used his strength to clear the land and turn the farm into a large-scale poultry operation. He ran it until he retired at age 82.
Frank’s shrewd investments, keen interest in politics, and own public service helped the family prosper. Of the five children-Fred, Edith Stefani Kells, Adelina Stefani Dorner, Mary Stefani Emanuel and Clement-only the youngest remained in Issaquah. Clem married Peechie Bergsma, who he met in the first grade, and both their children still live close to the old farm. Today, Frank and Angelina Stefani’s great-great-grandchildren sometimes play where the chickens once roamed.
