Hard work was Barsotti legacy

For The Madera Tribune

The Barsotti bakery in Madera.

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The 32 year-old Italian packed his bags and prepared to leave his native village of Marlia in the Province of Lucca, Italy.

The year was 1900, and the upcoming journey to the United States was not to be taken lightly. Domenico Barsotti was married and had a family. Coming to America meant leaving his wife, Louisa, his son Nello, and his three daughters in their native land. The trip was fraught with anxiety for all concerned, but they had one thing going for them — they were not afraid of work!

Domenico had heard of a town called Stockton, so he bid his wife and children good-bye and started out for that place. Louisa gathered the children around her, assuring them that their father would hold to his promise to return and take them all to a new home across the Atlantic.