Roma Lodge # 1573

Roma Lodge members were saddened with the passing of 68-year member Sharon Costa Barreto who passed away on December 8th. She was the lodge’s first queen in 1955-56 and represented the lodge at the Grand Lodge Convention. She was a regular at our annual ravioli dinners, polenta-stew meetings, Christmas party and anniversary celebrations. Our thoughts and prayers are with her husband Gilbert and children Michael and Alaine and the rest of the Barreto family.

Roma Lodge members also gave their final tribute to Lorraine Clarot who passed away on December 22nd. Lorraine was a 43-year member of the Order and was very active in the Tulare community. Born in Tulare just six months after the lodge was formed in 1930, she was a long-time member of the community. She married Mateus Sozinho at the young age of 16 and they owned a dairy operation. Unfortunately, Mateus passed away at the age of 42 leaving Lorraine to raise four children on her own. She married Louis Clarot who was a 63-year member of the lodge in 1969. For many years they were regulars at lodge meetings, annual ravioli dinner and helped at the World Ag Expo food booth. Rest in peace, Sisters Sharon, and Lorraine.

Michael DePaoli and Melissa Watkins will once again co-chair the Roma Lodge food booth at the World Ag Expo in Tulare, February 14-16th. For the past 55 years the lodge has provided Italian sausage sandwiches to the 100,000 plus visitors to the show from all over the world. Over the past few years our newer members have revised the menu adding pasta, antipasto salads, meatball sandwiches and a variety of other food items to the menu. Over 50 members assist in organizing and conducting the booth during the three day show.