Pianfetti, James "Jim"

Biography

James “Jim” Pianfetti was born in 1872 in the Piedmont region of Italy, associated with Locano in the Città Metropolitana di Torino and Lachana in the Canavese district.

He later came to Alaska, where he worked at the Treadwell Mine on Douglas Island. Pianfetti and his wife, Mary Pianfetti, were part of the immigrant labor force that supported the large gold mining operations of the Juneau-Douglas area during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Mary Pianfetti preceded him in death. After her passing, Pianfetti continued to live and work in Douglas while raising their four daughters.

Pianfetti was a member of Douglas Aerie No. 117, Fraternal Order of the Eagles. Following his death, members of the Aerie assisted in caring for his four daughters. His death was the first recorded among members of the Douglas Aerie, which had been organized only two and a half years earlier.

James Pianfetti died on January 17, 1904, after a short illness of consumption. He was buried in the Douglas Catholic Cemetery. Funeral services were conducted by Reverend Father Bougis, S.J.

Sources

• Find-A-Grave