10/15/2026
Throwback Thursday
In a corner of the Bodie Cemetery, two similar stones honor members of an early Mono Basin ranching family. The Petralli family came to the area in the mid-1880s and settled at a ranch overlooking Mono Lake. Matteo and brother Giacomo, were born in Switzerland, as was Giacomo’s wife Annamaria. Together, they grew crops and raised cattle. Another brother, Angelo, who worked as a dairyman, lived at the ranch in 1900 with wife, Lucia, and their children.
Harsh winter storms could endanger the cattle. After a severe storm in early February 1915, Matteo, 66, headed out toward the lower part of the ranch to see if the cattle were all right, according to the Bridgeport Chronicle-Union of Feb. 6, 1915.
Night came, and Native people camped near the ranch became alarmed when they realized Matteo had not yet returned home, according to the newspaper article.
“They started a search and after several hours, found the body in the brush partly buried beneath a snow drift,” said the Chronicle Union article. Matteo was a mile and half from home when he collapsed. It was assumed at first he had died of exposure to the cold, but following an inquest, it was determined he had died of “heart trouble.”
Matteo’s funeral was held at Bodie, and he was buried in the Bodie Cemetery. Sadly, the family would return to Bodie for another burial almost five months later. Giacomo’s wife, Annamaria, died June 30. It was reported several days prior to her death that she was to have surgery in Reno. The Bridgeport Chronicle-Union article of June 19 stated: “Mrs. G. Petralli, who has been seriously ill for some time, is to leave for Reno as soon as she is strong enough to travel, in order to undergo an operation for the removal of a tumor.”
Annamaria died in Reno at age 63. The funeral was held in Reno, and her body was taken to Bodie for burial.
