The sun rose in Grand Terrace California on January 26th 2025 and the day was one of victory and sorrow. Our beloved city was greatly affected by the fire situation in the state and as a community we banded together to help one another as we were taught by our elders; our town was a special because of our elders. On that day one of our beloved elders passed, Grand Terrace's founding mother passed.
Legacy is something we might think about during our lifetime, the word legacy has a couple of definitions. The definition that fits the best is:
The long-lasting impact of particular events, actions, etc. that took place in the past, or of a person’s life.
Ann Petta definitely left her “Legacy” here. Our beautiful city of Grand Terrace is a testament to her Legacy. Ann was a visionary and a corner stone of our community, never one for the limelight, never one for accolades or rewards, her actions and generosity speak volumes and will resonate far beyond for generations to come.
Angelina (Ann) Petta was born in Blue Island, Illinois on October 19th 1927. Angie or Ann was how her family or friends knew her and in a small town like Grand Terrace the name Ann Petta holds a lot of weight. Her story is one of hard work, forward vision, education and art, all on top of a foundation of love and family.
Ann started her education journey in Blue Island Illinois yet before that journey started Ann's hard work ethics were instilled at a young age. Ann's father Antonio Petta had immigrated from Italy to Illinois where he
worked as a Painter for the Illinois Central Railroad he would get up early in the morning, leaving the house to catch a train by 7 am, Ann's mother Anna Petta would be up before 6 am preparing the mornings frittata, filling the house with the aroma of a great Italian omlet and packing her husband's lunch and Ann would be right by her mother's side. Ann felt the need to be by her mom's side learning all she could at a young age she was the oldest of 3, she had a brother named Lawrence and the youngest was a sister named Estelle. Ann's mother would pass 2 years after the birth of Estelle on October 3 1935, 2 days after her 33rd birthday. Ann was driven by the love of learning and Ann got her education from The University of Chicago and found joy in a career As an elementary school teacher.
Ripacandida (Reep-Ah-can-deed-ah) is an Italian town known for its hillside farm community. This “old country” farm community is directly linked to the town of Blue Island Illinois and the great California small town of Grand Terrace. In the early 1930s a young man 12 ½ years of age boarded a ship from Naples Italy Headed directly to Ellis Island NY,USA. The ship was the “Conte De Savoia” and that young man who suffered sea sickness for almost 14 days was named Tony Petta. The Conte De Sacoia , the vessel that brought so many immigrants to the new world from the old country was sunk by the Germans during the 2nd world War.
Tony Petta like many immigrants from Ripacandida had settled in Blue Island Illinois and that is where he met and fell in love with Ann Petta. Ann and Tony were married in 1952, it was the beginning of a driven dream team.
“Go west young man.” The words of Horace Greeley rang in their ears as the duo of Ann and Tony Petta made their trek to an unincorporated Hillside farm community known for its sunshine, ranch land and #1 export from the Miller American Honey Co. This community was a beautiful land filled with groves of peach, orange and walnut trees; it was a place to settle and get to work. Filled with the spirit of hard work paying off as immigrants from Italy with all the tenacity and drive to start , build and live in a great new community Ann and Tony built their 1st house together . Ann a school teacher and Tony an accomplished Barber were so involved in this community and the people in it they started a reality company, TP realtor, that’s when this young couple became a great community development team. Their love for this farm community was definitely evident, this was their new world legacy this place was Tony's new Ripacandida. This town was known by a couple of names, most people called this community “Grand Terrace”.
Ann was by this time steeped in her teaching career and Tony had built an office in their home where he could cut hair and do reality work but they always would strive for more. Developing the community was the task of the time as it was the 1970s and the growth in unincorporated Grand Terrace was moving at a fast pace. Ann and Tony were making visionary goals happen in the development of the land around their house and working closely with the county if San Bernardino Ann and Tony had a goal of incorporating their community into a proper city. On November 30th 1978 the very 1st city council meeting was held at Terrace Hills Jr High School for the newly incorporated city of Grand Terrace California, presided over by the town's very first mayor , Tony Petta.
Wow is an understatement, this new city had all the great bones a seeds of a thriving township and Ann and Tony were key to the development of Grand Terrace, from the building of the City Hall to the infrastructure of the city they both worked tirelessly with others in the community to grow this fine city. Ann knew the importance of community and the historical and cultural preservation was of big concern for her as well as a love for art and literature. Ann served as the founder of the Grand Terrace Art show brought to the community by the Grand Terrace Historical and cultural committee wich she create in 1984. As well Ann worked closely with the Grand Terrace library and Founded the “Friends of the library “.
Ann and Tony Petta continued to work with the city and were social pillars in the community for the whole existence of the city, they could always be found right in the middle of all community events and helped the city grow exponential.
Tony was laid to rest in 2012, he was the Charter mayor and Ann was his motivation and leaning post, he was the love of her life and best friend.
After Tony's passing Ann continued to be of service to Grand Terrace, Ann Worked closely with the “friends of the library “ and continued pushing literacy driven endeavors there.
As a final benevolent gesture prior to passing. Ann donated a valuable parcel of property to the city of Grand Terrace in the spirit of community and goodwill to develop the land for a community library in honor of our husband and charter mayor, Tony Petta.
Ann had a special place in her heart for art; she was responsible for the annual Grand Terrace art show as a part of the Historical and cultural committee of Grand Terrace.
To honor Ann's memory and her devotion to the city of Grand Terrace, it is with great pleasure that the Historical and Cultural committee of Grand Terrace would like to announce the renaming and premiere of “Ann Petta's Annual Grand Terrace Art Show”