Meet the Queens: Fallon Portuguese Festa this weekend

The annual Portuguese Festa takes place this weekend at St. Patrick’s Parish Hall. The crowning of the senior, junior and mini queens takes place with linguica and a dance at 8 p.m. Saturday and the parade will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday beginning at the west end of the building to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. Sopas and an auction take place at noon Saturday in St. Patrick’s Parish Hall.

Senior queen, Savana Manha was featured as the Mini Queen in the 2005 Portuguese Festa. She appeared on the LVN’s front page on May 16, 2005.

Call or text 775-294-5905 or details.

Senior queen: Savana Manha

Hello my name is Savana Manha. I am 16 and I attend Churchill County High School as a sophomore. I enjoy playing sports such as softball and volleyball. I am involved in FFA where I interact with my community and compete at state and national levels for range management and poultry evaluation. Through FFA, I am raising twenty-five bronze turkeys and selling them for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I am a huge fan of pretty much all outdoor activities, but two that stand out the most are hunting and ATV riding with my family in the mountains. My father, who passed on my Portuguese blood is Mark Manha and my mother is Donna Evans. I have an autistic brother named Luke who is in a special school in Wichita, Kansas.

My Portuguese heritage originated from the Flores Island in the Azores, off the coast of Portugal. My great grandfather and great grandmother Joseph and Emilia, also known as Vozie, moved to the United States from the Flores Island in 1917. They settled in Berkeley, California where they had three kids: Lorraine Shoemaker, Lillian Webb, and their youngest, my grandfather, Maurice Manha who was born in 1931.

In 1940 my great grandparents moved their family to Stillwater here in Fallon, Nevada. They bought a ranch hoping to become farmers, but my great grandfather Joseph passed away in 1945, forcing Vozie to sell the ranch and move into town.

My grandfather, Maurice, joined the Army and served in the Korean War. After coming home, he worked for Kents and Creamland Dairy. Grandpa Maurice met and married my grandmother Jennifer Rich Manha. They had my father, Mark Manha, who was born in 1963. I also have two Portuguese uncles, Mike Manha and Maurice Edward Manha.

My great grandfather Vozie passed away in 1985 and my grandfather passed away in 1995.

This is my fifteenth year participating in this tradition. I am honored to play the part of being the senior queen in the 2019 Portuguese Festa. My dad and uncle took part in the Festa when they were my age, and I am glad to be a part in honoring my heritage.

JUNIOR QUEEN: Jordan Escobar Lipnicki

My name is Jordan Escobar Lipnicki, I am 11 years old. I like swimming and spending time on the beach. My dream is to become a marine biologist.

My parents are David Lipnicki and Jennifer Escobar. I am a second-generation Portuguese Queen. My mother, Jennifer, was the queen in 2002. My three aunts Renee Escobar, Tina and Cyndi Lipnicki were also queens.

My Grandfather from my mother’s side, Carlos Escobar was born in Angola Africa. My great-grandparents, Augusto and Filomena Escobar are from the Azores and Portugal. My great-grandparents from my father’s side are Louis and Nancy Gomes. My great grandfather Louis Gomes was born in Fallon in 1924, when he was 7 years old his family moved back to Flores to help take care of family. In 1946 Louis moved back to Fallon to start his farm. He married my great grandmother, Nancy in 1953. In 1954 my grandmother Melody Lipnicki was born, carrying on our Portuguese heritage.

MINI QUEEN: LILA MAE LOUISE MONTERO RODRIGUES

Hi, my name is Lila Mae Louise Montero Rodrigues. I am almost 8 years old. I go to Oasis Academy and I am in second grade, almost third. I really like Legos and L.O.L. Dolls. I like video games, I really like art, and I do Mexican dancing. I have two chicks and a duckling. I am going to be a big sister soon and my great-great grandfather Antonio Damazio came to the United States from Portugal when he was 19 years old. His wife, my great-great grandmother Edith, came from the Azores. Their son, John Souza Damazio lived in Fallon for 40 years. This will be my 7th year participating in the festa. I am very excited to be this years mini queen.