João Bastos Bernardo Vieira was my paternal grandfather’s father, from whom I got the two family names I have on my birth certificate: Bastos and Vieira. Bernardo is an interesting surname, as it is most commonly seen in Brazil as a patronymic, Bernardes.
I heard a great deal about Vovô João when growing up. He died ten years before I was born, but his memory and stories about him were always a part of family conversation. He was known foremost for his writing as a published poet and a newspaper critic, but was able to learn more about him as a citizen and a member of his community through his affiliation to different organizations, thanks to digitized newspaper archives. Unfortunately, the largest newspaper in Vitória, A Gazeta, founded in 1928, does not have its archives online, but other news outlets do. Vovô was a literary critic for A Gazeta until his death. This news organization, founded in 1928, still exists, though it no longer has a print edition.
One interesting finding I made while going through his papers that a cousin keeps shows he was an honorary member under number 5 with Rio Branco Atlético Clube, a soccer team founded in 1908. The team built its second stadium in 1934, around the time I believe this identification card was issued, judging by his looks on the picture.
The collection of news clippings I have about him show his involvement in several other organizations. He started as a writer with a local newspaper, as he also worked as a school teacher. He worked for several news outlets, and in 1933 was a founding member of the Associação Espírito-Santense de Imprensa, the state press association. There he is, standing up wearing a dark suit right in the center of the picture.
Vovô João was also involved in politics, and was elected state representative in 1936. He served as Secretary of Education but never quit publishing his poems and literary critic column on A Gazeta, until his death in 1962 following a stroke that happened while on a hunting trip with friends.