[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 199 (Wednesday, December 21, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1323]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNIZING THE LIFE OF RALPH J. NEVALA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GUY RESCHENTHALER

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 21, 2022

  Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the life and 
legacy of Ralph J. Nevala, 83, of California, Pennsylvania, who was 
called home to his eternal reward by his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, 
on Sunday, June 5, 2022.
  Born on February 28, 1939, the son of the late Weikko and Esther 
Oberg Nevala, Ralph spent his childhood on the Nevala Dairy Farm and 
was part of the California High School class of 1957.
  Ralph met Marion Ferrer while delivering milk from Nevala Dairy Farm 
to her neighborhood in Monessen. They were married on August 23, 1958, 
raised two sons on the family farm, and celebrated almost fifty-nine 
years of marriage together.
  In 1968, Ralph graduated from the Pennsylvania State Police Academy 
and honorably served the Commonwealth for nineteen years as a Trooper 
with the Vice Unit of the Bureau of Criminal Intelligence. During his 
extinguished career, Ralph was responsible for the arrests of 
perpetrators of the ``Triple Six Fix,'' the 1980 Pennsylvania Lottery 
scandal. His undercover work paved the way for justice on the high-
profile case. Ralph's years of service in criminal intelligence also 
led to the crackdown on prostitution rings from Erie to Pittsburgh.
  Following his service with the Pennsylvania State Police, Ralph 
converted Nevala Dairy Farm into a beef cattle operation that 
specialized in breeding Hereford bulls and Angus cows. He worked on the 
farm until his retirement in 2017. Ralph was also a longtime member of 
the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. This work led to lobbying lawmakers in 
both Harrisburg and Washington, underscoring the importance he placed 
in continued service to the farming community.
  Ralph was an avid deer hunter and member of the Charleroi Sportsman 
Club. He also served the public as a State Deputy Game Warden. During 
the summers, Ralph enjoyed spending time with his grandsons on the farm 
and traveling to Washington, D.C., and the Carolinas.
  Ralph was preceded in death by his parents and his loving wife, 
Marion Nevala.
  Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing the life and legacy of 
Ralph J. Nevala. May we aspire to live by his example of public service 
and devotion to family and community.

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