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Le prime famiglie italiane di Kelowna 

The first Italian families of Kelowna

Antonio and Letizia Sprovieri

6/5/2020

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Picture
Anthony, Cecilia and Albert Sprovieri
FAntonio (Anthony) Sprovieri was born on September 25, 1871 in Spezzano Grande, Calabria.  At age 17, he left Naples, Italy, landed at New York and made the trip to Canada by rail.  Brother Francesco followed suit in 1903.  Francesco married Marietta Parise and they remained in Fernie.  Anthony worked as a fan-man at the local coal mine.  In 1909 he married Letizia Grandinetti and together they had seven children: Rosina (Rose), Joseph (Joe), Robert (Bob), Florence, Albert, Sammy and Natalia (Dolly).  Letizia died four years after Dolly’s birth.  Unable to handle the children on his own, they were sent to a Vancouver orphanage.   In 1925 Antonio married again, this time to Rosa Falbo Scarpino.  Anthony passed away in Fernie on September 17, 1954.

Children, Rose (Genario DeGeorgio) and Florence (Joseph Chemotti) made it back to Fernie.  Dolly (Bystrom) and Joe (Fina Lenardon) moved to Cranbrook.  Bob and Sammy remained in Vancouver.  Albert made the move to Kelowna in the forties, after attending barber school training in Vancouver.   He opened Blackie’s Barbershop next to the ABC Market, which was located at the corner of Bernard and present day Gordon Drive.  After moving to Kelowna, Albert was part of the Black Bombers, a local softball team, consisting of several Italian boys from the Glenmore area.  Family names included: Rantucci, Ciancone, Vecchio and Fenton.  Art Bregolisse recalls that towards the end of a game, if the Black Bombers were ahead, they would invite some of the local teenagers to play for them.  In 1941, Albert married Cecilia Schmidt.  They had two children: Tony (Theresa) and Denise (Ken Holman).  Albert passed away in 2011 and Cecilia in 2020.
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    Research and photos of First Families by Don Rampone

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  • HOME
  • ABOUT US
    • Executive and Directors
    • Membership
    • Volunteers
    • Business Directory
  • EVENTS & ACTIVITIES
    • 2020 Calendar
    • Club Happenings >
      • La Nostra Famiglia Italiana >
        • Upcoming NFI Events
        • Past NFI Events
        • Kelowna's First Families
      • Giuseppe's Cafe
      • La Bella Tavola - Cooking Classes >
        • Mangia Mangia Recipes
      • La Scuola Italiana - Italian Language
      • Clubhouse Dinners
      • Bocce
  • Clubhouse Rentals
  • CONTACT US
  • More From Us
    • 50th ANNIVERSARY >
      • 50th Anniversary
      • Mercato
      • Dinner & Dance Gala
    • Miss Kelowna Cdn. Italian Club
    • PHOTOS >
      • Photos
  • Club News
    • Our Newsletter
    • KCIC In the News
  • Calendar Page
  • New Page