Cesare and Anna Bertucci

Cesare, Angelo, Vince, Anna, Antonio and Alfonso Bertucci

Cesare A Bertucci is recorded as arriving in New York on February 10, 1912, along with friends Amos, Angelo and Pietro Guidi, Michele Rossi, Carlo Cavanni and Samuele Turri.  All have Kelowna listed as their final destination.  But, Cesare A is the only one listed as “RET CANADIAN” indicating he had been here earlier.  In 1917, he reported to Camp Vernon where he was recruited to be part of then Canadian Forces, fighting in France. By 1921, he had returned to farming in Kelowna and married telephone operator, Mary Hubbard.  They operated a dairy farm in the Ellison area until Cesare’s death in 1936.  They had two children: Cesare Noel (Dorothy Fleming) and Melba Tremblay.

Cesare A Bertucci had a cousin in Italy, also named Cesare, who married Anna Cavani.  Cesare and Anna had four sons, Antonio (Sandra Crocetti), Vince (Valentina Bolotski) and Alfonzo and Angelo who remained in Italy.  Tony arrived in Kelowna in 1951 and worked as a shipper and fork lift operator at Calona Wines.  They had two girls: Lorraine (Haines) and Anna (Thibault). Vince arrived in 1954 and was a local plaster and stucco contractor.  Vince and Valentina had four children: Diane, Cesare, Theresa and Mark.  Tony first met his cousin, Cesare A Bertucci, in Kelowna at a Knights of Columbus meeting, when Cesare’s name was called out during roll call.