Fortunato and Giuseppina Dal Col

Leno and Mary Dal Col, Luigi Zazzara, Rena and Charlie Dal Col

Nervesa della Battaglia is a commune in the province of Treviso in the Italian region of Veneto, located about 45 kilometres north of Venice.

This is the home town of the Dal Col family. Fortunato Dal Col came to Kelowna in 1912, leaving his wife, Giuseppina Santamaria and son, Carlo (Charles), in Italy. Upon arrival in Kelowna, he worked on the Belgo Dam irigation system and later on the building of the Kettle Valley Rail line as a cook. He was then able to purchase a farm located at Roanoke Ave at Richter street at the foot of Knox mountain. On April 12, 1920 the Kelowna Record newspaper article stated that “Dal Col went up to Sicamous Tuesday to meet his wife who has arrived from Italy”. During the Great Depression life was difficult even on the farms. Fortunato grew ground crops of tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers to provide for his family.
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Located near his property and close to the lake was a “hobo camp” where men who rode the rails, looking for work during the Great Depression, lived. These hungry men would raid the farm at night, so Fortunato met with the camp mayor to arrange an agreement. He would give them a specific part of the field for their consumption if they didn’t touch the remaining fields. A cooperative agreement was made. He kept the farm until his death in 1944. 

Fortunato and Giuseppina added to their family: Rena Angela (Zazzara), Mary Theresa (Guidi), Albina (Fuhrmann) and Leno John. Leno was not married and died at the age of 24.

Carlo (Charles) married Isabella Guidi, daughter of Pietro Guidi and Maria Umile (Coli) Guidi of Kelowna. Charles worked for S.M. Simpson as head millwright for 30 years. After his retirement in 1970 he became an orchardist in Glenmore, a lifelong dream.  Mary married Enrico Joseph Guidi, son of Pietro and Umile Guidi.  Albina went to Banff for a temporary job in a photo shop, fell in love with the place, married Peter Fuhrmann, and remained there until her passing.


Audrey O’Malley,  daughter of Charles and Isabella Dal Col.