Giovachino and Rosa Lanfranco

Giovachino (Joseph) first came to Kelowna in 1901.  Here he met and married Rosa Dapavo who had arrived in Kelowna in 1905.  They acquired 120 acres of farm land on Gordon Road where they grew fruit, vegetables, grapes and tobacco.  They had a small menagerie of farm animals such as, horses, cows, pigs and chickens.  In 1914 Giovachino returned to Italy, bringing back Gabriele Quirico and Pasquale Barrera with him.  By 1927 Rosa gave birth to their 10th child.  In the 1930s the Lanfranco family became members of the Italian Community Club, “Pendozi District”, where they helped build the first Italian Hall.  Rosa died in a tragic car accident on July 29, 1955 and Joe died on January 23, 1957 leaving behind twenty-one grandchildren.