Louie Russo and Marisa Verna

Louie and Marisa Russo

Louie (Luigi Giovanni) Russo was born in Golden, BC, on May 31, 1939. Louie is the son of Giovanni Russo, from Cleto, Italy, and Genoveffa (Pucci) Russo, from Cosenza, Italy.

The Russo family landed in New York and by railway,  made their way to Golden, BC. Giovanni was already in Golden and awaited his wife and two daughters. Louie had three sisters: Ida Vecchio, Erza (Elsie) Rampone and Cynthia Kenney.

At the age of 7, Louie’s family home (in Golden, BC) burnt down, consequently moving them to Fernie, BC. They stayed for a short time in Fernie, and then made their way to Winfield (Lake Country), BC, where they established the family home and orchard.

At the age of 14, Louie quit school and began working with his father. They worked in the McCullough Forest Region, cutting railway ties. They horse logged, cut logs and loaded railway ties onto box cars on the Kettle Valley railway. 

In 1948, Louie’s dad purchased 20 acres on Old Vernon Rd and began hauling logs to this property, where Giovanni and Louie cut railway ties. The railway ties were trucked and loaded onto box cars. 
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Marisa (Maria) Verna was born in Celano, Italy on November 13, 1939. Marisa is the daughter of Emilio Verna and Maria Anna DiRenzo, both from Celano, Italy. Her siblings are Giovanna (Romei), Romolo and Marcello.

In 1952, Marisa, with her mother and siblings, immigrated to Kelowna, BC. Marisa’s father, Emilio, and Uncle Giuseppe Verna had already made the passage to Kelowna. Upon arriving in Kelowna, Marisa’s family rented a house from Augusto and Marietta Caccione for several years, before purchasing a 4-acre farm on Brookside Avenue, near the Capri Mall. In 1957 the Verna family’s roots were established here and remained until the passing of Marisa’s parents in 1984.

Marisa went to Kelowna High School for a short period of time and then went on to work with her family doing various orchard duties.  One of them was picking peaches in the Casa Loma orchard region of West Kelowna. She continued working in orchards until landing employment with Gem Cleaners, located on Bernard Avenue.

Marisa met Louie in August, 1958, at the Kelowna Regatta and began dating. They married on December 28, 1959 and moved to Winfield, BC. Louie and Marisa purchased the 20-acre property from Louie’s dad in 1960. At this time, Louie began to build a small portable sawmill to cut railway ties. This was the site where Russo Sawmills was established by Louie and Marisa Russo. Following this, they purchased two orchards, one in Glenmore and the other in Ellison.

Louie and Marisa have five children: John (Kathyrn), Tony (Kathleen), Geneen (Thomas), Gloria (Norman) and Robert (Lyn).

Louie passed away on March 24, 2008, and rests in the Kelowna cemetery. Marisa lives in Ellison.

Contributed by Robert Russo, son.