Mattia Culos and Cestilia Bazzana

Reno, Louis, Cestilia, Lena, Mattia, Gerti and Toni Culos

Mattia, was born August 12, 1894, in San Giovanni di Casarsa, Province of Udine, Italy. He was one of four brothers and six sisters born to his father Giovanni Batista Culos and his mother Antonia Bertolini. 
Mattia, was the first to leave Italy at a young age of eighteen, in September 1912, to find a better life in Canada. Since prospects for a bright future in Canada seemed assured, plans were always ongoing for other members of Mattia’s family in Italy to venture to this promising country. Brother Davide, sister Rosa, and their mother Antonia followed to Kelowna….brother Giovachino (Jack) and sister Catterina emigrated and settled in Prince Rupert……and brother Oswaldo making roots in Detroit, Michigan. 

Mattia’s journey began by train to La Havre France, then onto the French ship ‘Lorraine’ for a seven-day voyage to New York. He then travelled by train to Montreal, Quebec, then to Sicamous and Vernon, BC, where he boarded the paddle wheeler at Okanagan Landing, down the lake to Kelowna, BC, joining other courageous young men like himself who had arrived earlier. 

A couple of Mattia’s many opportunities had him working on the Kettle Valley Railway and Crawford Sawmill, which enabled him eventually to purchase a fifteen-acre farm on Gordon Drive, where the Evangel Church is now located. A few years later, Cestilia Bazzana left Italy to begin the same journey that Mattia took. They married on October 27, 1923, and built a life together on the farm, raising five beautiful children, Reno, Antonia, Louis, Gerti and Lena. 

Many other Italian families lived in the same area and called it the Mission Creek Italian District. An Italian Hall was built where everyone met for dances, box lunches, and social gatherings! 

Times were tough, but as hard working as the families were, they always took Sundays off, going to church in the morning, packing a big picnic, maybe driving to Canyon Creek, or Shuswap Falls with other Italian famiglias. Everything was closed on Sundays giving everyone time to relax, visit, and enjoy. 
Horse and buggy were the mode of transportation, until Mattia proudly purchased his first truck in 1944.

Four years later, Kerosene lanterns were replaced by electricity and those hard times became easier! 
Mattia and Cestilia spent all their working life on this farm, retiring in 1960, selling the farm in 1961, and buying a house in town on Bowes Street, where the house still stands to this day. 

Sadly, Mattia had only one year in retirement before passing August, 1961. Cestilia lived for another twelve years, passing September 1973. 
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Contributed by Gerti Bachmann (Nee Culos), daughter.