Nellie Arduini and Jim Campbell

Ivo Arduini (1883-1959) and Regina Bui (1884-1960) were both born and raised in Candelara, Marche, Italy and married on Nov. 11, 1905.  They immigrated to Canada and resided in Kamloops, BC. Ivo and Regina had five children: Joseph, 1906, Peter who died as a toddler, Mary, 1912, Victor, 1915 and Elena (Nellie), 1916. Ivo was a shoemaker, who opened Arduini's Shoe Store in 1906. It operated for 100 years. When Ivo retired, his son, Victor, then grandson, Greg took over the running of the store.  

James Ivens Campbell (1885-1927) was born in Barford, Warwickshire, England and Eva Watson (1892-1976) was born in Woolwich, Kent, England. Both had immigrated separately, to Kelowna, BC, and met in the Kelowna City Park. James had the contract to run the Kelowna-Westbank Ferry Service from 1911-1916. He had the ferry, the Aricia, built in the Kelowna Sawmill Yard, by the Jones brothers, in 1912.  Eva was governess to the Grote Stirling family and immigrated with them in 1912. James and Eva  were married in 1916 and bought a ten acre property on Benvoulin Road. James established a garage business, called The Benvoulin Garage.  They had three children: James (Jim), 1917, Leonard, 1919, and Gwen, 1926. James died at the age of forty-two.  Eva moved off the acreage and into Kelowna to raise her three children and work for the Simpson family.

Mary Arduini married Les V. Campbell (no relation to Jim). Les was manager at the Paramount Theatre in Kelowna, until they moved to Trail, BC, to manage the Famous Players Theatre.  They eventually moved to Castlegar, BC, opened their own Theatre and started the Castlegar News.  

Nellie Arduini and Jim Campbell met in Kelowna in 1937, when Nellie came to visit her sister, Mary, to help her with her newborn son.  They married in Kamloops in 1940, but immediately made their home in Kelowna.  Jim was an electrician and partner in Acme Radio Ltd. He eventually opened his own business, Campbell’s Radio & Appliance Repairs.  After Jim sold the business, he worked for Okanagan Packers as the refrigeration operator.  They had four children: Melvyn (Anne Setter), 1944, Victor (Anna Rozniak), 1947, Elena (Keith Garrison), 1951 and Philip (Brenda Wagner), 1953.
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Nellie belonged to the Catholic Women’s League (was President twice), and the Sewing Circle.  She did volunteer work with shut-ins and helped with translating letters for them. Jim and Nellie belonged to the Kelowna Canadian Italian Club and loved their dinners, dances and picnics.  Their door was always open to family, friends and newcomers to Kelowna.  The priests would always invite themselves to Nellie’s Sunday night Spaghetti dinners!  Nellie had a love for life and she was always in skits, dressing up for Halloween and going trick or treating, which sometimes got her into trouble, but, she was the life of the party!  It has been said, that when you think of Nellie, a smile comes to your face.
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Elena Campbell Garrison

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