Rose Barrera and Albert Rampone

Rose Barrera was born on December 20, 1925 in the Rutland area of Kelowna, BC. In 1926, the family had moved to their property on Lakeshore Road.  She attended both Mission Creek School and Kelowna High School, completing grade nine before leaving to help on the family farm.  As well as helping on the farm, she held numerous jobs in fruit orchards, NOCA Dairy and Kelowna Saw Mill Box-makers.

Albert Peter Rampone was born on Feb 11, 1924, while the family was living on Saint Paul St, in Kelowna, BC.  Shortly after his birth, they moved to the farm on Benvoulin Road, where the family operated a mixed farm.  Albert attended Mission Creek School for grades one to eight, before moving on to Kelowna High School, where he completed grade nine. He excelled in mathematics.  He started working on the farm, gradually building up the milking cattle herd. Milk was shipped under the NOCA brand name.

Both Rose’s and Albert’s families were members of the Italian Community Hall Association, so they grew up together. On November, 1947, they were married. While raising their three boys, they continued to run the dairy farm and slowly built up their pepper and eggplant mail order business and shipping produce to Italian communities in Alberta, the Kootenays, Vancouver and Prince Rupert.

As well as being an expert canner and preserver, Rose was also very adept at patch work quilt making.  The boys and many cousins, nieces and nephews, are honoured to be recipients of these creations.  Although Albert had little specialized training, he was very good at repairing machinery and building with wood.  Many of his stools, benches and tables still exist in the family’s belongings. 

As the boys grew older and were able to run the farm, Rose and Albert took up travelling, first, with their camper, then, with their motor home, and finally, moving on to bus and ship tours. In their travels, they would stop in to see family members, around North America. They made many new friends during their travels, most with whom they kept in touch.  The dairy herd was eventually sold and a small herd of beef cattle was acquired.  Most of the farm was turned into growing produce for DON-O-RAY Vegetables, with son, Ray and his wife Linda taking over the lead.  Rose and Albert retired.  Granddaughter, Lori, and her daughter, Nevi, operated the Fun Bugs Play Centre in Kelowna for a number of years.  Son, Don, joined the ranks of the teaching profession, where he met Jane.  Youngest son, John, became an electronics technician.  He and and Tammy live in Nelson, BC. 

After forty-eight years in their farm house, Rose and Albert moved to a townhouse on Lanfranco Road, where Rose continued to grow tomatoes, garlic, basilico and lettuce between the landscaped roses.  They continued their travels,  concentrating on the Okanagan Valley area, and keeping in touch with cousins and long time family friends.  Albert passed away on May 13, 2013.  Rose now resides at The Vineyards, in the Glenmore area.
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Contributed by Don Rampone, son