We have been asked to share the following information about the upcoming meeting of KDGS
Join us on Nov. 26 for a fascinating free Zoom presentation by Italian history and genealogy expert, Don Rampone, speaking on Italians Who Helped Build Kelowna.
Most people know of the important contributions that the Casorso and Capozzi families have made to the building of Kelowna. But there are many other Italian Families who played an important role in Kelowna’s development. These are their stories.
Date: Tuesday, November 26, 2024, 6:30pm
Presenter: Don Rampone
Location: via Zoom
REGISTRATION REQUIRED (https://orl.libcal.com/event/3825019)
Don Rampone is the great grandson of Luigi Rampone, who arrived in Kelowna in 1893. Together with Don’s brother, Ray, they started the DON-O-RAY Vegetable Stand in 1960. Gardening is a lifelong passion for Don, but he left the family farm in 1972 to become a teacher. After teaching Mathematics and Science in the Wells-Barkerville area, he returned to Kelowna in 1978, where he became a Teacher-Librarian. For many years he was a volunteer set builder with several community theatre groups. In 1988, he started the Far Corner Educational Farm on Casorso Road. He is a member of the Okanagan Historical, Central Okanagan Heritage and Kelowna and District Genealogical Societies. As Co-Chair of the Kelowna Canadian Italian Club’s Heritage Committee, he has researched and written 180 Family Stories about the earliest Italian families in Kelowna. In a quest for family stories of his own, he spends some time each day researching his own family tree. Visiting ancestral hometowns has given him a source for the best stories about his family.
Family History Forums are a partnership presentation series of the Kelowna & District Genealogical Society and the Okanagan Regional Library. The topics vary but are typically at the beginner’s level in Family History research. All are welcome to these FREE Zoom presentations, but pre-registration is required through the ORL’s Events Calendar (https://orl.libcal.com/event/3825019). Be sure to enter your email address correctly and watch for the email from the ORL to confirm your registration and the Zoom link plus a syllabus.
