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    Gus and Assunta Dotto (Emilia Raffin) > Oral History Transcript Summary

    Gus and Assunta Dotto:  Oral History Transcript Summary

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Raffaele Albi

Mr. and Mrs.
Enrico Butti

Mr. & Mrs.
Domenico Chiarello
(Nella Anselmo)

Gus & Assunta Dotto
(Emilia Raffin)

 Attilio & Stella Gatto

Gus Lavorato

Giovanni Paron

Louie Protti

Mr. & Mrs. Sartor

Sam Scrivano

Silvio Tona

Paolo Veltri

Page 1 |  2 |  3

A summary of the oral history transcript of August (Gus) and Assunta (Sue) Dotto, as well as Sue's sister, Emilia Raffin. They discuss life in Italy, moving to Canada, employment opportunities, and how they met.

Assunta (Sue) Dotto :

  • Born in 1922, in a small place near Valvazone.
     
  • She went to school there with her five sisters, and her father was already in Canada farming.
     
  • In 1939 Assunta, her mother, and three of her sisters made the move to Canada. Of the two remaining sisters, one went to South America as a missionary nun, the other was already married.
     
  • In Canada her parents farmed. They also had their father's brother living with them, which was Italian custom.
     
  • She remembers life in Italy, and wanting to go to school so badly that she went through grade three twice because her country school only went to that grade. Then her mother allowed her to go to the bigger city to take grade four, until her uncle needed her to work on the farm.
     
  • After she left school at the age of 11 she helped her mother at the house, and her uncle on the farm. 
     
  • At age 14 she took a job as a maid in Milan. She had two hours of free time on Sunday afternoons, other than that it was work, work, work! She worked for a young couple for two years, living in a small room with an adjoining bathroom.

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