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  Coalhurst/Lethbridge:  Italian Pioneers

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Introduction

Early Years

World War I and
 Interwar Period

World War II
and After

 Cultural Life

Pioneers

Year of the Coal Miner September 2003 - 2004

by Adriana Albi Davies, Ph.D.

 1  |  Page 2  |  3

  • Arthur Giovinazzo (Joevenazzo)-Arthur was born in Coalhurst in 1926, the sixth child of Joseph and Mary Joevenazzo. He attended school in Coalhurst and moved to Lethbridge with the family in 1945. In 1943 he began to work for Catelli Foods as did his Father. He married Audrey Appleton in 1947 and they had five children: Yolanda, Arthur, Brian, Ken and Denise.1
     
  • Mr. and Mrs. Joevenazzo. Photo courtesy of the Coalhurst History Society as reproduced in our Treasured Heritage: A History of CoalHurst and District, 1984.Alfred Joevenazzo-Alfred was the fifth child of Joseph and Mary Joevenazzo was born in 1922 (his sister Angelina was born in 1920). He attended school in Coalhurst and worked for the CPR in Lethbridge. In 1942, he served in the Canadian Army with the Brockville Rifles and went overseas. In 1946 he returned to work for the CPR, and in 1947 married Phyllis Giles of Lethbridge. They had three children: one daughter and two sons who reside in Calgary. Alfred retired as an engineer with CPR.
     
  • Lazzarotto Family-Pete and Anna Lazzarotto lived in Coalhurst most of their lives except for two years when they owned a coal mine in PictureAnna and Pete Lazzarotto with M. Finnerty, Mildred Duffy and Charlie Lazzarotto. Photo courtesy of the Coalhurst History Society as reproduced in our Treasured Heritage: A History of CoalHurst and District, 1984. Butte (lost the mine because they could not pay the taxes). Mr. Lazzarotto was born in Valstagne, Italy on November 11, 1895, and came to New York on the Providence arriving May 12, 1912. From there he proceeded to Alberta and arrived in October, 1913, and became a naturalized citizen on February 12, 1929. He married Millie White on May 30, 1920 at St. Patrick's Parish. Pete worked in the Coalhurst Mine until the explosion in 1935 and then moved to Lethbridge where he worked in Royal View Mine, where he lost a leg. He worked at Catelli afterwards where he was a foreman until his retirement. Pete was a member of the Miner's Library; had three children: Melba, Mildred and Charlie.

    E. Lazzaretto  Courtesy of the Romulus & Remus Italian Society of Lethbridge.
    F. Lazzarotto  Courtesy of the Romulus & Remus Italian Society of Lethbridge.P. Lazzaretto  Courtesy of the Romulus & Remus Italian Society of Lethbridge.T. Lazzarotto  Courtesy of the Romulus & Remus Italian Society of Lethbridge.

              E. Lazzarotto           F. Lazzarotto        P. Lazzaretto        T. Lazzarotto        
   

  • Lizzi Family-John Giovanni and Maria Lizzi were married in Udine, Italy on December 21, 1918 and left for Canada April 26, 1921 with daughterJohn and Maria Lizzi. Reno and Elda Lizzi.  Photo courtesy of the Coalhurst History Society as reproduced in our Treasured Heritage: A History of CoalHurst and District, 1984. Elda. They arrived in Quebec May 7, 1921. From there they traveled to Lethbridge by train, and then to Coalhurst. He worked for the CPR for a time but had an attack of malaria. To overcome this, he worked for a summer on a farm at Lac La Biche (see Venice Colony) and recovered.G. Lizzi. Courtesy of the Romulus & Remus Italian Society of Lethbridge. Then, worked until 1935 at the Coalhurst Mine and was a member of the O.I.F.D.I.(Fior d'Italia Lodge) and held an executive position. He worked for one winter in the Drumheller mines before finally moving to Lethbridge in 1937 and working for the Royal View Mine. When thatThree generations of Lizzi women: Elda, Maria and Georgina. Photo courtesy of the Coalhurst History Society as reproduced in our Treasured Heritage: A History of CoalHurst and District, 1984. closed he worked at the Southern Alberta Co-op as a warehouse man. He was a member of the Italian Choir. They had a son, Reno, in 1926. Reno and wife Joyce (nee Wolfe) live in Lethbridge and he was a senior partner in Black's men's Wear. Elda married Clarence Jorgensen (a retired fir department captain) and worked at Sears for 26 years.
     
  • Locatelli Family-Arduino Locatelli was born on July 15, 1888 in Dro, Italy, and his wife Domenica (nee Santoni) was born on January 7, 1892 in Trento. They arrived in Montreal in 1912 with their infant son Pio, and headed for Taber, Alberta. There he worked in the mines at Purple Springs till 1922. Their other children include Antoinette (born 1915), Carl (1918) and Jean (1922). In 1922, the family moved to Coalhurst and he worked in the mine and the family lived in a company house till 1927, when Domenica's brother, Vito Santoni, joined them from Italy. At that time Arduino bought the Gordon farm but continued to work in the mines. In 1930, he built the Coalhurst Floor Mill (had trained as a miller in Italy as a boy), and Pio and Antoinette had to quit school to work in the Mill. The Mill prospered but then was destroyed by fire of unknown origin. Daughter Antoinette worked at Kresge's in Lethbridge and son Pio worked as a carpenter for the Becker Lumber Company in Picture Butte or Diamond City. Their son Carl finished school and worked for the Purity Dairy in Lethbridge, later moving to Nelson, BC, and Victoria where he worked for the Crown Life Insurance company. Daughter Antoinette married Stanley Fabbi, owner and manager of the Purity Dairy and they had two sons, Ronnie and Ken.2
     

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