Louis (Luigi) Biamonte Mike Biollo Father Giovanni Bonelli Camillo Bridarolli Mr. & Mrs. Henry Butti John Camarta Domenico Chiarello Joe Fabbri Mario Grassi Victor Losa Filomena Michetti Mrs. Mamie Meardi Tony Nimis Giorgio W. & Norma Pocaterra Mr. & Mrs. John Segatti Romano Tedesco & Mrs. Irma Giacobbo Angelo Toppano

The life of Filomena Michetti is described by her daughter Mrs. Gisella Biollo.  It includes descriptions of her emigration, her early life in the Venice-Hylo area, the depression era and its organizations.

• mother, Filomena Michetti, born Santo Mero 1886
   

• moved to Hylo, Alberta 4 April, 1917
   

• experienced difficulties in coming to Hylo - during WWI (dangerous 19 days on ship) to Boston, then train to Hylo (winter, not used to snow).
   

• husband (Gisella's father) arrived 6 years prior (1911) to homestead
   

• purchased land for $10
   

• after Filomena Michetti (mother) arrived, stayed in Hylo; hunting; real pioneer from beginning; cleared land (first 10 acres by oxen, then got horses, finally machinery)
   

• father, Giuseppe, was contractor in bush camps making lumber, rail ties - needed money to start a farm
   

• was a period of great railway expansion
   
   

• mother's first impression - depressed (Italy was warm and beautiful); came to bush, snow, cold, coyotes
   

• after first big rainfall, roof caved in (mud roof)
   

• lived in log shack with dirt roof for first 3-4 years.
   

• two oldest children born in first house
   

• mostly Italians settled in this area, but not all were Italian
   

• not many stayed
   

• several families (goes on to name some she remembered - Bonifaccio; Biollo; F.;Tedesco; Marcese; Monca; Varsi; Michetti.)
   

• get together socially (but not too often because of distances, rough paths, hardship involved) for dinners, parties, Christmas, Easter
   

• weren't any real associations or clubs, although there was a co-op formed for buying farm machinery
   

• no place, time or money for entertainment

• large families, hard times
   

• 1930s - depression; difficulties for farmers; no value for crops; not much to live on; got government aid of $9/month for a family of 11 people (a dollar could go a lot further then)
   

• "sunshine" organization from the city distributed used clothing to rural, needy families
   

• education was important; when she was about 4 or 5 years of age, a 1-room school was built about a mile from their home
   

• available to all
   

• no teacherage; school teacher lived in part of school room
   

• friendly atmosphere; personalized
   

• WWII - prices better for farm products; became more established; built more  

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