Katherine Jennie Luisi (Lewis) was born 24 June 1895 in Denver, Adams, Colorado to Giuseppe Antonio Luisi and Marie Filomeno Zito. She was the seventh child of eight children. She has three sisters and four brothers.
Shortly before March of 1891, Katherine’s parents moved from New York to Denver, where they eventually established a boarding house. Silver mines were booming in the mountains west of Denver. However, in 1893, the silver boom collapsed and was replaced by manufacturing and food processing.
Denver, Adams, Colorado
Denver 1895
During this period of time, Denver saw more corruption as underworld bosses worked side-by-side with city officials and police to profit from gambling and other criminal enterprises. Denver’s vice district ranked only slightly behind San Francisco’s Barbary Coast. Sin was good business; visitors spent lavishly, then left town.
Marriage
On 27 February 1912, Katherine married Girolamo DiStefano in Denver. He was introduced to Katherine by her two brothers, who encouraged Girolamo to pay the family a visit. They worked with Girolamo in Magna, Salt Lake, Utah at the Magna copper mills.
After their marriage, they returned to Magna, where they resided for a short time before they moved to Tabiona, Duchesne, Utah, where they owned and operated a General Store in Hanna.
Children
Girolamo and Katherine had nine children together. Leonard Joseph, William LeRoy (Bill), James Woodrow, Perry Antonio, Joseph Lewis (Joe), Felma Josephine (Sis), LeRoy William (Tete), George Washington James, and Thomas Leonard.
Death
Death came early for Katherine. She was 43 years old. She died in Heber, Wasatch, Utah, on 24 December 1938. Her hernia ruptured, and she was taken from Tabiona to Heber for surgery that was not successful. Katherine is buried in Tabiona, Duchesne, Utah. She left nine children behind: Leonard, 25, Bill, 23, James, 20, Perry, 18, Joe, 16, Sis, 13, Tete, 11, George, 8, and Thomas, 5.