ANNIE (ANN) KOWALCHUK (LAZARUK)

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ANNIE (ANN) KOWALCHUK (nee LAZARUK) August 22, 1915 - February 25, 2013 Annie slipped peacefully away in her sleep and will be sadly missed by her loving family and friends. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, John; sister Mary (Hammerberg); brother Bill Lazaruk, her in-laws, and four infant siblings. We are grateful for her devotion to her family and for taking an avid interest in all our endeavours. We are left with wonderful memories of joyous family gatherings with old and new friends, to enjoy her fabulous meals and to mark special occasions or milestones in our lives. Her sense of humour, character and flexibility to "make do" in times of need were good lessons for us all to follow. Left to cherish those precious memories are her daughter, Carrie (Sidney Smid) of Emo, ON and son Bob of Carman, MB; three grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren: Gord Smid (Lisette), Evanie, Reuben, Rianna, and Joelle of Vernon, BC; Dave Smid (Margaret), Ryan and Katie of Edmonton, AB; and Elaine (Dan Mack), Jim, Carina and Jenna of Emo, ON; four nieces Connie (Ivan LeBlanc); Linda (Sundseth), Marie (Livingston), Beverly and nephew, Jack Lazaruk, and grandnieces and nephews of Winnipeg. Annie was born on her Uncle Fred's pioneer homestead in Komarno, MB to her immigrant parents from Bukovina and Romania. From the farm, the family moved to northeast Transcona so Annie's father could work for the C.N.R. Shops. Life was very hard living in a shack on the open prairie, causing her parents to lose infant children in the harsh winters endured there. As the eldest child, Annie left school after Grade 7 and was hired by Dr. MacKay as a domestic, with the hope to eventually pursue nursing. Her dream was abandoned due to the family's urgency for income to survive. By doing piecework for rural market gardeners, earnings from her hard field work helped the family. For the rest of her life, both areas remained her passions - by combining good gardening practices and herbal remedies, she believed they were the basics to good health. In 1938, she married John and supported him in his labour union and political activities, in addition to caring for his aging and ailing mother. She helped families in need, with whatever she could spare from her garden or kitchen, never forgetting her own hard times. When her children grew up and left, she was able to become a valued and dedicated community worker. As the daughter of one of the earliest families of All Saints Ukrainian Orthodox Church, she was also a Lifetime Member. She served in the Ladies Association-Lesia Ukraina Branch which included visiting the sick, cooking and serving with the kitchen committee for a myriad of spring teas, fall suppers and other fundraising events. As a choir member, she enjoyed taking part caroling from house to house in Transcona over the Christmas Season, until the tradition gradually died off. In the 1960s, Annie was one of the founding members and directors of the Transcona Horticultural Society, which later became the Transcona Gardening Club. She later expanded to include training children how to garden, and served as a leader and inspiration in her beloved Junior Garden Club for more than 25 years. She patiently taught them organic methods and secrets to make plants flourish for good harvest yields. She was often seen travelling around town on her bike to check gardens and collect heritage seeds. Over the years, she was presented with numerous awards and prizes for her horticultural contributions and activities. Annie joined the Rebecca Lodge #40 in 1964 and was a Lifetime Member. She worked as a volunteer with their Vision Screening Program in Transcona schools from 1976 to 1986. Alongside her husband, she was also a member of the Transcona Seniors Centre since 1975, and a member of Transcona Council for Seniors from 1991 to 1996. She was active on the kitchen committee, a bingo caller and hostess for their various fundraising or social events. In 1995 she was awarded Transcona Retired Citizens Association Lifetime Membership. In March 2002 she was honoured by the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. Mr. Vickars presented her with the Paul Harris Fellowship in recognition of her decades of cultural and community work. The proceeds of the Award was to be used in her name for a polio vaccination program in the ongoing effort to eradicate childhood polio in Africa. The family extends their heartfelt thanks to the staff and caregivers at Park Manor Nursing Home since 2004. If so desired, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to either the Alzheimers Society of Manitoba, 10 - 120 Donald St., Winnipeg, MB R3C 4G2 or to Park Manor Personal Care Home, 301 Redonda St., Winnipeg, MB R2C 1L7. Funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m., on Saturday, March 2, 2013 at The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of All Saints, 1500 Day Street, Transcona, with Father Bill Wasyliw Presiding. Funeral Arrangements in Care of Wheeler Funeral Home, Cemetery & Crematorium 1800 Day Street 224-1525

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Feb 28, 2013