Obituary of Sophie Semeniuk

Mrs. Sophie Semeniuk of Ituna and formerly of Goodeve passed away on Tuesday, September 25, 2018 at the age of 97. The funeral service will be held on Monday, October 1 at 10:00a.m. from the Chapel of Bailey's Funeral Home, Melville. The interment will follow in St. Michael's Cemetery. Memorials in memory of Sophie may be made to the Ituna Pioneer Lodge as tokens of remembrance. Sophie was born on the farm in Goodeve to Wasyl and Agnes (Englot) Kowalchuk 97 years ago. She was the 9th child of 15 children. Sophie attended Stryj school until Grade 6, when the family moved to Kelliher, SK. Her early life was filled with farm chores and very little money. She and her brothers & sisters collected gopher tails which they sold for a penny each to buy candy. School was difficult for Sophie, there was the language challenge as the whole family only spoke Ukrainian and there was the dealing with her classmates laughter at her itchy woolen clothing. Mom spent a lot of time playing with brother John. Sophie was the family cook and milked 15 cows by herself, using the hand cranked cream separator to separate the milk from the cream. Sophie did most of the cooking and housework. Washing clothes on a scrub board, scrubbing the old wooden kitchen floor with a scrub brush. The family was very religious and practiced the Catholic faith. Wasyl and Agnes did not allow her to attend dances, but the kids managed to sneak out a window to attend. Red crayon for lipstick and rouge, flour for powder! It was at one of these dances that Sophie met Peter Semeniuk when she was 21 years old. They married November 4, 1945. Peter and Sophie lived with Peter's parents (John and Sophie (Zabinski) Semeniuk, Sr.) on the family homestead 2 1/2 miles from Goodeve. Peter had four sisters at home, a farm worker and a family friend (Nick Bodnarchuk). Sophie was always busy pasturing cattle, washing dishes and clothes, ironing, milking cows, and working in the garden. In 1948 Sophie and Peter moved to a log house on a quarter section 1/2 mile from Peter's family's homestead. It was here that they brought home daughter Judy (Semeniuk) Vande Velde born on March 4, 1949. Sophie's second child Norman Semeniuk lived only a very short time in hospital after he was born at Yorkton General Hospital in 1951. Ernie Semeniuk was born April 9, 1952. Ron Semeniuk followed 10 years later on June 16, 1962. Sophie raised her children by example. We had a very happy childhood on the farm with many, many pets and plenty of visits from family. Peter's parents moved into Goodeve in 1956 and Peter and Sophie moved back into the family homestead. There was no electricity or phone for a long time. There was no running water. In winter Sophie spent much of her time chopping wood to heat the house, run the cook stove and melt the snow she used for our baths and laundry. Drinking water was carried from the farm well in summer and was hauled from town in winter. In the summers Sophie's brother & sister-in-law Paul and Sophie (Semeniuk) Kowalchuk would bring their daughters Bonnie (Kowalchuk) Shewchuk and Debbie (Kowalchuk) Leontowicz to stay with us for a week or so to let them see how life on the farm was. Sophie raised up to 500 chickens, 25 geese and several ducks & turkeys each year. These were for our own use as well as butchered and sold for some money to buy groceries, etc. Sophie milked 14 cows daily and carried many, many 5 gallon pails of water and ground oats to the pigs and chickens. Sophie's garden was always huge and immaculate. She did a lot of canning, not an easy task with no running water. Judy's daughters' Christine Vande Velde and Tasha (Vande Velde) McLeod usually spent a week on the farm with Baba. They so loved their Baba! Sophie always welcomed everyone into her home. Her joyous spirit and generosity had no end. She almost never complained. She was the most unselfish person and would share anything she had. Her house was always full of the most beautiful plants. For a time Sophie and Ernie opened their home in Goodeve to Sophie's son Ron Semeniuk and his family. For about a year she looked after a family friend Nick Bodnarchuk before he passed in 1981. Peter's mother was very ill with cancer by 1982 and Sophie took on the duties of looking after her until she passed in 1983. Peter and Sophie moved into the house in Goodeve so Sophie could constantly be there for her mother-in-law, Sophie (Zabinski) Semeniuk Sr. Peter became seriously ill with cancer and leukaemia in 1983/84. Again Sophie looked after her husband until his passing in 1985. After her husband Peter passed Sophie spent many of her free hours crocheting huge doilies and afghans in the winters. She had good friends in Rose (John) Klus and Mary (Paul) Soltys. Ernie was always by his mother's side helping her as much as he could. Ernie and Sophie maintained a large garden on the farm as well as in Goodeve and kept chickens on the farm for many years. Sophie's canned chicken was everyone's special favourite! Sophie became ill with dementia and a small stroke, (no one knows when the stroke may have happened) in about 2009. Ernie faithfully cared for Sophie at home on his own until Sophie entered Ituna Pioneer Health Centre in May of 2012. Ernie has never missed a day visiting Sophie in the Lodge for many hours a day. Sophie never listened to any negative self talk, her attitude was always positive and her motto was: "I'm going to do it and that's it!" We have big shoes to fill with Mom's passing! Sophie's care, joy in life and generosity were second to none. Sophie was predeceased by her parents: Wasyl and Agnes Kowalchuk; husband: Peter Semeniuk; son: Norman Semeniuk; Parents-in-law: John and Sophie(Zabinski) Semeniuk, Sr.; Brothers: Peter, Joseph, Karl, Bill, John, Nick, Paul and Walter Kowalchuk; Sisters: Mary (John) Olinik, Ann (John) Moleski, Helen (John) Kitzul, Ella (Victor) Boychuk. And numerous other Semeniuk and Kowalchuk family members. Sophie leaves to mourn, her children: Judy(Semeniuk) Vande Velde, Ernie Semeniuk and Ron Semeniuk (Laurie Allinson); and son-in-law Gerry Vande Velde. Grandchildren: Christine Vande Velde [Christopher Edy] and Tasha (Vande Velde) McLeod (Rob McLeod); Great Grandchildren: Chevy James McLeod, Sierra Noelle McLeod, Lillianna Marie Edy, Aurora Nia Edy, Robert Semeniuk and Dustin Semeniuk; Sister: Katie(Mike)Suwala; Brother: Mike Kowalchuk; Sister-in-law: Sophie (Paul) Kowalchuk; and numerous Semeniuk and Kowalchuk family members. Service Information Monday, October 1st, 2018 10:00am, Bailey's Funeral Home - Melville Interment Details Saint Michael Ukranian Catholic Cemetery