Obituary of Rose Purcha
The family of Rose Purcha of Ituna, widow of Frank Purcha sadly announce her passing on Sunday, January 26, 2025. Rose was 101 years of age.
The Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, February 8 at 11:00a.m. from St. Stanislaus Roman Catholic Church, Ituna with Father Albert Schmitz celebrating.
Click Here for Live Stream beginning at 10:45a.m.
The interment will follow in the St. Stanislaus Parish Cemetery.
Memorials in memory of Rose may be made to The Ituna Pioneer Lodge, St. Stanislaus R.C. Church or St. Stanislaus Parish Cemetery as gifts of remembrance.
Rose Purcha was born on February 6, 1923, the seventh child of Pauline and Harry Spasnik of the Fenwood district. As a young girl she helped at the farm, cooking, babysitting, doing janitorial work at the school, and helping neighbours at threshing time to earn a little spending money.
In 1940, Mom, her sister, and two nieces ventured out to Vancouver to work. Here she worked at a fish cannery, laundromat, and cooked at a café. In 1950, she returned to Saskatchewan with her four-year-old daughter Patricia.
Mom met our dad, Frank Purcha, at a dance and they were married on July 15, 1951. They settled on the Purcha homestead in the Bon Accord district. Eventually four more daughters were born into the family. Our poor dad had to live with a house full of girls. As was the era at the time, all family members were expected to help with the farm chores. Mom and dad raised their own meat, canned all their vegetables and fruit, and worked on the field.
In 1967, mom and dad moved a house into Ituna and mom went out working. She held jobs at the hotel, bakery, and St. Ann’s Orphanage. Later she worked at the Ituna Pioneer Lodge in the kitchen where she worked for 13 years before retiring at the age of 65.
Mom was a woman of strong faith after saying the rosary at home and when travelling. The older grandchildren remember sitting at the back of grampas little red truck and reciting the rosary on their way to their cabin at fishing lake.
Mom enjoyed family visits, playing the mandolin, singing in the church choir, and writing her own poetry. She also enjoyed travelling; going to Hawaii and Disneyland. Mom made numerous quilts, tons of knitted toques, mittens, and slippers, and even teddy bears that she generously donated to family and friends. She was a longtime member of the CWL and social club.
At the age of 90, she sold her home and moved to the low rentals. Two years later she moved to St. Ann’s (now known as Central Pine). At the age of 101, she needed more care and was moved to Ituna Pioneer Lodge. On Sunday, January 26, she passed away peacefully with family by her side eleven days before her 102nd birthday.
Left to cherish and continue her legacy are her five daughters: Pat Janzen of Penticton, BC; Dianne Bohach and Lydia Bulych of Ituna; Joan Vass of Sylvan Lake, AB; and Fran (Joe) Hargrave of Saskatoon. Also surviving her are 15 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.
She was predeceased by her husband Frank (July 2003), her sons-in-law Mike Malysh, Peter Janzen, Larry Bohach, Ken Bulych, Dave Vass, and Brian Bulych. As well as all of her siblings, their spouses, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Rest in Peace Mom, you have lived a long and fruitful life.
