Mary Eliuk

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MARY W. ELIUK

Peacefully on Thursday March 6, 2014, Mary Eliuk of Vita, Manitoba passed away after a short battle with cancer at the age of 85 years.

Mary was predeceased by her husband Walter, her parents Lena and William Gushuliak, her sister Jean, and brothers Nick, George and Willie.

Left to cherish Mary’s memory are her children Ken (Maureen), Janet (Terry), Bonnie (Phil), Wally (Linda) and Bob (Lynda).

She will be greatly missed by her grandchildren Reena (André), Jillian (Jonathan), Heidi, Tessa, Cobi, Sam, Laura, Jason (Miranda), Jed, and great grandchildren Brett, Ava, Mia and Maëlle.

Also left to cherish her memory are her sisters Elsie (Bill) and Gladys, and many cousins, nieces, nephews and in-laws.

Mary was born August 20, 1928 in Arbakka, Manitoba, the eldest in a family of two brothers and four sisters. They lived on a farm on the river, and Mom remembered childhood as a very happy time. She attended Mazeppa School, but was sad to leave early when her mother was sick. This early life experience enforced mom’s desire to give her children every opportunity.

Her family moved to Sundown in 1945, where Mary met Walter Eliuk. They married on September 18, 1948, and settled in Sundown where they operated Eliuk`s General Store, and later a store and forest products business in Woodridge.

Mom’s life was very busy raising a family of five and operating the store in Sundown. She was a wonderful cook and immaculate housekeeper. She somehow made time for crocheting, gardening, and decorating. She was active in the community as a member of the Sundown Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Ukrainian Women`s Association throughout her life. Mom was progressive in her thinking, warm and nurturing, and was simply a great mother who made childhood a wonderful time.

After Walter passed away in 1983, Mary continued to operate the store and a post office successfully on her own until her retirement in 1994. After retirement she moved to Vita and lived independently in her own home until shortly before her passing.

Mary enjoyed living in Vita and she remained vibrant and active throughout her retirement. She had many friends in the area and participated in various local activities. She especially loved music and dancing and the simple pleasures of playing cards with friends or visiting at the coffee shop.

Above all, Mom was a devoted and loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She greatly looked forward to all family events, and enjoyed maintaining and passing on the Ukrainian holiday and family traditions that were very important to her.

Prayer services will be held on Thursday, March 13, 2014 at 7:30p.m (7:00 p.m. viewing) at Birchwood Funeral Chapel, 150 Penfeld Drive, Steinbach.

Funeral service will be held on Friday, March 14, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Peter & Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Sundown with interment at the parish cemetery.

For those who wish, donations in Mary's memory can be made to the St. Peter & Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church, P.O. Box 108, Sundown, MB, R0A 2C0. Arrangements by Birchwood Funeral Chapel, 1-888-454-1030, or 1-204-346-1030.

As published in The Carillon on Mar 10, 2014