MARY NOVAK

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MARY NOVAK It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Mary (Kushneriuk) Novak. Mary left us peacefully on October 31, 2002, at Seven Regions Health Centre in Gladstone, MB, after a courageous battle with leukemia. Mary was born in Buchanan, SK, on April 11, 1921. She met and married John Novak on January 20, 1944. They began farming with his father on the family farm at Theodore, SK. Here they started to raise a family, consisting of four boys and five girls, which included a set of twins. In the fall of 1958 the family moved to Manitoba, settling on the Harold Lobban farm in the Golden Stream District near Gladstone, where she resided until her passing. She was predeceased by her mother Katrina in 1926, her stepmother Oxanna in 1942, her infant daughter Iris in 1945, her husband John in 1968, her father Alex in 1970, her daughter-in-law Rose in 1990, and her son-in-law Tom in 2002. She was also predeceased by her brothers, Peter, Matt, Steve, Mike, and John; as well as her sisters, Olga and Verna. She will lovingly be remembered by her daughter Elaine and grandchildren, Jason (Nicole) and Jennifer (Trevor) son Adam; daughter Sylvia (Merv) and granddaughter Kari (Peter), great-grandson Dawson, and grandson Wes (Mya) sons, Daniel and David; daughter Virginia and grandson Chris; son Willie and grandchildren, Jesse, Jamie, and Justin; daughter Shirley and grandchildren, Luke and Damon. She is also survived by her sister Rose (Mike) and her brother George (Edith) as well as many nieces, nephews, in-laws, and cousins. Mary was a kind, gentle lady who loved life. She faced many hardships throughout life including the untimely death of her husband, the death of her first child, difficult farming conditions, serious family illness, stomach cancer, and deafness, but throughout it all she maintained a positive attitude, an admirable sense of serenity, and served as a great support and leader for her family. Marys door was always open to family and neighbours who she was always happy to see and visit with. She loved planting and tending a very large garden even up until this past year when her illness began to affect her. Her family was her priority in life and she took great pride in all her children and grandchildren. Mary worked very hard but also enjoyed the simple pleasures of life, a great example for her family and friends. She will always be lovingly and fondly remembered. Funeral service will be held on Monday, November 4 at 2:00 p.m. in the Gladstone United Church with Rev. George Cargo officiating. Interment will follow in the Gladstone Cemetery. If friends so desire, memorial donations may be made to Seven Regions Palliative Care, in care of Box 374, Gladstone, MB, R0J 0T0, or to Central Plains Cancer Care Services, 318 Saskatchewan Ave. E., Portage la Prairie, MB, R1N 0K8. Clarkes Funeral Home, Gladstone in care of arrangements.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Nov 02, 2002