MICHAEL (MIKE) KOTSCHESCHKO

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MICHAEL (MIKE) KOTSCHESCHKO On Wednesday, June 16, 2004 at his residence, Michael (Mike) Kotscheschko passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 92. Mike was born on September 5, 1912 in Poltava, Ukraine to Johann and Anastasia Kotscheschko. As a young man, he travelled to Siberia where he worked for a short time as an electrician. He later apprenticed as a shoemaker and became a master shoemaker. From 1933 to 1938, he worked in a shoe factory in Dnieproetrowsk, Ukraine. In 1938 to 1941, he opened his own shop in Lemberg, Germany. As the war ravaged Europe, Mike found himself in a displaced persons camp in Steyer, Austria, where he continued his trade. Through the war, like so many others of his generation, although his family was lost to war, they would never be forgotten. While in the camp, he met Emilie Rubi (Kunz), whom he married on August 24, 1946. When the war ended in 1947, the American army liberated all prisoners from the camp and Mike and Emilie settled in Ingolstadt, a small town in Bavaria, Germany. He worked as a shoemaker until 1954, subsidizing his income salvaging scrap metal from downed aircraft and tanks from the river bottoms. In March of 1954, he and Emilie boarded the Canadian Pacific Steamships Ltd. passenger ship, the Beaverbrae and immigrated, landing in St. Johns on March 20. They took the train to Winnipeg, where they made their home. Later that year, they brought Emilies only daughter Eva, her husband Henry Zienkiewicz and their four children to Canada. In 1962, he became a Canadian citizen, of which he was quite proud. Mike worked at many jobs but in 1977, he retired as a gardener from the Misericordia Hospital. Mike worked all of his life and enjoyed receiving his pension from work as well as the Canada pension. Mike was predeceased by his wife, Emilie in 1988; his stepdaughter, Eva and her husband, Henry; and his partner, Erika Wohlschlager (Newman) in 1999. Mike is survived by his grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. Mike is also survived by Emilies nephew and niece, Peter and Mary Ekiert, in Poland. The family wishes to thank those that cared for Mike; Gordon Wohlschlager and family, his homecare workers, especially Margaret, Debbie, Alice, Cindy and Federico, as well as his many friends and neighbours. Prayers will be held on Sunday, June 20, 7:00 p.m., at Cropo Funeral Chapel, 1442 Main Street. Funeral Service will be held on Monday, June 21, 10:00 a.m., also at the Chapel, with Rev. Fr. Diosdado Parrenas officiating. Interment will follow at All Saints Cemetery. Cropo Funeral Chapel 586-8044

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 19, 2004