ANNIE NICHIPORUK (GRYJACK)

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ANNIE NICHIPORUK (nee GRYJACK) August 28, 1920 - September 18, 2004 It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our mother, baba and great-baba, Annie Nichiporuk, at the age of 84. Annie was born on August 28, 1920 in Sheho, SK. Following a brief, two-week courtship, Annie married Edward Nichiporuk on July 13, 1941 in Winthorpe, SK. Annie and Edward moved to the Grahamville District near Minitonas, MB in 1944 where, together with their three daughters, they built their home and established their mixed farming operation. In 1974, Annie and Edward moved to Swan River and in 1981, shortly before Edwards death, they celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. In 2000, Annie moved to Heritage Manor where she had the opportunity to truly enjoy her "retirement". Annie spoke highly of her friends at Heritage Manor and the very active lifestyle that retirement brought. Whether she was asked to pinch 12 dozen perogies, roll a casserole of cabbage rolls, bake her famous cinnamon buns, knit brightly-coloured slippers or tend to the family church, Annie could always be counted on to a lend a hand. She will be greatly missed by the many friends and family whose lives she touched. Annie is survived by her three daughters, Nina Kolopenuk (Peter Kolopenuk) of Wetaskiwin, AB, Mary Richard (Ozzie Richard) of Winnipeg, MB and Jean Nichiporuk of Winnipeg; grandchildren, Kevin Kolopenuk (Tanya Hill), Riva Richard (Kevin Kuryk), Rhonda Eskridge (Eddie Eskridge), Ryan Richard (Michelle Spearman) great-grandchildren, Davin and Brittany; brother, Arthur Gryjack of Shoal Lake, MB; sister Kay Solomon, of Melville, SK; and her many nieces and nephews. Annie was predeceased by her husband Edward; parents, Leon and Elena Gryjack; and grandson Kyle Kolopenuk. Prayers will be held at Paulls Funeral Chapel in Swan River, MB on Thursday, September 23 at 7:30 p.m. Funeral service and interment will take place in the St. Laurentius Church near Minitonas at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, September 24 with Rev. Fr. Rodion Lusiuk and Rev. Fr. Michael Lumoskavich officiating. Pallbearers will be Kevin Kolopenuk, Ryan Richard, Lawrence Nichiporuk, Doug Solomon, Kevin Maslechko, Laurence Maslechko and Ken Sterma. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Annies memory to St. Laurentius Church, in care of P.O. Box 330, Minitonas, MB R0L 1G0 or to CancerCare Manitoba. VICHNAYA PAMYAT We love you, Mom. A short letter to my Baba: Baba, it was only in June that we sat on Ryans porch and celebrated his birthday. Weeks later, you were admitted to the hospital. Never did I believe that you wouldnt overcome the pain; that you wouldnt be here for Christmas or for the birth of Rhondas baby. Your sudden passing has left us in shock, our loss is so very deep. You were such a remarkable woman, from small town Manitoba but with worldly views. Baba, you were steeped in tradition. You believed in such conventions as a married woman should always cover her head in church and no one should work on Sundays, and yet, you were accepting of those who didnt necessarily adhere to the same. You loved us all, each and every one of us, for who we were. You never judged nor faulted us for the mistakes we made nor the paths we took. While society, at times, may have been less accepting of couples living together outside of wedlock, divorce, prison or homosexuality, Baba, your analysis was beautiful in its simplicity: "They didnt do anything to me, why should I love them any less? Let them live their lives. What business is it of mine?" Baba, you were one of the strongest people I knew. For more than 18 years, you lived in a large two story home by yourself; maintaining one half acre lot and a garden of almost equal size. You shovelled your own driveway, cut the grass, hauled five gallon pails of snow and rain water up flights of stairs to water your plants and wash your hair. You were never afraid to try new things. "Why not?!" youd ask when invited to try a new dish or travel to a new destination. On the beaches of California, whale watching in Quebec, touring the streets of Toronto, sunning in Hawaii, cruising the Caribbean or flying to Kentucky, you never missed an opportunity to travel or spend time with us and we were always glad for your company. Baba, you have always been the centre of our family, a pillar of strength upon which we could rely. You rarely faltered. You remained strong in the face of adversity. You persevered. You had an incredible and unfailing inner strength. Whether it was your knee surgery and countless hours of physiotherapy in 1997 or the immeasurable pain that you endured most recently, Baba, you never complained. You never shed a tear. Only once have I seen you cry. It was when you shared with me the story of your grandson Kyles untimely death and, even then, you cried only a for a moment. Among your last words to us, "Dont worry about me, I will be OK. Dont cry." I hope Baba, that I will someday have the same strength of character and family values, the same sense of tradition coupled with the same openmindedness that you have always shown. There was still so much that I could have learned from you, Baba. I will miss you. We all will. Thank you for the love that you shared unconditionally and the many life lessons that you taught.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Sep 21, 2004