ZOYA (SONIA) GUSTIN (BERDUGAN)

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ZOYA (SONIA) GUSTIN (nee BERDUGAN) Born November 17, 1912 in Perm Ural, Russia, passed away at the Queensway Carleton Hospital on October 10, 2004 at the age of 91. Predeceased by her husband Arkadius on February 14, 1999. Sonia lived her early childhood near St. Petersburg, where her father was the first to contract with International Harvester. As white Russians, they fled on the tide of the Russian Revolution of 1918. Through church connections they fled to Harbin, Manchuria, China where many nationalists were living and building the Trans Siberian railway. Here she met and later married Arkadius Gustin. A year later they were blessed with their only child, a daughter Greta (Margaret). Five years later, life repeated itself with the Japanese invasion, again forcing them to flee from their home and again when the Russian forces drove the Japanese from the area. The family again was forced to evacuate their home with only the clothes on their backs and two silver spoons hidden in a coat lining. After the war, they left for Germany and took up residence there until moving to Winnipeg, Canada in 1953 where Arkadius, being a master butcher, worked for and later owned their own business. Sonia was greatly affected by the loss of Arkadius on Valentines Day of 1999, and the move to Ottawa March 20, the the disabling illness of her daughter on March 14, 2002. Sonia will be greatly missed by her daughter Margaret (Hirkala) and her son-in-law Bernie; as well as her grandchildren, Brenda (Chupick) and husband Gregory, Jamie and wife Tammy, Mark and wife Yoan, Cheryl (Reid) and her husband Jack and Debi; as well as 12 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Oct 30, 2004