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From the Smoky Lake Signal, Wednesday, January 20, 1993. John Yachimec by Sharon Philips
A former long-time resident and businessman of Waskatenau,
John Yachimec, passed away on January 5, 1993, at the age of 78 years.
Prayers were held at 8 p.m. Friday, January 8, at Evergreen Funeral
Chapel, followed by the funeral service at 10 a.m. Saturday, January 9,
and interment in Evergreen Memoria Gardens. The Rev. A. Palamarchuk officiated
at both services. Pallbearers were Kevin Yachimec, Brad Pizek, Roger
Bolenchiuk, Randy Bolenchiuk, Wayne Sayers and Joe Padlesky. John
Micheal Yachimec was born on May 3, 1914, the eldest of five children of
Michael and Pelagia Yachimec, who had immigrated from the Ukraine and were
homesteading near Egremont. He attended Ingleside School, followed by two
years at the Vermilion School of Agriculture. Returning to the farm,
John put into practice the new farming methods he had learned. He also
participated in community life, especially the events involving music and
drama. Early in the Depression era John acquired a farm near his
parents, but after a few years of discouraging results he rented the farm
to his brother and built a store in the Tawatinaw area. While his partner
Andrew Pasika operated the store, John found other employment. HE taught
music in Glendon for a winter, and then started up a trucking business. John
married Olga Melnychuk of Edmonton in 1939, sold his share of the store to
his partner, and moved to Waskatenau in 1940. Here he again went into the
retail business, first in a small rented building, and later in a larger
one which he built himself, including living quarters. To accommodate
his growing family, John completed a house which had been started on a
nearby lot. John and Mary raised eight children, six boys and two girls. John
operated his store for 42 years, besides doing many other jobs: trucking
grain, gravel and livestock, dealing in livestock and bulk fuel, shipping
farm produce at the CN station, grading eggs, carpentering and plumbing. After
selling the store in 1982, John retired in Waskatenau. In 1987 he and Mary
moved to Edmonton, where John kept busy with carpentry and repair jobs.
Some Waskatenau folks continued to take their saws to him to sharpen, and
will have a hard time finding someone equally skilled. As the loving
eulogy so aptly stated, "John will be remembered by his family as a
multi-talented, helpful and humerous father, who remained healthy and
active to the last few days of his life. John was a man who didn't
complain much about anything and was more concerned about his family then
himself. Some of his last words were 'Don't worry about me.'" Mourning
John's passing are his loving wife Mary; six sons, Izydore and friend Joan
of Edmonton, Dennis and his wife Chris of Onoway, Eugene and his wife
Charlotte, Raymond and his wife Sandra, all of Edmonton, Larry and his
wife Penny of Swan Hills, Dale of Edmonton; tow daughters, Zoria and her
husband Lloyd Pirzek, Diane and her husband Wayne Sayers, all of Edmonton;
twelve grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; two brothers and one
sister, Micheal of Throhild, Peter of Toronto and Anne Keys of Redwater.
He was predeceased by brother Dave and granddaughter Delcey.
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