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Archival description
Bezmutko family
CA BMUFA 0017-3 · Series
Part of Gloria Rutherford family collection

Mike Bezmutko was born September 15, 1866 in Poland. His wife Mary Zuhajewych was born April 16, 1868 in Poland. They had seven children. According to Homestead Patent dated 1907, they obtained entry for their homestead in 1904, built their house and started their residence in 1903, their address at that time was New Ottawa, Saskatchewan. They got their naturalization in 1906 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.

Cherweniuk family
CA BMUFA 0017-2 · Series
Part of Gloria Rutherford family collection

Yelena Cherweniuk's (the wife of Petro Yakemchuk) two brothers George and Nikola Cherweniuk followed their sister to Canada (1912). George Cherweniuk left a wife (whom he later divorced) and a family behind in Bukovina. Two brothers worked together for a time in Winnipeg, Manitoba, saving money for a farm, however, Nikola elected to return to his homeland, leaving behind his share of the money in return for George's farm in Ukraine. George bough a farm near his sister Yelena, in Andrew. He married Magdelena Fedorak, sister of Lena Fedorak (who became Vasil Yakemchuk's wife). Unfortunately, she died with their infant daughter in childbirth, after which, George moved to Smoky Lake, Alberta.

George Cherweniuk married Domka Wedenivski, who journeyed to Canada by herself in 1926. Her uncle, Sam, owned a hotel in Smoky Lake, Alberta, and she worked there for three years until she met George.

Pluta family
CA BMUFA 0017-4 · Series
Part of Gloria Rutherford family collection

John and Dora immigrated to Canada in April of 1905 with their daughter, Lena. Their son Joe was born in Horodenka, Austria, but lived only 2 1/2 years. Their daughter Annie was born there as well but lived only about two weeks.

George and Joe were twins, born in Radisson, Saskatchewan. George lived about 2 hours and Joe survived for about 2 days.

Nick was married briefly to an Italian woman. He changed his name to Gene Burns and apparently was involved with drugs. He dies in Vancouver, B.C. about 1982.

Polly died at birth.

Jack's name in Ukrainian was Vladimir, but due to the difficulty of the English pronunciation, he was called Jack.
Jack was in the airforce during WWII and his Lancaster bomber was shot down in a raid over Germany. He survived and spent the remainder of the war in Stalag Luft 17. During the later part of the war, food shortages were rampant and so many of the POW camp gates were left open allowing the remaining prisoners to escape thus freeing the Germans of the responsibility for their care.
After making his way to France, Jack became ill with Rheumatic fever and spent sometime in hospital and was eventually returned to Canada by the British. Upon his recovery, he was given the rank of Sergeant by the RCAF after which he was decommissioned.

Yakemchuk family
CA BMUFA 0017-1 · Series
Part of Gloria Rutherford family collection

Nikola Yakemchuk, his wife, Domka (Pawliuk) and daughter Yelena arrived in Canada about 1895 and settled in the Hairy Hill area of Alberta. Prior to departing from Chernivtsi, Nikola had made an agreement with his brother Petro that when he became sufficiently established in Canada, he would send for him. This event occurred two years later.

Petro, his wife Yelena (Cherweniuk), their two sons Vasil and Nikola and daughter Anna arrived in Montreal via cargo ship from Romania in 1897, a voyage of six weeks duration. Due to the hardship of this journey, the infant Nikola died and rather than have their infant buried at sea, Yelena pretended to nurse him so that he could be buried on land upon their disembarkation. Following this, Petro, his wife and remaining family, traveled by train to Edmonton, Alberta where Nikola met them. The two brothers farmed together for several years in Hairy Hill during which time Anna, too, died. Petro and Yelena then moved to their permanent home site on a two and one-half section farm near Kahwin, Alberta. They would lose two more children: Vasilina at age seven and Anna at age three. In time the farm passed to their son Dmitro and after his death, remained in his family until March of 1975 when it was sold to the George Kapitsky family.