John Yaremko (Іван Яремко) was born around 1894 in Bridok Village, Bukovyna, the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He arrived in Canada as a 14 year old boy. He became a farmer in the Rycroft area and later a barber in Edmonton.
In 1929 when he was still living in Rycroft, John Yaremko became a member of the “Робітниче запомогове товариство в Канаді” (Workers’ Benevolent Association of Canada), was a member of «Товариство Український робітничо–фермерський дім» [ТУРФ–Дім] (Ukrainian Labour-Farmer Temple Association) and subscribed to the “Українські робітничі вісті” (Ukrainian workers` news) and “The Worker.” At that time, he was single and had no children, and signed a document according to which all his belongings after his death were to go to “good people whom he will choose.”
It is likely that due to tax debt in the early 1930s, the government sold part of his quarters and farming tools. He moved to Edmonton and supposedly became a barber. There is a document saying that John Yaremko paid his tuition in the Moler System of Colleges of Calgary and is entitled to enter any of their Colleges in the United States or Canada. The Moler System of Colleges was famous for teaching barbering, hairdressing, manicuring, facial massage, electrolysis, and chiropody. Mike Kotyk, who was taking care of the rest of the Yaremko's farm and homestead, also mentioned in his letter barber tools, which he was supposed to send to Yaremko. From 1936 to 1938, all letters for John Yaremko were sent to the Empire Hotel address on 96 St. in Edmonton.