DOROSCHUK –  Mrs. Katherine Doroschuk wife of the Late Mike Doroschuk of the Stenen district passed away at the Pasqua Hospital in Regina on October 6, 2017 with her family at her side. She will be missed dearly by everyone who knew and loved her.

     Katherine (Koroluk) Doroschuk was born on June 7, 1937 at the home of Mrs. Kelbough, delivered by Dr. Green of Stenen, SK. She was the youngest of eight children born to Metro and Kaska (Katherine) Koroluk. Her early life living at this farm with her parents was full of adventure and typical childhood experiences. It was also a period of time when she learned many valued skills in home-making, working hard and also a strong belief in God.

     She attended Frame Lake School, a local country school, completing grade eight in 1952. There she met many life-long friends, one of whom was Helen (Steranko) Scheschuk. They would visit each other walking three miles each way, even in the cold of winter and even though Katherine was very fearful of possible bears lurching in the bushes along the road. She would also walk two miles, under the same circumstances, to her sister Lillian Steranko’s to play with or baby sit Ron & Steve.

     After completing school she worked at her uncle George’s Bakery and Café at Benito Manitoba for the winter and also for a winter at a grocery store in Regina. She always returned to the farm during the summers to help her mother with gardening, picking wild berries and of course milking cows. Milking and all of the other hard farm work like plucking chickens, feeding animals and cutting holes in the ice during winter, made her very physically fit. She had a very strong and firm hand grip even during her last days in the hospital.

In 1956, at the age of 19, Katherine married Mike Doroschuk, the youngest son of Jacob and Anna Doroschuk, who were neighbours living half a mile from the Koroluk farm. After Jacob and Anna retired to Stenen, Mike and Katherine took over the farm where she resided until her passing. There were five children born to Mike and Katherine. Dean was born in 1957, Perry in 1959, Joan in 1961, and twins Darrell and Danny in 1963. Bringing up these children wasn’t easy. There were plenty of morning and evening chores, yard work, gardening, household duties along with big nourishing meals. None-the-less, the children were never hungry and always neatly dressed in clean clothes, even though new clothes did not happen too often. Mike would work during the winter months away from the farm to supplement the income. This made her life very challenging and she often needed some help from her parents and other nearby family members.

     Once the children left home she made some time for other activities. She enjoyed playing senior slow pitch ball for several years and also took in a couple of Stenen curling bonspiels. Participating in ball influenced her dedication as a fan of the Blue Jays. She could tell you when they were playing, which players were traded and who should be traded. In the winter she would watch all the curling events on TV and often phone Joan to have a lengthy discussion about various aspects of key games. She would also come out to watch curling at the Stenen bonspiel and volunteer selling 50 – 50 tickets for the curling club.

     Besides keeping the house immaculate, she also enjoyed landscaping and keeping the yard in tip-top shape. Her Rock garden was a highlight and quite often Dan’s dog, Rocky was by her side while she was working or investigating what had to be done next.

One of Katherine’s favorite shows was “Wheel of Fortune.” If you were smart, you wouldn’t dare call her when the show was on. She thoroughly enjoyed playing cards, especially “65” at family gatherings, particularly at the Zawerucka’s cabin at Crystal Lake and at times at the Stenen Senior’s Center. If only everyone knew that she often pretended to be angry if she didn’t win.

     It was never confirmed if she really enjoyed selling raffle tickets but she did have a special ability for doing that. She would always have many, many more ticket books sold than anyone else and even sell some of the books others couldn’t sell. Sometimes it would appear like she was a one-person ticket church fundraising machine.

It has to be mentioned that besides the selective passions for entertainment and for the willingness to help family, friends and the community, Katherine had a special love for chocolate, especially “Mr. Big.”

     Katherine had a wonderful sense of humour and wit and was even mischievous at times. She was always able to cheer people up. In more recent years it might not seem that way. To many, she seemed a little rough around the edges, especially when she “told it like it is” but overall she was a very nice and special individual and under that exterior, a very spiritual person.

She was a member of the Stenen Ukrainian Orthodox Ladies club for many years and also a member of the St. Demetrius Orthodox Church and the church choir. She really loved to sing. She had an excellent Alto voice and not only sang at the Stenen church but in combined local church choirs, who sang at concerts and other programs or events. In recent years she helped sister Lillian with the choir mostly in Stenen but also in Hyas and Sturgis. She also sang at many prayer services and funerals and read the “Epistle” when called upon to do so.

     Katherine was predeceased by her husband, Mike; her parents, Metro and Katherine; sister, Mihaleena in infancy; brothers, Metro, Gust and Peter; sister, Verna; and her granddaughter, Krista.

     She leaves to mourn her passing, her children: Dean (Karen), Perry (Terri), Joan (Randy) Kucharyshen, Darrell (Crystal) and Dan; granddaughters: Jody, Rebecca, Lindsay, and Kelsie and Great Grandson Zander and sisters: Lillian Steranko and Madelyn Zawerucka, sisters-in-law: Loretta, Vicky and Nellie and brother-in-law Mike and numerous nephews, nieces, cousins, relatives, neighbours and friends.

     Funeral Services were held on Friday, October 13, 2017 from the Chapel of  Preeceville Funeral Home with Rev. Fr. Michael Faryna of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada officiating. The responses were sung by Ron Steranko and Adeline Zawislak.     Interment followed in the Canora Town Cemetery with Dean, Perry, Darrell and Dan Doroschuk, Randy Kucharyshen and Steven Steranko serving as the casketbearers.  Condolences can be sent to the family at www.preecevillefuneralhome.com  Memorials in memory of Katherine may be made to the St. Demitrius Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Stenen as gifts of remembrance.  Arrangements were entrusted to Preeceville Funeral Home.

 Service Information