Arthur "Bill" William Strelezki

Bill was born on August 4, 1932, in the Ypres District to Peter and Annie (Chornomitz) Strelezki, the 6th child of 14.  He attended the Cheremosz school and completed grade 8, at which time he left school to help care for his younger brothers and sisters and help out on the farm. 

In 1957, Bill met his sweetheart, Angelina Nagy at Smith’s Café in Endeavour and they were married on July 10, 1959.  Bill and Angel were inseparable and did everything together, whether that was working, shopping, gardening or relaxing. In October of 1960, Bill and Angel welcomed their only child, son Dale.  Dale was their pride and joy and ultimately became Bill’s best friend.

Throughout Bill’s entire life, he was a hard worker, who never sat still but always made time for his family. He worked in the bush sawing lumber before machines and there are numerous stories of him and his brothers skidding trees out of the bush on their shoulders.  Because they were so inseparable, Bill and Angel both went to work in the bush camps and sawmills after the were married.  Bill working long hours outside, falling and topping trees and sawing lumber and Angel cooking in the camps for up to 30 men. Bill was also a partner in the Strelezki Sawmill which was operated by him and his brothers.  In 1969, Bill, Angel and Dale moved to Snow Lake, Manitoba.  There they operated the Friendly Giant restaurant and bus depot for 2 years.  While there, Bill also drove bus for Northern Bus Lines, transporting men to and from the mines. In 1971, they moved back to the farm near Usherville and in the winters, Bill worked for his brother Paul in the bush near Meadow Lake, SK.  In 1976, Bill and Angel purchased and operated Bill’s Esso Service, now known as Usherville Corner Service.  Bill worked as a mechanic there while Angel managed the service station. They operated this business for 10 years until 1986, when they decided to sell and move back to the farm to semi-retire.  Bill never really did retire.  He continued to work with Dale in the bush, on the farm, and in their shop from that point on.  Bill always needed to be busy and took up many hobbies in his life.  Outside of his regular work, he enjoyed entertaining friends and family, gardening, bowling, playing horseshoes, hunting, trapping and splitting wood.  Above all, Bill loved his family and enjoyed spending time with them.  He was so proud of his two granddaughters Stacey and Charlyn and was over-joyed to share in the lives of his great-grandchildren, never missing a dance recital or birthday party.

Bill was predeceased by his parents, Peter and Annie Strelezki and in-laws, Nick and Elizabeth Nagy, his sister Lena Shewchuk, brothers John, Olie and Tony and Alfred (in infancy) sisters-in-law Pearl Strelezki, Katherine Strelezki, Violet Nagy, Joey Nagy and Dehlia Witzko, brothers-in-law George Shewchuk, George Fialkowski, Lorne Perepelitz, Eddie Wiwcharuk and Andy Nagy.

He is lovingly remembered and forever missed by his wife of 64 years, Angel, his son Dale and daughter-in-law Cheryl, granddaughter Stacey (Jonathan) Strykowski and great-grandchildren Emerson and Jackson and granddaughter Charlyn (Nathaniel) Lisoway and great-grandchildren Peyton and Cooper.  He is also survived by his brothers, Mike of Canora, SK, Paul (Grace) of Dorintosh, SK, Steve (Sally) of Maple Ridge, BC, and Jack (Merlyn) of Stonewall, MB, sisters Polly (Willie Perepelitz) of Turtleford, SK, Mary Fialkowski of Usherville, SK, Elsie Perepelitz of Edmonton, AB and Alice Wiwcharuk of Usherville, SK, brothers-in-law Nelson Nagy of Saskatoon, Jim (Vange) Nagy of Winnipeg, MB, Leonard Nagy of Endeavour, SK and sister-in-law Lena Nagy of Endeavour, SK and nearly 200 nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and great-great nieces and nephews.