Helen (Manila) Berezitzky

It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of Helen Berezitzky, who passed away at the Invermay Health Centre, on the afternoon of March 19th, 2020.

     Helen was born at home on the family farm November 10th, 1936 to Wasyl and Mary Manila. Her sister Annie often told the story of how she went to bed with her mom one night and woke up the next day with an extra baby in the bed. That baby being her new sister Helen. She was the youngest of a large blended family - four half brothers, Stephen, John, Steve and Nick, one half-sister, Anastasia and four sisters, Katie, Elsie, Annie and Angeline.

     Helen attended school at Hryhoriw School. She then went to Winnipeg for a business course. Upon her return she met Bill Berezitzky. They were married on January 26th, 1957 in Canora, Saskatchewan. They started their married life together in Red Lake, Ontario, where Bill worked at a gold mine. Their first daughter, Judy was born there on July 11th, 1957. From there they moved to a farm near Ketchen, Saskatchewan. The family grew again with the birth of their first son Martin on April 24th, 1959. They lived on the farm for a few years and the family continued to grow. Russel arrived on December 14th, 1961 and Karen on October 18th, 1963. They moved to their present home in Preeceville in 1965. After a few years, life seemed boring and so they thought they would spice it up a little and on January 20th, 1975 baby Raymond arrived. Being 11 years younger than Karen, Raymond needed a friend and so along came Marlen on November 5th, 1978.

     During the years that she was busy raising her family she tried her hand at many different jobs, but the job that stuck, that she spent many years perfecting, was upholstery. She started out working for Shirley and Clifford Roste. They were not only her bosses but some of her best friends. Raymond and Marlen both remember thinking they were their grandparents – “Grammer” and “Grandpa”. Around the fall of 1985 Helen took over the business, after Shirley’s passing, and it became known as Preeceville Upholstery. From that point on Helen would be found busily working away at her sewing machine, and there was forever a knock at the door with someone dropping off a skidoo seat or couch to get fixed.  Marlen and Raymond and the young grandchildren loved when something showed up to get fixed and always hoped they would luck out and find some money hiding in the seats.  Helen continued to do upholstery work till about 3 years ago.

     Helen was a woman of many talents. When she wasn’t busy doing upholstery she would be found busy in her beautiful garden, spending countless hours weeding, watering and creating beauty. When Baba needed a rest she would be found in her chair watching her stories. She didn’t need a watch to know exactly when they were on – she just knew. She used to love watching all the Canadian teams play hockey on Saturday nights (especially Wayne Gretzky), listening to polkas and waltzes on the Saturday Night Get Together radio program and watching Stampede wrestling. Her family and friends will always remember her for her flower and vegetable garden, her tasty cooking and her love for bingo. The grandkids always showed up with an empty stomach so they could fill it with Baba’s perogies. When family came to visit they always went home with fresh produce from the garden and a bag of perogies for the freezer. She loved spending time with her grandkids and most of them remember playing a game of TV or Radio bingo with her. In the last year before she took ill her and Karen spent every Thursday at the Club 60 playing bingo. Karen will miss her bingo partner and will have to keep all the winnings for herself now. In the last few years especially when life wasn’t so busy Helen loved to sit and watch the beauty of nature. There was always many birds coming to the feeders and some very spoiled deer coming to be fed. The grandchildren and great grandchildren enjoyed learning about all the different birds from Baba and will miss sharing nature with her.

     Left to cherish Helen’s memory are her husband Bill, her children Judy (Bernie) Naclia, Martin Berezitzky, Russel (Karen) Berezitzky, Karen Berezitzky, Raymond (Kim) Berezitzky and Marlen (Amy) Berezitzky.  Her grandchildren Kathy (Dean) Naclia, Joanne (Keith) Kohlsmith, Patsy (Terry) Koturbash, Kayla (Stephen) Lowe, Paul (Callie) Berezitzky, Michael Berezitzky, Ainsley Berezitzky, Jennifer (Ben) Kendall, Ethan Berezitzky, Hannah Berezitzky, Barrett Berezitzky, Elliott Berezitzky, Preston Berezitzky and Jolene Berezitzky. Helen also leaves behind her sister Angeline Derish and 17 great grandchildren. Brothers and Sisters in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
     The Funeral Service was held on March 23, 2020 from the Chapel of Preeceville Funeral Home with Very Rev. Fr. Joakim Rac officiating. The Cross Bearer was Jackie Koturbash and all of Helen’s children, grandchildren and great grandchildren served as the casketbearers and honourary bearers. The Interment took place in Holy Transfiguration Ukrainian Catholic Parish Cemetery, Preeceville Saskatchewan. Memorials in memory of Helen may be made to the
Holy Transfiguration Ukrainian Catholic Church or to the Preeceville Hospital Auxiliary as gifts of remembrance.

Eternal Memory