Joyce Prekaski

Joyce Anne Prekaski, wife of the late Willard Prekaski of Sturgis, passed away on November 18, 2021 at the Preeceville & District Health Centre, Long Term Care.  She was 96 years of age. 

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturaday, May 21, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at the Sturgis Community Hall.

Memorial donations in memory of Joyce may be made to Preeceville Long Term Care Auxiliary as gifts of remembrance.

Joyce Anne was born on January 6, 1925 to Bert and Agnes (Will) Vodden on the family homestead north of Sturgis, SK. exactly fifteen months after the birth of her brother, Russell. When she was 12, her aunt passed away and her Will cousins from Elkhorn, MB. joined the family. Jessie was 6 and Jimmy was only 1 year old at the time. The family now had 4 children.

After attending Kopje School for grades 1 to 12, Joyce went to Teacher’s College in Regina and obtained a teaching certificate. She taught at Beaverbank School in 1943. Teaching grades 1 to 8 at the age of 18 was challenging. She recalled students taller and older than her, bed bugs where she had room and board and long walks back home on weekends.

Romance ended her teaching career. On October 14, 1944 Joyce and Willard Prekaski were married in Yorkton, SK., had a honeymoon in Winnipeg, MB. and began a 62 year marriage. Their first winters were in a logging camp. She did the cooking and began her life-long love of crocheting. Over the years she made dozens of doilies, tablecloths, sofa sets, afghans and dishcloths to gift, use or sell. Needle point was another winter hobby that Joyce loved.

Farming was her career – livestock, grain fields, gardening, cooking, preserving, harvesting and the paperwork for a herd of purebred Polled Hereford cattle. Her flowerbeds were her pride and joy, especially the lilies and other perennials. The humming birds were well fed.

Life became even busier when children were added to the family: Gloria in 1947, Linda in 1951 and Trent in 1958. Joyce also found time to work part-time as a clerk at the Sturgis Auction Mart and at farm auctions. She enjoyed attending auctions as a customer as well and often came home with collectibles, bargains and “tomorrow boxes”.

Our family enjoyed yearly shopping trips to the Northern States once or twice a year staying in motels at Plentywood, Minot or Williston. They also traveled to visit family in Elkhorn, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver occasionally when the harvest was done.

When grandchildren arrived, there were many trips to Thompson, MB., 100 Mile House, B.C., Castlegar, B.C. and Hudson Bay, SK. for birthdays and holidays. Joyce and Willard never arrived empty-handed. The car would be loaded with farm meat, vegetables and baked goods and sometimes even pails of manure for gardens! Their biggest adventure was a road trip to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.

After Willard’s death, Joyce moved into a rental unit in Sturgis in 2008. She played cards at the READ Club and played rummy and had tea with brother Russell most days. She continued to grow flowers and enjoyed her visits with her neighbours Rita, Lena, Irene, Rebel and the visits and bran muffins from Bernice Brodie.

In 2015 Joyce joined Russell in residence at the Preeceville Personal Care Home. She continued to enjoy family visits, long drives in the countryside, chicken wings and brownies at Rawhides, wonton soup and a sundae – ½ cherry, ½ chocolate.

A fall in 2018 resulted in Joyce needing a wheelchair. After a stay in the Canora Gateway Lodge, she was moved to the Preeceville Long Term Care Centre on December 17, 2018. She received wonderful care there until her passing on November 18, 2021 at the age of 96.

Joyce was predeceased by her husband, Willard in 2007; her parents, Bert and Agnes (Will) Vodden; her brother and sister-in-law, Russell and Betty Vodden; brother, Jim Will and sister, Jessie Simes.

Holding her in loving memory are her children, Gloria Mattson, Linda Moorlag and Trent (Elenore) Prekaski; grandchildren, Garth (Nikki) and Noel (Erin) Mattson, Jarret (Carrie) and Larissa Leason, Ashton and Drew Prekaski; great-grandchildren, Leif, Erik and Dylan Mattson, Taylor and Hunter Manning, Blaine and Scarlet Leason; nieces, Leanne Geber and Cyndi Vodden; as well as many other nieces, nephews and friends.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Preeceville Funeral Home.