Mary Harasewich Tells the Story of Her Hard but Full Life

Mary Harasewich Tells the Story of Her Hard but Full Life

Rosanne Fortier News Correspondent

Mary was born on November 19, 1932 just north of Smoky Lake in a little log cabin in the bush. She grew up in the St. Michael’s area. Mary had one brother and one sister. She grew up with a mother and a step-father because her biological father died when Mary was three weeks old. Her parents were good to her. “My parents were very poor. We were living in an abundant house in one big room. This was an old house that a neighbour had on a farm and we had to look after their cattle and horses on the two quarters of land in order to stay there. So, we had to work on this farm since we were very young. But we didn’t know we were poor so this didn’t bother us. We had enough food. We had no electricity or a telephone, or anything that people were used to later. Our clothing was hand me downs from neighbour’s. We never had any toys. ”

“I remember when I was three-yearsold and the neighbour lady came because my mother was going to give birth and my step-father walked to St. Michael to get a doctor. This was on February 4 and it was very cold outside. There was no fire in the stove and it was very cold in the house. The neighbour lady told my brother and me to cover our heads with the quilt and stay on the bed. Then all of a sudden, I heard a baby crying and that was my sister. I was so excited to have a baby sister.”

Mary went to St. Michael’s School from Grades 1-3, and then her family moved half way between St. Michael and Wostok.

When Mary first started school, she didn’t know a word of English and the teacher used to poke her on the head because of this and tell her to speak English. “My mother was born in Canada and she spoke English but my stepfather didn’t allow her to speak English so they only spoke Ukrainian. Also, I was bullied in school by the teacher and by some boys. I used to walk three miles to school even when it was cold outside. We didn’t have any transportation until I was 15 and then we got a bike and a buggy and a horse,” Mary said. “But I enjoyed school otherwise. I liked to learn. The subjects I was best at were science, social studies, and art. I had several girlfriends at school.” Mary went to work when she was 14 where she helped out on the neighbour’s farm. They paid her a dollar a day. She also babysat and cooked for 10 children.

Mary met her husband Andy when she worked at Musidora as a housekeeper and caregiver for a one-yearold baby while the mother was teaching at Two Hills.

“I met my husband in the store at Musidora when we were both shopping. It was love at first sight for both of us. He was very good looking and a nice person so six months after we met, we got married,” Mary explained.

A recent photo of Mary Harasewich.

(Rosanne Fortier/photo)

Mary said they had a good marriage but they had a lot of work to do on the farm. They had five children; four girls and one boy. After they were married 30 years, they bought a general store and a post office in Musidora. This was hard work. She was the post master of the post office for 25 years. Her husband worked out for the County of Two Hills on a motor grader and on the snow plow. Mary worked at home care for three years at Vegreville Health Unit.

Mary also cultivated and did a lot of chores on the farm too when her husband was at work. As well, Mary looked after her mother and motherin-law in Two Hills and she helped them with their gardens. She also wrote two books where one was her autobiography which she gave to her family and the other book was called, ‘Farm Wife’s Files’. Her daughters helped at the store too. They had fun times too as they traveled throughout the world during their holidays.

Mary ran the Farmers Market at Two Hills and she was a columnist for the newspaper there. Mary and her husband were married for 51 years when he passed away. Mary is an artist who has sold paintings all across Canada.

Mary has 13 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. She resides at Lions Golden Villa in Vegreville. Mary said her senior years are very good for her except when she had to have 11 surgeries. She also has the wet form of macular degeneration which makes it harder for her to paint or type out stories.

She volunteered and was active in all the communities she lived in. She used to be President of Golden Villa and President of Musidora Church. She enjoys cooking, baking, and calling bingo at Lions Golden Villa. She has made the Ukrainian Christmas Eve supper every year for the residents at Lions Golden Villa. She created pieces of beautiful embroidery and made many other arts and crafts projects. Thirty years ago she bought and restored five humpback trunks from Ukraine. The trunks are 140-years-old and she kept one and gave the other four to her daughters.

Mary feels she is a better person because of her hard life as the difficult times have made her stronger. Her advice to people would be to set a goal and work towards it. “Don’t make excuses, just do it. Also, be good to people and nice to everybody.” Her plans for the future are to stay healthy and to enjoy life to its fullest.