Tombstone Tuesday: Fred Demosky

Fred was my husband’s paternal uncle; his obituary can be read here.

Michael photographed his uncle’s tombstone during our visit to Grand Forks in June 2015.

Born on 16 September 1909 in the Canadian prairie province of Saskatchewan, Fred died on 14 April 1988 at home in Oliver, British Columbia. He was laid to rest in Evergreen Cemetery in Grand Forks, British Columbia.

Fred’s gravemarker reads:

In Loving Memory

Fredrick W.

Demosky

1909 – 1988

Copyright © 2016, Yvonne Demoskoff.

Sunday’s Obituary: Fred Demosky

Twenty-eight years ago this month, my husband’s uncle Fred Demosky passed away. He was a younger son of Russian immigrants Wasyl and Luchenia (Tomelin) Demosky. Fred was born on 16 September 1909 at his parents’ farm near Buchanan, Saskatchewan.

When he was twenty-nine years old, Fred married Mary Popoff in November 1938 in Arran, Saskatchewan. The couple, who had two daughters, lived in the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta, before settling in Oliver, British Columbia.

Fred died at home on 14 April 1988 in Oliver. A prayer service was held there two days later, and his interment took place on April 19 in Evergreen Cemetery in Grand Forks, British Columbia.

The handwriting at the bottom of the obituary (on April 19) belongs to Fred’s youngest brother William (Bill).

Source:

“Demosky”, obituary, undated clipping, from unidentified newspaper; Demoskoff Family Papers, privately held by Yvonne (Belair) Demoskoff, British Columbia, 2016. Yvonne received an assortment of family memorabilia (including Fred’s obituary) in January 2012 from her father-in-law William (Bill) Demoskoff.

Copyright © 2016, Yvonne Demoskoff.

Tombstone Tuesday: William Demoskoff

William Demoskoff gravemarker

This past Saturday, June 13, we interred my late father-in-law’s ashes. Pop died earlier this year in January (William Demoskoff (1914-2015)), but we decided to wait until better weather for the committal service.

My husband, his only sister, her husband, their elder son, his wife, and myself gathered for a simple, private graveside ceremony in Grand Forks, British Columbia, on what would have been Pop’s 101st birthday.

We arrived at the Doukhobor cemetery on a bright Saturday morning. USCC (Sion) Cemetery caretakers Walter Hoodikoff and Larry Jmaiff had prepared the site. They also led the committal service that included traditional Russian greetings, recitations and prayers. The ceremony lasted about half an hour.

We replaced the old headstone with a new one that included both names of my parents-in-law.

Bill and Ann’s gravemarker reads:

Copyright © 2015, Yvonne Demoskoff.

Sunday’s Obituary: Mary Horkoff

Mary Horkoff obituary, 2000

Mary passed away fourteen years ago, on 27 June 2000, in Grand Forks, British Columbia. She had been my father-in-law Bill’s friend and companion in the years after his wife Ann’s death. Mary was a quiet and shy woman, and was more comfortable speaking Russian than English. She and Bill liked to travel by car around the province or with other seniors by bus. When Bill was hospitalized for most of the year when my husband Michael and I married, Mary attended our wedding in Bill’s place. It was a very nice gesture on her part.

Source:
“Horkoff”, obituary, undated clipping, from unidentified newspaper; Demoskoff Family Papers, privately held by Yvonne (Belair) Demoskoff, British Columbia, 2014. Yvonne received an assortment of family memorabilia (including Mary’s obituary) in January 2012 from her father-in-law William (Bill) Demoskoff.

Copyright © 2014, Yvonne Demoskoff.

Sunday’s Obituary: Paul Stooshinoff

Paul Stooshinoff obituary, 1972

Forty-one years ago today (6 October 1972) a single-car accident claimed the life of Paul Stooshinoff. He was only 20 years old. He was one of my husband Michael’s school friends.

Paul and Michael met as teenagers in junior high school in Kamsack, Saskatchewan, where they lived. They hung out together with other boys from school, like Kerry Horkoff and Danny Derhousoff. After Michael graduated from Kamsack Collegiate and moved to Grand Forks, British Columbia, Paul and Kerry followed him there to find work.

One autumn afternoon, Paul lost control of his Dodge Charger and struck a tree on a quiet residential street in Grand Forks. He died at the scene.

The funeral, which took place in Kamsack, was co-officiated by Michael's maternal uncle, Larry Cazakoff.

Paul's tragic and untimely death deeply affected his family, his girlfriend, his friends and co-workers. Michael has never forgotten his friend who died so young and so long ago.

Source:

Paul Stooshinoff, obituary, undated clipping (1972), from unidentified newspaper; Demoskoff Family Papers, privately held by Yvonne (Belair) Demoskoff, British Columbia. Yvonne acquired assorted memorabilia (including Paul’s obituary) in January 2012 from her father-in-law William (Bill) Demoskoff.

Copyright © 2013, Yvonne Demoskoff.

Tombstone Tuesday: Clara Strukoff

Two days ago on Sunday, I posted Clara's obituary. Today, I’m following up that post with a scanned image of her gravemarker. Clara is interred in the U.S.C.C. Doukhobor Cemetery in Grand Forks, British Columbia.


Clara Strukoff gravemarker.


Clara's gravemarker reads:

IN LOVING MEMORY OF

CLARA R STRUKOFF

1955 – 1981

BUDDED ON EARTH TO BLOOM IN HEAVEN

Copyright © 2012, Yvonne Demoskoff.

Sunday's Obituary: Clara Strukoff

Clara, my husband’s cousin, was the youngest daughter of George and Marie (Jmieff) Demoskoff. She died of cancer on 18 November 1981 in Trail, British Columbia, 31 years ago today. Clara was only 26 years old and the mother of a little girl Tracey. She was interred in the U.S.C.C. Doukhobor Cemetery in Grand Forks, British Columbia.



Clara Strukoff obituary, 1981.


Source: “Strukoff”, obituary, undated clipping [November 1981], from unidentified newspaper; Demoskoff Family Papers, privately held by Yvonne (Belair) Demoskoff, British Columbia, 2012. Yvonne acquired an assortment of family memorabilia (including Clara’s obituary) in January 2012 from her father-in-law William (Bill) Demoskoff.

Copyright © 2012, Yvonne Demoskoff.

Sunday's Obituary: Ann Demoskoff

Last Tuesday, I posted a photo of my mother-in-law's gravemarker. Today, I'm following up that post with a scanned image of her obituary.


Ann Demoskoff obituary, 1980.

Source: "Ann Demoskoff", undated clipping, 1980, from unidentified newspaper; Demoskoff Family Papers, privately held by Yvonne (Belair) Demoskoff, British Columbia, 2012. Yvonne acquired an assortment of family memorabilia in January 2012 from her father-in-law Mr. William (Bill) Demoskoff, including the obituary of his wife Ann, who died on July 27, 1980.

Note: Ann's place of birth is incorrectly shown as "Kamsack, Sask.". She was born at home on her parents' farm near Pelly, in Lily Vale District, Saskatchewan.

Copyright © 2012, Yvonne Demoskoff

Tombstone Tuesday: Ann Demoskoff

Ann Demoskoff (1926-1980)


My mother-in-law, Ann Demoskoff, was born at home on March 11, 1926 in Lily Vale District, Saskatchewan. She was the youngest child and only daughter of George W. Cazakoff and Polly J. Poznekoff, Doukhobor emigrants from Russia. Ann married William (Bill) Demoskoff at her parents' farm near Pelly, Saskatchewan on June 1, 1952. Ann died on July 27, 1980 in Grand Forks, British Columbia, where she and Bill moved to in the early 1970s. She is buried in the U.S.C.C. Doukhobor Cemetery in Grand Forks. 

Copyright © 2012, Yvonne Demoskoff.