Anna Stefanik, a long-time resident of the Bruce Community, passed away at the age of 93 years on September 26, at Viking, Alberta. Anna was born in Poland on January 20, 1924 to Sidor and Ksenia Palkun. Immigrating to Canada in 1929, the family settled on a farm in McRae, Alberta in the St. Paul area. Being the eldest child Anna carried many responsibilities at a very young age. As she grew older Anna worked side by side with her father sawing logs and hauling them to the mill, doing road construction and whatever else needed to be done on the homestead. When Anna turned 18 she decided it was time to make her own way out in the world and headed off to the city lights. She landed a job in Edmonton and it was while she was working at the airport that she met John Stefanik who had just been discharged from the war effort due to a physical ailment. John was so smitten with this young lady that after only after 3 days of getting aquatinted, he asked her to marry him. Anna was very skeptical but must have been just as smitten because they were married 6 weeks later. In 1945, they purchased a farm east of Bruce. Side by side, John and Anna worked very hard in raising their family and building their farm. Besides breaking and farming the land and raising livestock, they also hired themselves out as labourers to help finance a tractor as well as buying supplies so they could build their own house. Anna would hire herself out as a stooker and gained the moniker "man killer" as she would out work any man in her field. When John retired from farming it became more and more evident that something was wrong with John and was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Anna was totally devoted to his care and long after doctors told her she wouldn't be able to manage him, she did all she could to keep him at home until he was finally hospitalized and passed away in 1989. Anna continued to live on the family farm she loved and well into her 80's was still butchering chicken, harvesting a large garden and doing repairs. Anna was as stubborn as she was feisty and was determined to stay on the farm as long as she could. When it became apparent that she could no longer stay on the farm she moved to Vialta Lodge for 2 years and then to Extendicare. Anna was very devoted to her family. There was nothing she loved more than having her family about her, either in the kitchen enjoying warm cinnamon buns and a bowl of potato soup or around a campfire sharing her many stories. Though she worked hard all her life, her only regret was not being able to share her last days with her beloved John. Anna leaves to cherish her memory: son Bill (Edna) of Bruce, Alberta, son Ernie (Diane ) of Comox, B.C., son Donnie of Bruce, Alberta , son Walter (Alana) of Big Valley, Alberta and daughter Merrie Ann Jones (Bob) of New Norway, Alberta, along with 14 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren, and her sister Mary Henning of Mundare, Alberta and brother Walter Palkun of Boyle, Alberta. Anna was predeceased by her parents Sidor and Ksenia Palkun, sister Sylvia, Daughter Rose Marie, and husband John.
A Funeral Service will be held at the Bruce Community Centre, Bruce, Alberta on Monday, October 2, 2017 at 2:00 P.M. Interment will be at the Bruce, Cemetery Bruce, Alberta. If anyone so desires, donations may be made to the Bruce Cemetery Fund or charity of one's choice.