In 2003 the Andrusiak Family of Maria and Iwan Celebrated 100 Years of History in Canada
April 5, 2003 marked the 100th anniversary of the arrival in Canada of the Iwan and Maria (née Andrusiak) family from the village of Mamornitza, Chernovtsi district, Bukovina province, Ukraine.
They emigrated as Austrian citizens, sailing from Hamburg, Germany on March 13, 1903 with three children, Olexa, age 6, Metro, age 3, and Nikolai, age 1, arriving in Halifax 23 days later on April 5, 1903.
They settled on a homestead six miles south of Sundown, MB at SW1/4 of 12-1-9 EPM, immediately to the north of where the Sirko post office was later located.
Another child, Petro, was born and died before the family emigrated. Metro (born 1900) died in 1903, three weeks after the family arrived in Canada. Five other children were born in Canada: Katerina, Michaylo, Elena, Wasylka, and George. Michaylo (born 1906) died as an infant.
Wasylka, the last surviving sibling, died in December 2002.
The photograph, taken in the early 1920s, shows the house built approximately 1910 on the homestead. While the house was made out of hand-hewn square timbers covered with clay and whitewash, the roof was not straw thatched but covered with hand-sawn jack pine shingles. The house is still standing but with a new roof.
It is a guess that the photograph was taken about 1923, at Easter, since there are crosses decorating the house and the women are dressed in their finery. The youngest child, George, is about 10 years old.
Olexa (Alex) (born 1898) was married to Maria Prokopanko, Nikolai (Nick) (born 1902) was married to Kay Krishka, Katerina (born 1904) was married to Rudolph Hirshfield, Elena (born 1908) was married to George Chobotar, Wasylka (born 1910) was married to Bill Cherewayko, and George (born 1913) was married to Sophie Pohaichuk.
The Iwan and Maria Andrusiak family now has 6 generations of descendants and the 7th generation is eagerly awaited.