The night before Anna and her sister’s family planned to leave Russia, police told them that Anna’s sister and her family were being sent to Siberia, so at 18, Anna immigrated to Canada alone. She never saw her family again. She lived at Mary Martha Home, Winnipeg, and worked for a Jewish family, sending most of her $15/month to her family in Ukraine. To learn the language, Anna worked for and stayed with an English-speaking family, becoming their chauffeur until 1942. She met Bernard at church, and after a 6-month courtship, they married during his 2-week leave from the army. In 1947, they moved to Greendale, B.C. After leaving the farm, they lived in Burnaby, B.C., 29 years. Anna did housework for others to help pay the bills. They enjoyed their friends and the hymns at Willingdon Church. Devotional reading and prayer were part of her daily life. Anna was involved with the seniors’ group and Bible study. She knit blankets and sewed clothing for MCC with the women’s circle. After retirement, Anna and Bernard travelled to Europe, California and Alaska. She kept busy crocheting, knitting and baking. From 1994–2009, they lived in Abbotsford, B.C., where they found friendship at Bakerview Church. Due to Bernard’s heart condition and Anna’s dementia, they moved to Sherwood Crescent Manor.
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