In Loving Memory of Ellen Batiuk

It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Ellen Mary Batiuk on December 10, 2023, just short of her 90th birthday. In remembering Ellen (Mom, Baba), we celebrate not just her life but the enduring impact she has left on each of us. She will be dearly missed, but her legacy will live on in the hearts and lives of her family and the many people she touched.

Ellen was born on February 27, 1934 in Provost, Alberta. The only child of Angus and Annie (Mychan) McLeod. Her father Angus came to Alberta from Mabou Ridge, Nova Scotia. Annie immigrated to Canada from the Ukraine in 1927.

In April of 1942, Angus, Annie and 8 year old Ellen moved to Wadena. Two weeks later, Angus suffered a fatal stroke and passed away.

Ellen and her mom, Annie, lived with John (Annie’s brother) and Stella Mychan until the fall of 1945 when Annie bought a small house in Wadena.

In 1947, Ellen began working at the Wadena Theatre. In 1951, she took a summer job in the Wadena Creamery testing cream. She soon learned how irritated the farmers could get if the cream test was not the quality they thought resulting in smaller cheques.

Ellen left school in 1952 and began clerking at the Wadena Red and White grocery store.

In June of 1954, Ellen married Borden Batiuk. After their wedding they moved to a farm 2 miles north of Kylemore which became their home for over 50 years. Life really changed for Ellen, she had grown up in town and was used to having people around, and here she was on a farm with not even a phone. Borden would use his Dad’s truck to go to town once a week. This was a major outing for them.

Ellen had a big learning curve moving to a farm - learning to garden, raise chickens, pigs and milking cows.

In 1969, Ellen decided to go into the honey business. In 1976, she extracted 950 lbs of honey from 2 hives. The bee inspector was so impressed that in the fall of that year he took the queen bee and shipped it to Florida for breeding of new queen bees.

Ellen had a green thumb. Borden had built her a sunroom which she filled with over 100 varieties of house plants.

She also grew an immense garden and fruit orchard. With this she made sure that her family was well fed, her cold room was stocked from floor to ceiling with canned fruits, pickles, relish and preserves.

She even made Root Beer for Borden and the girls…. she herself did not care for it!

Ellen was a fantastic cook. She had 4 freezers full of home baking, cabbage rolls, perogies, wild mushrooms that she loved to pick and a variety of meat, including homemade smoked Koobasa.

In her “spare” time, Ellen loved to sew. Making clothes for her daughters and granddaughters. She loved to create beautiful petit point and needle point pictures for her family. She also enjoyed knitting and quilting.

In her “spare, spare” time she decided to sell Avon, which she did for 45 years. This kept her family members with an endless supply of bubble bath.

Ellen was a very dedicated member of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Kuroki.

In their retirement years, Ellen and Borden enjoyed traveling. They purchased a motor home and made many fishing and sight-seeing trips with friends and family.

Borden passed away at the age of 78 in 2007 following a fall on the farm.

Ellen and Borden were proud parents of 4 Daughters,
Connie (Alden Boen)
Nadine (late Ken Roman)
Naomi (Ian Groll)
Lucinda (Daryl Kwiatkowski)

9 Grandchildren,
Kelli (Landon), Cassandra (Karsten), Angela (Luke), Davis (Melissa), Leland, Evelina, Jaiden (Dustin), Raquel and Raina

5 Great Grandchildren,
Savannah, Ryker, Declan, Tobias, Barrett

The family extends heartfelt thanks for the compassion and kindness shown during this time. Ellen's life was a tapestry of love, resilience, and joy, a legacy that will continue to inspire her family.

 

 

In Loving Memory of Ellen Batiuk

Prayers

5:00 p.m.

Friday, December 15th, 2023

Chapel of Narfason’s

Narfason’s Funeral Chapel & Crematorium

Wadena, SK

 

Private Family Graveside

Saturday, December 16, 2023

St. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery

Kuroki, SK

 

Donations in memory of Ellen Batiuk

may be made to:

Wadena Health Care Auxiliary

P.O. Box 1034

Wadena, SK

S0A 4T0

 

Those wishing to send cards of

sympathy & caring

may send them to:

Ellen Batiuk’s Family

P.O. Box  817

Kelvington, SK

S0A 1W0