Mary was born on March 22, 1922 to Dan & Katherine Bzdel on the family farm in the Wishart district,the second eldest of ten children.Mary attended Royal Rock Country School until grade 5.At that time, there was no school taught during the winter months.After her school years, Mary was needed at the farm, tohelp look after her siblings, do field work and milk cows.Later, she ventured out and found a job in Wynyard, SK, at the Wynyard Café.

She met George Lipka in Wynyard, SK.George was discharged from the armed forces training camp at that time and on July 20, 1946 they married.They farmed George’s parents farmland in the Fosston district until 1972.George and Mary raised two sons, Lornie, born in 1950, and Harvey, born in 1954.Their oldest son Donny died at birth in 1949.

In 1972, when George’s health became a concern and he could not farm any longer,they moved to Wynyard. In 1975 George passed away from cancer.In 1973 Mary found employment at Crawford’s Foods, Wynyard, SK where she worked until 1980.

When Mary’s mother died in 1976, her disabled sister Olga came to live with her and Mary became her caregiver until Olga’s passing in 1982.Her son Lornie lost his sight due to complications from diabetes in 1980 and moved home to live with Mary and she left work to become Lornie’s caregiver until his passing in August of 2016.

Mary sold her residence in 2013 and moved into Maple Grove Retirement home with Lornie. She spent many happy years there before becoming a resident of Golden Acres in 2019.

Mary loved looking after her home, her garden, her flowers and those she loved.She enjoyed crocheting until her sight began failing her. Visiting with friends, relatives and neighbours was always a favorite pass time.

Mary was a faithful church member of the Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Church in Wynyard, SK as well as the UCWL (Ukrainian Catholic Womens League).In her younger years she enjoyed helping in any way that she could with the UCWL projects.She loved to sing in the choir and never missed the opportunity to do so, until her older years when she found it difficult to climb the stairs to the choir loft.

Mary reached the age of 101 years and 10 months.

Mary was predeceased by: her parents, her husband George, her sons Lornie and Donny as well as all of her siblings. She is survived by her son Harvey & daughter-in-law Ida of Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta and her sister-in-law Diane Bzdel of Wishart, SK.

In Loving Memory of Mary Lipka

Funeral Mass

10:00 a.m.

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Church

Wynyard, SK

Donations may be made to:

Sacred Heart Ukrainian

Catholic Church Fund

P.O. Box 728

Wynyard, SK S0A 4T0

OR

Wynyard Golden Acres Health Auxiliary

P.O. Box 1107

Wynyard, SK S0A 4T0