On August 28, 2016 Iwan “John” Stefankiw of Wishart, Saskatchewan passed away with his family by his side at the age of 92 years. John was born to Wasyl and Polly Stefankiw on February 14, 1924 in Ukraine. When John was 6 months old, his mother travelled with her five children by ship across the ocean to join their father in Canada. John was raised on the family farm in the Krasne District. Times were hard but farming was their way of life. John attended Halicz School. When he started school he only spoke Ukrainian, but he soon caught on when they weren’t allowed to speak anything but English. John quit school when he was 15 years old to help out on the farm. For two winters in 1944 and 1945, he went to work in Ontario at a bush camp. He saved enough money to by his first car, a ’42 Chev. In 1947, John and his father purchased their first tractor. Soon followed by a plow and bush rutter. John did breaking for themselves and for others. He worked by the moonlight many of times. A thrashing machine was purchased during these years also, and in 1950 he finally purchased a 27 Massey Combine. These purchases were a turning point in success of farming. In 1951, Wasyl and Polly moved off the farm and John took over the family farm. In the spring of 1952, he met the woman who would stand by him for the rest of his life. On October 25, 1952, Mary Lib married John at St. Michael’s Church in Wishart, Saskatchewan. John and Mary started their life together on the Krasne farm. Seeding the crop, milking cows, raising livestock and chickens, gardening, hauling bales, threshing, spending time with family and friends and going to church was a way of life. In 1954, their first child Claudette was born followed by William in 1956 and Wayne in 1958. In the fall of 1959, in search of better farm land and schooling for the children, John and Mary purchased a farm two miles west of Wishart. Darcy was born in 1963 and during this year, they began to build a brand new home on the same farm site. In 1964, they moved into their new home, which included running water and power! Clayton was born in 1968, which made their family complete. As their farm and family were growing, John took on a job as school bus driver to help pay the bills. He transported three generations of children to school and back home each day. John was also seen as an RM Councillor for many years, he also sat on the hospital board and was a dedicated parishioner at the Wishart Ukrainian Catholic Church. John instilled a great work ethic into his boys, while Mary did the same for Claudette, as they wanted nothing more then for their children to succeed. Many memories for the boys include: cleaning the pig barn, milking cows and hauling bales all summer long. John was always working hard to do good for his family. He always knew what it took to grow a good crop. John saw many changes in farming over his years. When John started farming with his Dad, they walked many miles behind the horse and plow. Then they got a tractor that eased the workload. To the time he climbed into his son’s tractors, turned on the air conditioning, listened to the news all while sitting on a cushioned suspension seat. Followed by most recent experiences of watching the machinery drive themselves with auto steer. In his words “I am thankful for the progress.” As John got older, his greatest joy was driving around and checking up on his boys in the field. He showed an interest in agriculture right until his final day. His family always knew they could count on him for advice. He was a man of wisdom: “if you don’t seed right, you won’t have anything to harvest.” John is survived by his sister: Mary Samec; his loving wife, Mary Stefankiw; his children: Claudette Stefankiw, William Stefankiw, Wayne (Paula) Stefankiw, Darcy (Marcy) Stefankiw, Clayton (Debbie Haw) Stefankiw; his grandchildren: Jennifer (Jordan) Lindgren, Chantelle (Brent) Malinowski, Lou-anne Stefankiw, Jocelyn (Jesse) Velestuk, Michael (Jillian) Stefankiw, Steven (Melissa) Stefankiw, Cally (Devin Severson) Stefankiw, Melinda Stefankiw, Dylan Haw, Janelle Haw; his great-grandchildren: Jaxson, Alexis, Westin and Bristol Lindgren, Dawson and Allyse Malinowski, Brooke Velestuk and Rayna Edison. John is predeceased by his parents: Wasyl and Polly Stefankiw; his in-laws: Thomas and Stella Lib; his siblings: Anne, Rose, Kay, Doris, Helen and Mike; his daughter-in-law, Valerie Stefankiw. In the words of John’s late daughter-in-law, Val: Farming is a way of life that cannot be compared to any other as we see it. The clear blue sky on a warm autumn morning, the sound of the wind as it blows through the tall grass, fills your soul with peace. The work can be hard some days, the hours long; but if you love the smell of freshly turned soil, then you know that farming is where you should be. John was seen as honest and full of integrity. He would always greet you with his infectious smile and friendly handshake or warm hug. He will be missed! Funeral Service 10:30 a.m. Thursday, September 1, 2016 Wishart Ukrainian Catholic Church Wishart, Saskatchewan