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Joseph Ferleyko
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Blair's Funeral Home Ltd.
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Obituary for Joseph Frank Ferleyko

 Joe was born on July 2nd , 1922 on a farm southwest of Melville, to parents Steve and Nellie (nee Gorecki) Ferleyko. Life and times were difficult growing up. He attended Reimer School for grades 1-8 . Each morning before he went to school he had to bring the cows in - one morning it was so foggy he lost his way and so was late for school. The teacher gave him the strap for being late and told him that school was more important than the farm. At the age of 14 he had to leave school and go to work full time for his uncle for $5/month working from sun up to sun down.
When he was young he had learned to converse in Ukrainian, English, Polish and German picking it up from the neighbours, and in this multicultural community knowing several languages was always an asset except at school where the teacher would get angry if any language was spoken other than English.
Even in the early years he was a doer and a goer - one time he got a bike but there was no money for tires and tubes so he wrapped bale twine around the rims and rode many miles on it replacing the twine when necessary - it was much faster and he could go farther than walking.
Note: years are approximate!
1940 - Joe was drafted into the army - His regiment was the Edmonton Fusiliers - he took country commando training there, he was also in Regina, Maple Creek and Port Alberni. While at the Welland Canal he swam the St. Lawrence Seaway to retrieve a boat that got away, he had to swim a mile before he caught it. He was a Private and his main job was to drive a jeep for an officer. He also had to polish his buttons and shoes and was on call 24 hours a day for him - for this his army wages were $35/month. On Saturday he would go to St. Catherines and pick peaches for $20 cash/day.
1945 - Joe came to Prairie River and worked in the Bannock area for another Uncle for 50 cents a cord cutting and hauling fire wood and loading it into box cars. About this time he attended a Box Social in Prairie River and bid on a beautiful box that was white and decorated with red roses - Nellie Shewchuk had decorated it so beautifully - he was the highest bidder of the evening spending $19 on it! However Nellie was afraid to eat with him because she didn't know who he was! It didn't take long for that to change though!!
1946 - On June 15th, Nellie and Joe were married and the priest was very late arriving to perform the marriage due to muddy roads. That year Joe worked for Ed and Frank Dunkley running a cat and working on the farm. He would catch a train to Peesane and walk 12 miles to where he worked in the bush.
1946-1949 - He did carpentry work in the area, including building the Roman Catholic church in Prairie River.
1947 - Moved to Melville for a year to help farm. While there, he was hooking up the horses to a wagon load of grain when the chickens startled the horses resulting in them pulling the wagon over his pelvis and breaking his right hip. A neighbour heard him calling for help and came to his rescue. He had to spend a year in Regina hospital and had no insurance.
1948 - They came back to Prairie River to farm
1949 - They started the store in Prairie River called the Riverside Grocery and Café.
1950 - Joe worked on the track for CNR putting in ties for 35 cents/ hour, but they only hired him for 3 months of each year and then he would be laid off so it was not enough to make a living. He worked for Jack Russell cutting cordwood for 50 cents a cord.
1954 - Joe worked for Clary Jones, farming in the summer and cat work in the winter until Clary sold out. He also did more carpentry work - he worked on the schools at Muncey and Muskeegan and the Prairie River School, the hall, curling rink, skating rink, and seniors.
1967 - He began working at Simpson Timber in Hudson Bay and worked there until his retirement. He then did farm work for Bill and Nick Kozak, Jim Savage, Milton Turnquist, John Gorniak , and Fred and John Waskowic.
Joe was a doer - he would work hard at any job and was proud of always doing his best at whatever task he began and there was no time to waste - if we're going to do it let's get it done! He worked hard to provide a good life for his wife Nellie and 3 children: Edward Dennis, Gladys Emily, and Randy Gerald whom he loved dearly.
He never ever said "I wish I had…" but he was so happy when he got his Cadillac. Joe loved his Cadillac and proudly told everyone how wonderful it was. He also loved his John Deere lawn mower and would get up very early and happily go cutting grass for the museum, the seniors or the neighbors with a big smile on his face. Joe loved to be involved in his community, serving on the Prairie River School Board, Prairie River Board of Trade, Curling Rink, Prairie River Seniors, Ukrainian Catholic Church Board in Hudson Bay, and the Prairie River Recreation Co-op Association.
Joe loved the outdoors, spending time hunting, fishing, berry-picking and gardening. He continued digging potatoes, even at the age of 89 years. Joe also loved dancing, good music, good food, and a drink with friends - and spending time with friends and family at any and all local functions.
Joe was well known in the community and area and he will be sadly missed.
Joe was predeceased by his parents: Steve (1973) and Nellie (1981); brothers: Willie and John; sister Lena Pilipow; brothers-in-law: Steve Pilipow, Alex Pilipow, John (JJ) Shewchuk, Walter Kisil, Walter Shewchuk, Alex Kowal, and Harry Gel; sisters:-in-law: Agnes Ferleyko, Gert Stevens, Annie Kowal, and Marcia Shewchuk; and son-in-law Leonard Tkatchuk.
He is survived by his loving wife of 65 years Nellie; children: Ed (Diane), Gladys Tkatchuk, and Randy; brothers: Rudy and Albert; sister Mary Pilipow; sisters-in-law: Hazel Ferleyko, Caroline Ferleyko, Alice Gel, Eva Kisil, and Ann Shewchuk; brother-in-law Victor Shewchuk; and numerous nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

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306-278-2202 Blair's Funeral Home Ltd.
P.O. Box 524
Porcupine Plain, SK S0E 1H0
Email: blairsfuneralhome@sasktel.net
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640 Churchill Street
Hudson Bay, SK S0E 1Y0
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Blair's Funeral Home
205 - 1st Avenue West
Kelvington, SK S0A 1W0
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306-278-2202 Blair's Funeral Home Ltd.
P.O. Box 524
Porcupine Plain, SK S0E 1H0
Email: blairsfuneralhome@sasktel.net
306-278-2202 Blair's Funeral Home Ltd.
P.O. Box 524
Porcupine Plain, SK S0E 1H0
Email: blairsfuneralhome@sasktel.net
Proudly Serving the Communities of Porcupine Plain, Hudson Bay, Kelvington, Prairie River, Mistatim, Peesane, Weekes, Somme, Carragana, Chelan, and Bjorkd