Myrna was born November 17, 1939 in Bienfait, SK to Verna and Alexander Ronyk. Myrna has 3 siblings, Gary, Gaye and Reg. As a child, Myrna’s family moved many times. Finally, they decided to move back to Bienfait where her grandparents, Ida and Ernest McIlmoyl, who was a teacher, lived. Her parents, Verna and Alex ran the café and a pool hall, Myrna often babysat or helped her mom.
Her sister Gaye recalls a time when her and Myrna painted her brother Gary’s 1935 Ford, by hand, white with a red lightning bolt, boy that car was the envy of all the teenagers in that town.
Myrna’s grandmother, Ida was a strong influence in Myrna’s life. Ida made extra money sewing for the community. She taught Myrna and Gaye how to sew, and although, Gaye said she wasn’t that interested, Myrna always sewed. Gaye laughed as she called her sister a fashionista, always looking fabulous with her matching clothing, some of which she sewed herself.
She graduated from Bienfait school, in 1957, and attended Normal (Teaching) school in Moose Jaw, SK. She then taught 1 year in Oxbow, SK, it is interesting to note, that her grandfather, Ernest was the first to teach at Oxbow school, and Myrna was the last to teach there, before the school was closed. She also taught 1 year in Kamsack, SK, 1 year in Warner, AB, and her final year in Ogema, SK. She went to University for 4 months then left to work for the Liberty Bank for 15 months.
In 1963, Lorne was going over to Vernie and Elmer Charko’s to meet another girl, when he met Myrna. He quickly ditched the other girl and started dating Myrna, good choice we think. They married October 10 of 1964 and had Lisa in 1965. She then went to work for Canada Trust until the end of October 1968, to help with financing the construction of the new house in Regina at 158 Rothwell Crescent. Brent was born in 1969, and Blair in 1971. Rothwell Crescent will always hold special memories, since their good friends, Vernie and Elmer Charko, and Russell and Zoria Kush, also decided to build in that area.
In 1974, the family moved to Hudson Bay, SK, where they raised 3 kids and Myrna became a partner in Lorne’s Welding & Fabricating, first doing books at home, then to work in the office. She was always at home after school, because it was important to her, and to us, that she answered when we came in the door, and called “mom”. She was always ready to take time off to go to hockey games, baseball games, and any other sports the boys played. She loved baseball and football the most, she hardly missed a Blue Jays game, and always commented on players and stats. She was also a Riders fan and watched the football games, but if there was a baseball game on at the same time, she was watching baseball. She retired from the shop in 2011, to spend more time working in her yard. Myrna loved gardening and would always have many flowers. She shared her love of gardening with her daughter, Lisa, and her love of sewing with her granddaughter Amy.
She loved the birds in her yard, the purple martins, grosbeaks, and even the sparrows. The birds were absent for the last few days, but were back to the feeder, on Saturday, and everyday since, Lisa likes to look out the window for the birds and say, “hi mom”.
Lorne and Myrna spent 19 winters in Mexico where they met John and Betty Porter, and vacationed every year with Jake Baerg, Bob and Dallas Morin, Don Morin and Jack and Janice Herrod. There are too many stories to mention here, but most of them involved Tequila. They had a lot of fun, and Dad will always treasure those memories.
She loved her grandchildren and was always happy to see the group when her family descended on her house. Hockey school was always a fun and busy time for her, as she kept all the kids organized and fed. Christmas was always a good time for her too, as she happily made cabbage rolls, Christmas meals, and any desserts that us kids or Dad liked.
Lorne recalls when she was asked by the doctors, if she smoked, she would answer no, if she used drugs, she would say, no, but when they asked her if she drank, she would answer, YES, doctor would then say, do you drink a lot, she would say, yes, sometimes I have 2 drinks on Saturday.
Lisa always says, she has the best parents ever, if she needs advice about financial or business stuff, she calls Dad, but if she needs a listening ear, a soft word, or a shoulder to cry on, she would call mom. We will all miss that shoulder. Myrna was a tough lady, she beat cancer in 1983, a stroke in 2014, and a heart attack, and a pacemaker in Mexico in 2016. In 2018, she had her second bout of breast cancer. She passed away February 16, 2019, in Hudson Bay, SK.
She is predeceased by her grandparents, Ida and Ernest McIlmoyl, parents Verna and Alex Ronyk, Aunts and Uncles, nephews Terry and Kenneth, and niece Kim and brother-in-law Danny.
She is survived by her loving and devoted husband of 54 years, Lorne, daughter Lisa, son Brent (Donna), son Blair (Kim), Grandchildren: Amy, Logan, Brody, Brooke, Brynn and Brett and her Auntie Norma.