On September 26th, 1926, in Ketchen, SK, John Zenuk was born to parents Nick and Pauline Zenuk. He was born in his grandparent’s home, 70 miles from the family homestead in Chelan, SK, as his father developed the family homestead.
He was raised with three sisters and one brother. He attended school in Chelan from grade 1 to 11. After school, John left home to work in several places in BC and Ontario for a few years. After this period, at the age of 27, he returned to the homestead to farm alongside his father due to an illness his father encountered.
John fell in love in 1955. At a barn dance at Kryschuk’s farm, John spotted the most beautiful woman in the world, Lillian Nazar. The two danced all night. At the end of the dance, John asked Lillian if he could take her home, and she said “No, you didn’t bring me here, you’re not bringing me home.” The next dance, you can bet John had asked Lillian if he could take her. And they had been inseparable since. They were married the next year on June 9th, 1956. The wedding lasted 3 days, as most Ukrainian celebrations do. During their marriage, John and Lillian were blessed with 5 children; Cenedella, Gloria, Kimberley, Landon and Dawson.
John continued farming on the family homestead. He and Lillian were mixed farmers, raising pigs, cattle, chickens and children, while they milked cows and sold cream. All this while also mixed grain farming. It’s a good thing they had 5 free farmhands. In 1976, after 21 years of marriage, and living without power or running water, John and Lillian built a new house from the ground up, that Lillian still resides in today. While living there, John never stopped worrying about being able to pay for the roof over their heads. Although he farmed each season, and we all know how hard of work that is, even more so back then, John wanted more for his family. In the early 80s, he decided to go to work up north, diamond drilling for Midwest Drilling in between farming seasons. This caused him to leave those most important to him; his wife Lillian and his children. But John never stopped working, because as he always said, “Hard work never hurt anyone.” Of course hard work means you get to play more.
There were many times where John would go pick up the kids in town and then he’d go to the bar and make the kids wait in the car. But don’t worry, the kids always got a pop and some chips. “Just don’t tell mom.” He would say. It was rare you would see John without a beer in one hand and a cigarette in his mouth.
As each child left home to pursue their own careers, John and Lillian’s youngest son Dawson started learning and helping John on the farm. As he learned, Dawson’s list of responsibilities grew. John worked the farm with Dawson into his 90’s, enjoying the new farming technology and the advancement that came with it.
While working the land, John also held different positions around the community. John held a spot as a committee member of the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool during most of his farming career. He held the role of school trustee for several years. Education was incredibly important to John. He was so proud seeing all of his children and all of his grand-children so far graduate grade 12. It was so important in fact that John would shovel the road so the busses could pick up his kids after it snowed. And if the busses didn’t come, he would hop in the truck and bring them into town. One of John’s most enjoyable and significant community roles was that of cemetery caretaker for the Chelan Hillcrest Cemetery. This role he held into his 90’s.
His children would remember him coming home from funerals and saying, “They only talk about the good stuff at those things. The guy could be a thief and they’d only say good things.” Luckily for us, there are only good things to say about this hardworking, generous man. John worked hard, but he always played and loved hard. Every time you walked through the farm door, you’d get a hug and then hear “You need a beer?” His family and friends will always remember him for being the most generous man in any room.
Into his later years, John enjoyed helping his son farm, going flying with his son Landon, his son-in-law Pat, and his brother-in-law GT, spending time with his kids, grandkids and great-grandkids, keeping up with the news and reading books. He also enjoyed travelling, especially if it meant he got to go fishing, or if it meant he got to go “pick up dog food,” which was code for going to Prince Albert to play the slots at the casino.
John’s health stayed impeccable until the end, he didn’t take medication until the age of 89 and continued yard work and gardening into his 90s. When you visited him and Lillian on the farm, John was always so happy. When it was time to leave, he always made sure you were full, happy, healthy and coming back to visit soon. His presence will be missed but his family is grateful to have been able to spend the many years they got to with him.
John is predeceased by father Nick Zenuk, mother Pauline Zenuk, brother Sam Zenuk, sister Anne Lesniuk and her husband Ed Lesniuk, brothers-in-law Oliver Pruden and Wayne Draper, father-in-law Walter Nazar, mother-in-law Eva Nazar, and 4 children in infancy. Survived by wife Lillian Zenuk, daughters Cenedella (Jack) Lee, Gloria (Patrick) Campling, Kimberley (Mark) Hunter, sons Landon (Brenda) Zenuk, Dawson (Antonie) Zenuk. Grandchildren Jacenda (Richard) Brown, Caitlin Lee, Sarah Hunter, Amber Zenuk, Nicland Zenuk, Samantha (Bailey) Campling, Rhye Zenuk, Brixdon Zenuk. Great-grandchildren Jorja Brown, Brynlee Brown. Sisters Alice Draper and Hazel Pruden.