Born - December 27 1918
Married - Vera Bociurko October 1 1944 at Hafford SK
Widowed - November 6 1957
Married - Julia Louise 'Elma' Kelly July 12 1958 at Sacred Heart Church in Swift Current SK.
Died - February 23 2007
Children - Catherine, Peter, Anthony(Tony)
Photo Galleries - Gallery1, Gallery2, Children, Grandchildren, Hobbies
Dad filed for his own homestead, on TWP44, R9, SEC20, W3 on May 20, 1913. He and Katharina were wed on November 1914 and the two lived with John and Anna till 1916. During this time father and mother were developing their homestead quarter and were able to file for the 'Homestead Patent'. The record shows 10 acres broken in 1913, 9 acres broken in 1914, and 15 acres were broken in 1915.
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Donald Zuck, baptized as Danylo and called Daniel till high school, where I registered as Donald. I was influenced by a favorite uncle Danylo who called himself Donald and the self perception Donald was a more masculine name. Danylo attended grade school just one mile from the homestead at Craigmore School District #1178. Donald attended high school in Hafford about 10 miles away. Although most of the siblings tended toward the 'padded' physique I was inclined to be slender, possibly as the result of being carried through the 1918 Influenza epidemic in which mother was stricken, but survived. Although slim, I was always hale and hardy, with only the usual childhood ailments of measles, mumps, etc. My childhood was normal and happy. I was not alone because brother Bohdan was my constant companion. We grew up together sharing many happy moments. Mother was an excellent cook. We ate well and never were 'holy' (naked in Ukrainian) We might have worn patches on our pants and jackets, but no holes exposed 'bare' flesh. Remember that these were still pioneer days when money and material goods were still very scarce.
On school days we would rise at seven o'clock to prepare for school, mother and father having risen at five o'clock during the year except during winter. Our elementary school, Craigmore, was more academically progressive than many of the surrounding school districts. Mainly due to continuity of the teachers. I experienced only two teachers in my grade school years, Mr. Ivan Kostibie and Mr. John Kozak. Our school held the record for the greatest number of children graduating grade 8. In June 1925, we experienced every school child's dream, the school burned down. Speculation at the time was that one of the rate payers who had to haul his children the furthest, four miles, had torched the school in hopes that it would be rebuilt closer to him. This speculation was never heard from our family but was overheard from other rate payers. The school was in fact rebuilt on the same lot, next to the original structure. Alas, to the disappointment of us children, two weeks later the horse barn was modified enough to return to classes. The only interruption was during a heavy rain as the corrugated iron roof leaked and the 'drumming' made it too loud to hear. By fall we were in the new school. It was a modern building with a hot air furnace and play area in the basement for inclement weather. We were the only school in the area free from the never ending chore of stoking and servicing a huge 'pot bellied' stove standing like a sentinel in the corner of the classroom. The enrollment during my tenure ranged from 45 to 55 students in eight grades. It was a one room school until the late thirties when it was partitioned into one third high school space and two thirds elementary school, due to declining enrollments. Our district was predominately Ukrainian, with two French families and approximately six Polish families.
With the exception of the French children, all the rest of the beginners came to school having English as a second language. So the teachers contracted were of Ukrainian background and the parents insisted they teach Ukrainian language studies after regular school hours from four to five o'clock. This had advantages and disadvantages. Advantage of being bilingual was offset by the disadvantage that the schoolyard banter was in Ukrainian and all the students kept a distinct accent in English.
At the time people's whom spoke accented English were looked on with disfavor by the Anglo-Saxons, non English immigrants from other countries were resented. Not just in Canada, but throughout North America. They may have felt threatened in our sphere of influence, as the few Anglo farmers in the area were soon displaced by the industriousness, thrift and tenacity of the new immigrants. This bias did start slowly disappearing, but not until after the second world war. The population enlisted in the forces at the time, were forced to be integrated, and thus relied on the very peoples that they were prejudiced against. With this interaction, these prejudices were slowly abandoned.
Our district had its own share of home grown 'red necks'. Any number of which would object to hiring of a 'local' product. Be it as teacher, reeve, secretary or councilman. An example is when sister Anastasia was hired to teach in our Craigmore School the first time. Some local Ukrainian neighbors circulated a petition objecting to her being hired for the only reason of being 'local'. One wonders if that is why Ukrainian's from the old country never succeeded in establishing an independent country in their homeland. There is saying still heard today, "There were two neighboring farmers. Both had one milk cow, when one of them bought a second cow, the other farmer was heard to remark when told of this, not with congratulations or good luck, but, I hope one dies". Anastasia only taught one year at that time, but years later, was invited back to teach. She taught for three years during WWII, and was appreciated being at home to help, as Bud and myself were overseas in the service.
The annual Christmas concert was the highlight of the year. Not only for the school, but also the entire area. The teachers probability of contract renewal was in large part determined by the organization and quality of the Christmas show. The rehearsals, costuming, and set construction began in November. Students who were not deemed performance quality were given the 'important' tasks of operating the curtains, and announcing. The evening ended with a pot luck supper. Our mother's contribution was always a genuine apple strudel. For a long time, she was the only one who knew how to make it. Eventually she taught a few other interested women the recipe. This function was a community social affair to which all the parents looked forward to. Each student was entitled to a gift with the compliments of the School Board. Grades 6-8 received a seventy five cent gift allotment, grades 3,4,5 were given fifty cents, and grades 1 and 2 received a thirty five cent entitlement. Gifts were chosen by each student from the Eaton's catalogue and ordered at one time. In addition to this gift, each student received a goody bag containing an apple, orange, a cupful of rock candy and two cupfuls of mixed nuts. After the Christmas concert, santa would appear and distribute the gifts and treats. At our school, father played this role for over a dozen years. As this was before the CocaCola company invented 'santa clause' it was St. Nicholas who visited. Mother made dad the traditional blue with gold trim flowing robe, and along with a mitre dad fashioned and with a convincing false beard. The first time he appeared, who he was, was a mystery to all, including us. Another custom was that the 'strap' would disappear. This fell to the older boys and if the teacher was a liberal applier of same, it would be found cut into pieces. In those days the teacher felt responsible for our behavior. As an example, our neighbor Tom Pobran was getting a new well dug. We asked mother to allow us to go and watch. She acquiesced and we had a ball lowering each other into the 36 inch diameter, 20 foot deep hole. Sometimes we would for a minute forget to raise one or another out of the hole. It was great fun, but we made the mistake of telling Tom Pobran's son Nick. He told his dad and the next day there was Tom speaking earnestly to the teacher. Even though nothing was broken or damaged, but because a complaint was made, the teacher, Mr. Kozak strapped us all three times that day. Morning, noon and at the end of the school day. Even though we were there with mothers knowledge, there was no sympathy at home either. To this day I feel those attitudes are the reason we were all well behaved.
The two teachers we had during my time were strict, but as a result our district never had any type of vandalism. As it was bad enough answering to the teacher, when news of a misconduct reached home, another punishment was given as the teacher was always correct and would never punish for 'nothing'. They were mostly right. One of the worst offense's for us was to do something in public for which dad would hear complaints from the neighbors. One would never report an incident from school at home unless it was brought to light by a sibling who wanted to get even for something. As a result, property in the area was respected and there was no pilfering to speak of.
Growing up on the farm during the preteen years was a healthy period. At home breakfast was at seven o'clock or earlier. It consisted mainly of cooked cereal, bacon and eggs, fried potatoes, cottage cheese with sour cream, bread, butter and coffee. By seven thirty dad and the hired man would head for the fields with the four horse team to do field work. The children were packed off for the mile hike to school at eight o'clock for a nine o'clock start. School was dismissed at four o'clock and if there were no Ukrainian lessons, we returned home where the boy's chores were to fill the horse's feed boxes. The girls would bring in the milking cows from the pasture for evening milking by mother and them. The cream was a 'cash' crop and after separating, was shipped to the creamery, and the resultant skimmed milk was used by us or fed to the stock. Milking was done twice a day every day. Even when we would be attending social activities, someone would stay and do these 'must' chores. If the event was close enough, someone would return and then go back to the party. Supper was usually at eight o'clock or later. After supper we boys had the horses to water and the mangers to be filled with hay for the night. During the winter months we stabled about a dozen cows in the cow barn and about sixteen horses in the horse barn. The pigs had a pigpen and chickens a coop. The two barns had to be 'mucked' every morning before the manure froze hard, or we would have to chop it out if a cleaning was missed. Every morning stock had to be watered and the excess water was dumped into the ice house. This was a ten by twelve foot hole with a log structure above it. By the end of winter there would be a solid block of ice eight foot deep inside. The ice was covered with a layer of saw dust and would last us all summer. Special holes were cast in the ice to receive the cream cans. So they stayed fresh till they were full and delivered to the railway station. As a result of having ice, we were able to make one of my most favorite treats... ice cream. There were neighbor children near enough to us that there were frequently three or four to play with.
We had a telephone for as long as I can remember. We were on a 'party' line with eight other subscribers who were alerted by their ring code. Long, short, or short, short and combinations. The other neighbors on the line could also listen in to any conversation. One neighbor gave themselves away when eavesdropping, as there was a particularly loud ticking clock near their phone which would be heard on the line. Calls originating locally could be differentiated from calls from outside our local service by the strength of ring. The outside call ringing being much stronger. Eavesdroppers rarely missed monitoring such calls and frequently the receiver of such calls would have to beg the neighbors to hang up, as the signal became so weak with so many people listening in, that it could hardly be heard. We got our first radio during the early thirties. This was a luxury and as was the custom we held 'radio parties' where neighbors were invited by to listen to the radio programs and socialize. Shows we were especially fond of were the 'Lucky Strike Hour', 'Fibber McGee and Molly', Jack Benny, Bob Hope, 'Ozzie and Harriot' and 'Lights Out'.
Other favorite entertainment during evenings, was listening to mother tell stories. She was an excellent storyteller and we were fascinated by her knowledge and her never ending stock of stories. Mother was a romantic, and so were her stories. She never told horror stories. Often dad would read Ukrainian novels out loud for mother when she was sitting darning or knitting. Frequently us children would get interested and listen in. Mother wrote in the Latin alphabet. Bohdan and I received many regular letters from mother while we were away during the war, and it took us awhile to decode these letters as we wrote Ukrainian using the Cyrillic alphabet.
Spring was always an exciting time after a long winter. I can still fondly remember the earth coming alive with new growth, trees sprouting new leaves and the unforgettable smell of a freshly turned furrow behind the plow. Always following the plow, a flock of seagulls looking for treats in the freshly disturbed ground. New born calves, and some years colts, were so nice for us to nuzzle and pet.
Gophers, being regarded as pests, were encouraged by the municipality to be controlled. A bounty of two cents was paid for every gopher tail collected. The bounty was reduced for a period in the spring as a result of the 'bloom' of new gopher babies emerging from the winter dens. Using the lard pail our lunches were packed in, there were gopher to drown on the way to and from school. Two pailfuls of water were enough for even the most tenacious gopher. It was the local teachers task to pay the bounty, and the teacher would watch us count out the tails at a distance, as some of the tails reeked to high heaven. While a couple of cents are meaningless today, at the time a chocolate bar was only five cents and penny candy, was a penny a bagful.
Later during the hottest part of summer we used Zarowny's Lake, a two and a half mile hike, as the swimming hole. A boy of twelve was considered to be able to do most farmwork, especially if it involved a team of horses. We learned early in life how to handle livestock, particularly horses. I still feel that my growing up on the farm made me self reliant and adaptable to small or large situations that occur during a lifetime. My oldest son, Peter, would agree, even with the limited time he helped his Uncle Jack on this farm, and his lack of experience with 'stock'.
I entered High School in Hafford at age twelve. Us 'farm' boys always felt inferior to the 'townies'. On my first year there, I started with the handicap of being two weeks late, as I was needed to help with harvest at home. The one consolation was my older sister Anastasia was in grade eleven at the same time and this gave me some feeling of security. Anastasia, previously to my attending school, boarded in town, but with both us attending it became too expensive to keep boarding us both. So we drove ourselves in the democrat (buggy) when able, we walked the nine miles when no horses were free during the busy periods on the farm. If up to me my school career would have ended that first couple of days. Being behind, and called on those first days without learning what the others had, was terribly embarrassing with the 'superior' town kids laughing at my obvious discomfort. Returning home in tears, it took quite a bit of coaxing and cajoling by mother, father and Anastasia to get me to agree to return and give it a earnest try. Starting grade ten, I was by myself as Anastasia was now boarding in Saskatoon for her High School. During the busy spring and fall times even old dolly was needed at home, so I tried for a few days to board in town. But it was too boring from four o'clock till ten o'clock bedtime so I instead elected to walk the nine miles. It took me two and a half hours if not dawdling and three if distracted. As I was going to town, it became my duty to take the cream to the train station using the democrat. Usually it was a five gallon can, but on this occasion it was the large eight gallon can I was sent along with. About two and a half miles away from the farm, daydreaming while going down a long hill, the horses mistook a flat rock in the road for danger and bolted. During this runaway, the neck yoke came off the center pole, which resulted in the democrat becoming completely out of control, and myself with no option other than riding it out. After several hundred yards the dragging center pole somehow went sideways and speared the bank, sending the buggy 'pole vaulting' over it. With me and the cream can sailing through the air to land on the roadway. The can, landing mouth forward, popped its lid and a whole weeks milking, as well as the groceries and necessities it represented, lay spilled beside me on the road. I chased the runaway team for a quarter mile till they ran into a farmyard, where I shut them in the barn. I phoned home from there and reported the mishap and location of the team and buggy. I then walked the rest of the way to school. I was severely chastised when finally returned home after the day at school. The grease spot on the road from the cream was a haunting reminder all summer.
We had a western saddle but the closest we had to a sleek cow pony for me to use was dolly, an old mare, that after the tiring trip to town, was no more able to prance than fly. On the first day, as I had to pass two sides of the playground to the stables, the entire school lined up to goad me and dolly on. The next day and for the rest of my time there, I would wait for the bell to ring before making an appearance on horseback so I could avoid this humiliation so my start time was always fifteen minutes late. Hafford, as in Anastasia's time, had no grade twelve. I boarded in Saskatoon and attended the Bedford Road Collegiate for my final year. I graduated all the grade twelve subjects except 'composition'. The following year I returned and enrolled in the Saskatoon Technical Collegiate in an Industrial Arts Course and picked up and passed the missing composition class.
During 1935, in the middle of the 'depression' dad bought a 1926 Durant automobile. Fresh from my mechanics course at Saskatoon Technical Collegiate, I undertook to overhaul the engine. I am quite sure dad never believed I would ever get it back together again, and was quite proud when the 'fliver' ran better than ever.
The great depression, as it is known, hit in the spring of 1929. At the time it was a farmers custom to opt for an 'initial payment' in the fall for the crop and finalize the price in spring when prices were higher and receive the final payment. In the spring of '29, instead of the price rising, it fell, and continued to fall till reached the level of the previous falls initial payment. The first few years of the depression were the hardest for everyone till we all learned to cope with the conditions. The price of top quality No.1 wheat fell to twenty cents per bushel. Five gallons of sweet cream dropped to $2.75. Bologna sold for ten cents a pound, farm hand wages were fifty cents a day plus room and board. Teachers salaries plummeted from twelve to fifteen hundred dollars a term to three to four hundred dollars. In some of the harder hit areas, even this amount was not available. Being on a farm that was not as hard hit as the southern areas, we had the advantage over city folks by the ability of raising garden produce and meat for our table. In the cities, many actually starved. Unemployment was rampant and it became a common sight to see unemployed riding the tops of boxcars on the train looking for work. As well as the economic slump, it was also the driest years on the prairies. Virtually entire farms blew away with a windstorm. Many farms in the worst off areas were abandoned, with the occupants moving mainly to the west coast to try their luck there. On our farm, yields dropped from the twenty five-thirty bushels an acre range, to five-ten bushels an acre. This was only double the amount of seed it required to seed the fields. The stock shrunk to skin and bones as all the feed we could gather was wild buckwheat with a specially designed attachment to the hay mower. The government feebly tried to alleviate the feed shortage by buying animals for one cent a pound. Farmers, who up to these years, hauled their grain to the elevators for sale in sixty bushel capacity wagons, instead hauled their entire crop in a couple of three bushel gunny sacks. There was no effort by the government to assist people during this time and as a result a few riots broke out. A famous one being the trek to Ottawa riot in Regina. Today, our more well informed citizenry would never tolerate such negligent inaction by the government. Those of us who survived, were scarred for the rest of our lives. Still, life went on. Dances were held, couples married, community events were held in the local halls which were a welcome diversion.
During this period Myself, brothers Victor and Bohdan, with the addition of Fred, or sometimes Wally Harach formed a dance band known as 'The Nite Hawks'. Our regular fee to play a regular dance was five dollars. Of this, one dollar went towards fuel and we each had a dollar. When attendance was poor we settled for half that amount. On occasions when I was just an attendee to a dance, and all I had was a quarter, I would try and bargain the 'ticket taker' to let me in for twenty cents as it would be very embarrassing not to have a nickel for a chocolate bar to split with my 'ladies choice' partner. To young people today, this might seem ridiculous, but even as we all were poor, we still had great pride. To a much greater degree, unfortunately, than has survived with youth today.
We wore canvas shoes and jeans to school because we had to. To this day I have not made my peace with blue jeans. I disliked them back in those days when they cost $1.50 and don't like them any more now, even with todays prices of over a hundred dollars. Even in those trying times, vandalism and 'break and enters' were relatively unheard of. Partly, I believe, as everyone was well known to each other. These lean years were particularly hard on our parents and us older children who remembered better times. Children born during that period were not aware that things were tough as they had no comparison. Towards the end of the depression it appeared conditions improved slightly, but I believe this was solely due to people adapting and coping.
