CHAPTER IV LIFE STORIES OBITUARIES РОЗДІЛ ІV ОПИСИ З ЖИТТЯ ПОСМЕРТНІ ЗГАДКИ РОДИНА ГАЛИНИ І ВАСИЛЯ БОДНАРЧУК Галина БОДНАРЧУК До Парафії Святих Володимира і Ольги в Сейнт Полі ми записалися десь в 1957 році, коли Служби Божі відбувалися на Дженкс Авеню. Ми почали приймати акивну участь у різних галузях господарства та життя парафії. Діти записалися до парафіяльної школи. Вікторія, Мімі і Люся добре вчилися та з радістю приймали участь в шкільних імпрезах. Не пригадую в якому році покійний Василь Боднарчук був головою парафії, ми вже були в новокупленій Церкві на Портланд Авеню. На його долю припала купівля будинку для мешкання священика, бл. п. Отця прот. Василя Уманця. Два сина – Михайло і Олександер прислужували в церкві. Записавшись до сестрицтва парафії, Галина та її діти з радістю виконували кухонні праці та робили різні печива для випрдажів. Особливо панна Людмила дуже старанно і багато помагала продавати писанки і була правою рукою, як кажуть, пані Марії Вовк, яка була відповідальна за стіл з писанками та приладдям. На привеликий жаль, покійна Людмила Боднарчук ще молодою відійшла від нас у вічний спокій. Після тяжкої хвороби, уже в останній життєвий час, написала вірш “Поема Ісусові”, який поданий нижче в англійському техті. Вічна їй пам ’ять! HALYNA AND VASYL BODNARCHUK Halyna BODNARCHUK We signed up to be members of Saints Volodymyr and Olga Church in St. Paul in 1957 when liturgies were celebrated at the Jenks Avenue Church. We started to actively participate in various facets of parish activities. Our children were signed up in the Ukrainian church school: Victoria, Mimi, and Lucia were good students and enthusiastically participated in school activities. I do not remember in which year Vasyl Bondarchuk was the head of the parish board when we were in the newly purchased church on Portland Avenue. During his leadership, the residence for the priest Fr. Umanec was purchased. Our two sons, Michael and Alexander, served as altar boys in church. Halyna joined the sisterhood and with her children eagerly took to working in the kitchen also baking many goods to sell at church bazaars, etc.. Miss Liudmilla was exceptional in helping with the sales of the pysanky (aster Eggs) at church bazaars and was, as they say, Mrs. Maria Wowk’s “right hand”. Mrs. Wowk, for many years, was responsible for selling pysanky. Unfortunately, Mrs. Liudimilla Bondarchuk departed from us into life eternal at a young age. After a serious illness, at her final hours, she wrote a very touching poem titled “A Poem for Jesus”, which is presented below. Memory eternal to Lucy Bodnarchuk! A Poem for Jesus Thank you, Jesus, for everything: My friends, my family, Even little things. How did you pick me Of all your servants to be so blessed. To find out what we ’re here for is the best. Every day so sweet and beautiful, How did you pick me? Thank you so much is not enough, But surely you have all my love. Thank you, Jesus, for picking me! Love, Lucy Written on March 24, 1989 I, Lucy, give my life to God. My soul is in your hands… for you know what is right for me. Guide me, foforr I love You withwith all my heart. Written on November 11, 1984 « 157 » IT TOOK A PARISH… Katherine BUHAJENKO The road has been intermittently smooth and rough, but what an exhilarating journey it has been. When our eyes focus upon the finished product of our mutual endeavor, we have to acknowledge that the journey was definitely worth embarking on. To be sure, building a church is not an easy task, especially in our case, as we faced overwhelming odds at every turn. We were a small but dedicated group, and by pooling our talents and persevering, and above all with God’s help, we managed to prevail. This we did, despite dissenting members within our ranks, resulting in unnecessary burdens imposed on us, but opposition made us stronger and more determined to succeed. Perhaps we had plunged too impetuously into this building project, but if we had deliberated on it, we probably would have had second thoughts about it, and then our beautiful church might not have come into being. That St. Katherine Ukrainian Orthodox church stands today in Arden Hills, serves as a shining example of our resolve, determination and faith. Yes, it took a parish to accomplish this, and a small parish at that. Purposely no names are mentioned here, as it was a joint operation. No one is above the other, whether you contributed financially or physically. No one person deserves all the credit. Don’t expect to be thanked or patted on your backs, just take pride in your monumental achievement. Personal satisfaction should suffice. We have come a long way and there remains a short distance yet to go. Indeed, John Buhajenko wouldn’t want us to falter now. ******* ВЗЯЛО ЦІЛУ ПАРАФІЮ... Катерина БУГАЄНКО Дорога була в деяких місцях рівною, а в інших місцях дуже кам’янистою, але назагал це була дуже цікава і жвава подорож. Коли ми дивимось на закінчений проект наших спільних зусиль, ми мусимо з упевненням признати, що цю подорож варто було розпочинати... Звичайно, побудова церкви не є легке завдання, особливо в нашому випадку, коли перед нами стояли величезні труднощі на кжному кроці. Ми були невеликою, але відданою групою людей, і коли ми зібрали усі наші таланти разом, і з нашою наполегливістю, та завдяки Божій допомозі, ми змогли досягнути нашу мету. Ми зробили це незважаючи на розбіжність поглядів між членами нашої парафії, в наслідок чого непотрібні тягарі упали на нас, але опозиція зробила нас ще сильнішими і більш рішучими досягнути успіху. Можливо, що ми взялися занадто рішуче за цей будівельний проект, але якби ми почали дискутувати цю справу, можливо ми б мали сумніви про неї, і тоді наша прекрасна церква мабуть не існувала б сьогодні. Те що Українська Православна Церква Святої Катерини сьогодні вже є будівлею, яка стоїть в Арден Гіллс, Міннесота, служить блискучим прикладом нашої наполегливості, рішучості та віри. Так, взяло цілу Парафію досягти цого, і при цьому не дуже велику парафію. Навмисно, ніякі імена тут не згадуються, бо це була спільна праця. Ніхто не є кращим від іншого, не зважаючи на те чи вкладки цих осіб були фінансові, чи фізичні. Ні одна особа не є достойна всіх заслуг. Отже, не чекайте, що вам хтось подякує або поплескає вас по плечу, просто будьте гордими за ваше монументальне досягнення. Вашого власного задоволення цілком досить. Ми пройшли вже довгу дорогу і лишається ще тільки досить коротка відстань, яку ми маємо пройти. Насправді, Іван Бугаєнко не хотів би щоб нас затримала будь-яка нерішучість. « 158 » REMEMBERING JOHN BUHAJENKO Katherine Buhajenko - October 1997 When I was a little girl growing up on a farm near Hudson, Wisconsin, little did I know or even dream that a young boy by the name of Evon Buhajenko was growing up half a world away from me in Ukraine, and was destined to have a profound impact on my life. Many years later after growing to manhood, Evon, or John, as I’ve always called him, would become my soul mate. John and I occasionally visited the places of my childhood, the farms, the one-room country schoolhouses, the rivers and the forests. Unfortunately, due to the repressive political system imposed on his homeland it was impossible for John to revisit the scenes of his childhood in a village called Reepke (Ріпки) near Kyiv. Through the years John related bits and pieces of his early life to me. There were hardships to be endured. Surmounting considerable obstacles and surviving harsh conditions was what shaped John’s tenacious character. I much admired his strength and his confidence, and I habitually leaned on him. There had been six children in the Buhajenko family. The father, Semen, had two children, Vasil and Anna, by his first wife, who died, after which he married Nastasia Teheen and had four more children, Катерина та Іван Бугаєнко. Andrij, Evon, Olesander and Oleksa. Presently, only Olesander and Katherine and John Buhajenko. Oleksa survive. During the inhumane collectivization period, John, at age of twelve, came home from school on the day before Christmas to find that all the windows had been broken and his family was told to vacate the premises. His half-sister, Anna, who was married and had two children of her own, took them all in, defying the authorities who warned her not to do so. Òhe two families lived in cramped quarters until an elderly relative dies, leaving a vacant house into which the Buhajenko family moved. It was five years later, when John was seventeen, that the family was dealt yet another cruel blow. The Communist police came and took John’s father away, never to be seen by his family again. Years later, during the ”Glasnost” era, John’s brother Oleksa and nephew Mykola, tried to find out what had happened to him. They were told that he had been rehabilitated but had died from a heart attack five years previously. A likely story, indeed! For personal reasons, I’m so glad that John was able to find his way to America and later into my heart. He arrived in St. Paul in 1950 with twenty-five cents in his pocket, but with plenty of potential. Not one to waste time, John began seeking employment immediately and succeeded in securing a job at Miller Hospital as an operating room orderly. He was to remain at that job for five years, while evenings, attending the University of Minnesota where he took mechanical engineering courses. In 1955 he saw an ad in the newspaper about a position at 3M in the International Engineering Department.